List of Violent Spectator Incidents in Sports - 2007

2007

• January 21 – In a Heineken Cup rugby union match between Toulouse and Ulster, Toulouse player Trevor Brennan ran into a section of the stands housing Ulster supporters and assaulted Ulster fan Patrick Bamford. Competition organiser European Rugby Cup found that Brennan was being baited over the standard of Brennan's Bar, which he co-owns in Toulouse. Brennan received a life ban from rugby, which was reduced to a five year suspension, prompting his retirement. Bamford successfully sued the Guardian, among others, for libel concerning reports that suggested he had shouted sectarian abuse.

• March 20 – Following Chelsea's 2–1 victory over Tottenham in an FA Cup quarter-finals match at White Hart Lane, Chelsea midfielder Frank Lampard was attacked by Tottenham fan Tim Smith, who ran onto the pitch and threw a clumsy punch at him. Footage appears to show Lampard's teammate Didier Drogba stomping on Smith after Chelsea's fitness coach Rui Faria had wrestled Smith to the ground.

• April 21 – Following Jeff Gordon's win at the Subway Fresh Fit 500 at Phoenix International Raceway, which meant that Gordon tied the late Dale Earnhardt with 76 wins, a handful of Earnhardt fans threw beverage cans at Gordon's car as he celebrated the victory and paid tribute to Earnhardt.
• April 29 – At the Aaron's 499 at Talladega Superspeedway, a track where Dale Earnhardt and particularly his son Dale Earnhardt, Jr. have a strong following, Jeff Gordon won the race again, this time surpassing Earnhardt, Sr. on the all-time wins list. A much larger number of fans threw beverage cans and other debris on the track and at Gordon's car following his victory. Fourteen fans were arrested and banned from buying tickets from the speedway for life.

• May 23 – During an AHL playoff game, Kip Brennan of the Hershey Bears engaged in a fight with a drunk Manchester Monarchs fan who had attacked him in the penalty box, and ripped the fan's T-shirt. Brennan was restrained by officials, given a game misconduct penalty, and suspended for the remainder of the playoffs. The fan was ejected from the arena.
• May 28 – In the fourth quarter of Game 4 of the NBA Western Conference Finals between the Utah Jazz and the San Antonio Spurs at EnergySolutions Arena in Salt Lake City, Jazz fans gave way to frustration, with most of it aimed at San Antonio Spurs swingman Manu Ginóbili and his flair for drawing fouls. Four technical fouls were called against Utah in the fourth quarter, and Jazz fans threw empty water bottles and garbage onto the court after head coach Jerry Sloan and guard Derek Fisher were both ejected for arguing with officials. After the Spurs won the game 91–79, Jazz fans threw beer cups and garbage at Spurs players and officials, with Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich being forced to rush his team straight into the locker room instead of submitting to post-game interviews. Two fans were arrested.

• June 2 – With the score tied 3–3 in the 89th minute of a UEFA European Football Championship qualifying match between Sweden and Denmark, a drunk Danish fan stormed the pitch and punched referee Herbert Fandel in the face before being restrained by Danish team officials. Fandel had awarded Sweden a penalty kick after Danish midfielder Christian Poulsen was sent off for punching Swedish striker Markus Rosenberg in the stomach. Following the attack, the match was abandoned, and UEFA later awarded Sweden a 3–0 victory. See UEFA Euro 2008 qualifier fan attack for more details.
• June 20 – During an exhibition match between South Melbourne and the Melbourne Victory at Bob Jane Stadium, South Melbourne player Andrew Bourakis was hit by a flare. 15 fans were ejected during the match.

• July 8 – At the end of a Rugby Football League match between Hull F.C. and Hull Kingston Rovers which Hull won 30–20, a group of drunk and drug-affected Hull FC fans invaded the pitch; prompting Rovers fans to do the same, a brawl broke out between the rival fans, and it was believed that Hull centre Kirk Yeaman may have assaulted a fan. The League launched an enquiry.

• July 25 – In the top of the ninth inning in a game between the Angels and Athletics at Angel Stadium, a fan, Roland Flores, threw a water bottle that hit Mike Piazza after he had homered earlier in the game; Piazza then pointed his bat in the stands at the fan he believed threw the water bottle to get the attention of security. Flores was arrested by the ballpark security, and Piazza pressed charges against Flores. Flores was sentenced to 30 days in prison and three years of probation on March 27, 2008.
• October 3 – Following Celtic's late goal in the Champions League Group D clash against A.C. Milan which resulted in a 2–1 victory, a drunk Celtic fan, Robert McHendry, ran from one side of the pitch to the other, making light contact to the shoulder of Milan goalkeeper Dida while running past him; Dida took a couple steps in pursuit of McHendry before he went down clutching his face in apparent agony and had to be taken off the pitch on a stretcher. McHendry was banned from Celtic matches for life, and Celtic were fined 30,000 Swiss Francs for the incident. Dida was fined and suspended for two Champions League matches for simulation; the suspension was later reduced to one match on appeal. Several other Celtic fans destroyed advertising hoardings at the side of the pitch as they also tried to reach celebrating Celtic players on the pitch.
• November 11 – A policeman near Arezzo attempting to break up a brawl between Juventus and S.S. Lazio fans shot and killed Lazio supporter Gabriele Sandri; as news of the killing spread across Italy, a match between A.C. Milan and Atalanta B.C. was abandoned after seven minutes after fans attempted to destroy a glass barrier separating them from the pitch.