Updated throughout the day with quick takes from staff.
Oh, brag about how hard your fanbase is. I'm looking at you, New York and Philly. "We'll call you homosexual, and maybe throw beer cups at you if we really get serious." Imposters, the lot of you. Your efforts at hostility towards rival fanbases pale in comparison to the pros in the game. At best, either of you come in fourth place behind Raider fans, South Korean soccer fans, and finally your new champion in literal overkill, Nigerian supporters of Manchester United.
A Manchester United fan in Nigeria killed four people when he drove his bus into a crowd celebrating Barcelona's victory in the Champions League final.Rita Inoma-Abbey, a Rivers state police spokeswoman, said the driver was in custody after making a U-turn and driving into the crowd. She said more than 10 people were injured.
When Cristiano Ronaldo eventually leaves the team to go to Real Madrid, Nigerian newspapers might want to sit on the story for a few weeks, as devoted fans of Man U seem to take their team even more seriously than bottle-tossing, pepper-spray-craving English fans.
This post originally appeared on the Sporting Blog. For more, see The Sporting Blog Archives.
15 comments
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oh yeah? well i heard philly fans once threw snowballs at santa.
(makes wanking gesture at bristol)
by psudrozz on May 28, 2009 1:39 PM EDT reply actions
philly fans are also known for throwing batteries and coins at opposing outfielders, real classy fans there! but even philly fans pale in comparrison to soccer fans. no matter if its the World Series, the Stanly Cup, Super Bowl, the World Cup, or the EUFA Championship, its JUST A GAME!!! if your team loses, take it like a man.
by GMBlaze on May 28, 2009 3:11 PM EDT reply actions
The bus was identified by the phrase "Have a nice day" painted on the back.
by colonel on May 28, 2009 3:42 PM EDT reply actions
Unbelievable. They should just play Euro soccer games in empty stadiums. These animals clearly cannot handle watching games live. This sort of thing ALWAYS happens, although to a lesser degree.
by ChiAdam on May 28, 2009 4:20 PM EDT reply actions
If I’ve said it once, I’ve said it a thousand times. Nigerians shouldn’t drive buses.
by peroxide31 on May 28, 2009 5:07 PM EDT reply actions
Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha. This is the funniest thing I think I have ever heard!
by bizkit71 on May 28, 2009 5:59 PM EDT reply actions
It was reported that the driver was blaring the song "Do You Know the Way to San Jose" over the loudspeaker as he drove thru the crowd…
by 308 Vet on May 28, 2009 7:22 PM EDT reply actions
It was reported that the driver was blaring the song "Do You Know the Way to San Jose" over the loudspeaker as he drove thru the crowd…
by 308 Vet on May 28, 2009 7:22 PM EDT reply actions
I remember philly fans cheering while michael irwin lay on the ground with a career ending neck injury.
by mgmtiger on May 28, 2009 9:01 PM EDT reply actions
Soccer fans are by far the hardest fans there are, the only other fanbase that will kill for their team is Raider Nation.
by CaliforniaKid on May 28, 2009 10:06 PM EDT reply actions
He’ll be driving a cab in Manhattan in 4 weeks.
by L'etat, c'est moi on May 28, 2009 11:42 PM EDT reply actions
soccer fans are the worst thugs in the world, but unlike americans most of them can actually play the game and don;t just sit on their behinds all the time.
by george32 on May 29, 2009 12:27 AM EDT reply actions
Spencer Hall, I don’t think it’s appropriate to makes jokes about four people dying. This is a classless and sophomoric article.
by galactafunk on May 29, 2009 1:00 AM EDT reply actions
You are right, george32, most soccer fans can play the game. Quite frankly, most anyone can play soccer. Especially if you consider the fact that a lot of countries think the game mainly consists of laying down and pretending to have a severe injury instead of trying to actually beat the opponent.
by peroxide31 on May 29, 2009 1:25 PM EDT reply actions
I am pretty sure you are in the minority with your opinion, galactafunk. I submit the only way the rational world can respond to rabid soccer fans is to make jokes. Especially when they are killing each other with buses over a loss. If this kind of behavior was isolated, you would have a point. Not only is this kind of incident not isolated (the bus may be a unique touch), but given the track record these fans have had over the years, it isn’t even surprising. Besides, the odds that this article is going to offend someone who is actually tied to the incident in any way are remote at best. As for the people that are offended simply because human life was lost, you may want to shut yourselves off from the world, because lives are lost every day, and sometimes it’s just funny. If a terrorist slipped on some hummus while trying to strap a bomb to himself in some terrorist hideout and killed all of his terrorist buddies in the process, it would be pretty funny, wouldn’t it? No? What if he yelled, "Uh-oh, spaghetti-O’s!" right before the explosion?
by peroxide31 on May 29, 2009 1:44 PM EDT reply actions
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