5 iconic fan moments in football history

Every match has its moments. The rhythmic chants and enthusiasm bring the stadium to life and supporters play a big role in giving their team that extra push. Football being a worldwide sensation, it is no surprise that at times fans go above and beyond when necessary or use the field to make themselves heard. Sometimes, fans can be a little extra themselves and become the centre of attention.

Here are 5 moments in which the fans stole the game.

Scotland fans ransack Wembley

Fans running onto the field is a common scenario during football matches. However, when Scotland beat England 2-1 in a Home Championship decoder at Wembley in 1977, calling what fans did on the field iconic might be an understatement.

Thousands poured onto the field filled with joy and uncontained excitement. Many fans even dug up pieces of the turf to take home as souvenirs. One of the most famous football photos from the 1970s features a fan who caused the goal frame to split in half as he climbed atop the crossbar.

This moment only goes to show how meaningful winning a match is for some fans and it is definitely more than just accolades. 

Swedish fans' silent protest

Anywhere in the world, you would anticipate a football match to have a boisterous atmosphere with fans cheering constantly. Ideally, the Stockholm derby is usually no exception. However, in September 2011, the 24,000 spectators at the Rasunda Stadium were completely silent for the first 10 minutes of a game between local rivals Djurgarden and AIK. 

 Both AIK and Djurgarden fans took a stance against what they perceived as their clubs taking advantage of them and demonising them in the media and by the authorities. They silently spoke against the heavy-handed tactics of the Swedish FA and sensationalist reporting of crowd trouble. Their haunting silence made the conversation between the players clearly audible and is considered to have gotten the message across.

Jimmy Jump

Jimmy Jump is the most well-known and notorious pitch invader in the world of football thanks to his stunts for which he had to pay a price.

In several high-profile football matches, Jaume Marquet i Cot has been known to rush onto the field. One such instance was when he gave footballer Thierry Henry a Barcelona jersey before the striker had even signed with the team.

If that was not crazy enough his stunts also graced the World Cup in 2010. He ran onto the field just before the final began and came within inches of putting a hat on the trophy before vanishing under a group of security personnel.

Everton fan handcuffs himself to post

This moment might be one of the more heart-warming ones. Everton's 1-0 win over Manchester City in February 2012 was remarkable, to begin with. However, one fan inside the stadium made it more worthwhile and memorable.

Five minutes before the end of the first half, local man John Foley ran onto the pitch. Before anyone could stop him, he handcuffed himself to one of the goalposts. He did so in protest of Ryanair firing his daughter, who worked as an air hostess. Foley stopped the game for about five minutes as part of a one-man protest directed at the airline CEO Michael O'Leary who was in the stands to watch the match between his favourite teams.

Pig's Head for Luis Figo

Objects being thrown onto the field is nothing unheard of. However, sometimes the hatred fans hold for opposing teams or even a particular player can result in some unusual things being thrown.

When Real Madrid and Barcelona drew 0-0 in 2002, an iconic object from the crowd was fired into the field of play, becoming one of the most well-known and infamous ever. One home supporter at the Nou Camp decided to demonstrate his rage the only way he knew how—by hurling a pig's head onto the pitch. He was upset about seeing former Barca hero Luis Figo playing with Real Madrid.