The 4 worst cases of curling hooliganism in Canadian history

The sport of curling has a rich history of entertaining play, exhilarating performances, and team achievements. But Canada's roaring game is perhaps most associated with the many large-scale riots it has inspired over the years at the hands of violent gangs of curling hooligans.

Here are the four worst incidents of hooliganism in curling history.

4. The Martin-Savage Riots (1997)

The 1997 Olympic Trials not only determined which curling team would be the first to represent Canada in an Olympic Games, it was also the epicentre of the worst riot in the history of Brandon, Manitoba.

In the final round of the tournament, Pete "The Old Bear" Martin snapped after two straight days of unceasing trash talk by Team Ontario Alternate Paul Savage, with P-Mart retaliating by breaking a broom over Savage's head. The attack sparked a nine-hour brawl among the 5,000+ spectators that spread into the streets surrounding the Keystone Centre.

In his public statement, an unrepentant Martin refused to apologize and promised to "choke his ass out" next time.    

3. Plaid Sunday (1955)

Of all curling's controversial moments, perhaps none is as historically significant as the riot that followed Team Quebec's suspension from the 1955 Brier for wearing pants that were "too flashy".

Officials handed down the suspension during Round Robin play after eventual champions Team Saskatchewan complained of feeling "dizzy" and "potentially hypnotized" by the ostentatiously plaid trousers. Quebec Skip Henri Pronovost suggested their punishment was motivated by anti-francophone bias and defended the pants as fashion-forward.

Team Quebec's rowdy fan base took to the streets in agreement.

89 arrests and $3 million in damages later, the incident stands today as a crucial factor in the Quiet Revolution.

2. The Thistle Club Rebellion (1929)

After their elimination in the 3rd annual Macdonald Brier Tankard, New Brunswick representatives The Thistle Club of Saint John refused to leave the sheet and instructed their supporters to "throw anything that isn't nailed down".

Within an hour, the team had succeeded in taking over the facility and holding the other nine teams hostage.

When representatives of the Macdonald Tobacco Company attempted to negotiate a peaceful release, the Thistle Club declared that they had "seceded from the Dominion of Canada" and were "no longer subject to the laws of man".

The standoff would last three weeks.   

1. The Lethbridge Disaster (1987)

While increased arena security and sanctioning body regulations have limited hooliganism in recent decades, these measures were unable to prevent the worst melee in the history of the sport.

The incident began during the medal ceremony following British Columbia's Scott's Tournament Of Hearts victory when visibly drunk Manitoba Lead Cheryl Sutcliffe used her Silver medal to garrotte a Canadian Curling Association official.

Quebec Third Marie Larouche attempted to intervene by throwing her stone at Sutcliffe, landing it squarely on her foot. The nearly 3,000 spectators would storm onto the ice to join the fracas, which would last 11 days.

Alberta Premier Don Getty would eventually declare martial law to restore order, but the situation was unsalvageable. In the end there were thousands of arrests, hundreds of injuries, and most of downtown Lethbridge had burned to the ground.

The damage was considered too extensive to fix, forcing the province to relocate the nearly 100,000 residents 10 miles downriver to start the city over from scratch. To this day, New Lethbridge is the only Canadian municipality where curling is banned.          

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