I watched a pitch invasion a MK Dons (in england) last week. I was quite surprised because you dont see that many in england anymore, usually just at lower league teams mostly after a cup upset or something, so to see one at a new stadium was quite rare. I wondered if MLS have pitch invasions I have heard previous people on here talk about some at college games. Its illegal I think in england but not sure what you can do when 1000's invade the pitch.
Hopefully we'll have it sometime... That being said...the American term for it is "storming the field"...it's really popular in college football after a big win....even though we get fined a bunch in the SEC for it.
toronto did it after the last game last year. i don't think anyone has done it after doing anything important, though.
It happens all the time at the college and most schools (besides the one in the SEC) have done nothing to stop it. (I don't see anything wrong with it either) But, I haven't heard of any pitch/field/court invasions in any American sports league in many years (talking about after wins, not things like what happened in Detroit a few years ago). I think it happened back in the 50's in baseball and basketball when the rules were much less strict. But, if anyone tried it now (in MLS or any sports league), they would be in danger of being arrested. Now, if thousands of people did it after an NFL game or baseball game or whatever, i don't see how much the po-po could do. I know I got off on a tangent but, point beingit, it doesn't happen often in american professional sports, but in college sports it happens very often.
The only one i've seen in MLS was way back in 1996. I think it was game 3 of the eastern conference semifinals and DC beat NY on a last minute pk.
One of the coolest things to do in sports. I got to storm the football field at Wake when we beat BC last year to win the division and the basketball court this year when we upset Duke. I wasn't around for the College Cup so I didn't get any soccer storming, but I'd love to do it after a big Revs game (though I would bet on ending up in jail)
Penn State students (myself included) tried to invade the pitch after Penn State beat Ohio State in 2005. The police were incredibly brutal. A lot of people were hit by pepper spray. The State Police lined up at one end of the field, and with batons in hand marched across the field to clear everyone off.
Seriously? That sucks. I wish they would just let them do it. I don't really see much harm in it. The police at SC games don't really enforce crowd control as far as rushing the field goes, the students have just shown a lot of self control because they know that the SEC will fine us $10,000 (because it would be our second offense) if they did rush the field. But, I hate any rules against rushing the field. I think they're stupid, and I hate to hear that the cops were so rough towards the Penn State students. Pepper spray seems uncalled for.
The very first pitch invasion in MLS was May 11, 1996, at Ohio Stadium. The Crew trailed the Revs 2-1 in the 88th minute (with official time on the scoreboard) and then got back-to-back goals from Pete Marino and Brian McBride to win 3-2. A thousand or so fans stormed the field immediately upon the final whistle. My favorite memory was Doctor Khumalo running for his life. Some fans were chasing him to celebrate with him, but he ran away in terror. He leaped over the sign boards in a full sprint toward the locker room. One of the fans tried to do likewise and crushed his own nutsack on the top of the sign. Classic.
I remember this happening alot during the first years at DC, people would run onto the field after the games ended! That was real crazy and fun to watch, too bad ti doesnt happen anymore.
While not MLS, it is MLS related since Seattle is joining MLS next year. This happened last year at the USL-1 Championship Match here in Seattle after Seattle won. Classic pitch invasion: [youtube]idf2JWiS5Pc[/youtube]
I like your cameo at 0:40 Jade my last pitch invasion was 18 years ago this May, trying to get to Zvezda supporters, unfortunatelly I met mr nightstick first and had to retreat back over fence like a little monkey
As usual, insurance is the problem. One person gets hurt and MLS gets sued. And since MLS teams have a lot more assets than USL teams, the possibility of a lawsuit is far greater for an MLS team.
Wasn't it last year during the Quarterfinals of the CONCACAF Champions Cup in at the DC United home game vs CD Guadalajara at RFK that some naked guy ran on to the pitch? Dude must have been freezing.
MLS Cup 2005, Galaxy fans pitch invaded. Didn't make the T.V. due to the double overtime. ABC had it's priorities and cut the broadcast to show poker or Women's vollyball or something.
Well the possibilities are VERY ripe for pitch invasions in MLS due to the lack of this around the field: