After an otter gave the double MotoGP champion Casey Stoner a scare at the US Grand Prix at Indianapolis,
The National
recalls five memorable incidents involving unusual invaders on the sporting arena, including a few career intruders.
1) The otter at Indianapolis
With the MotoGP riders getting accustomed to the new infield layout in practice for the US MotoGP, Casey Stoner, the championship leader, had to swerve out of the way of a otter, of all things, during a lap.
2) The Twickenham fox
In the 2011 Calcutta Cup match between England and Scotland, the Twickenham crowd was treated to a cunning creature e
vading the authorities when a fox emerged on to the pitch a hour before kick-off
. It scarpered, but soon showed its face for one more cheer when the teams lined up for their national anthems.
3) The dog that skinned Jimmy Greaves
England were playing Brazil in the 1962 World Cup in Chile when a black dog entered the field of play. It swooped past the Samba great Garrincha and others before England forward Jimmy Greaves got on all fours and proceeded to calm the dog down. A swift grab and the pooch was secure. The Tottenham player later admitted that it urinated on him in the process.
4) The career pitch invader
Jaume Marquet Cot, otherwise known as Jimmy Jump, has made a career out of entering the field of play.
The Spaniard has made many high profile invasions on and off air including Champions League finals, the 2007 Rugby World Cup final and the 2004 Spanish Grand Prix.
That said, he is better known for outstaging Spain's performance in the 2010 Eurovision Song Contest. He has no doubt racked up a lot of fines.
5) The dangerous invader
Another career pitch invader, Neil Horan, a Catholic priest from Ireland, has put competitors and his own life at risk with his ridiculous stunts.
In 2003, he invaded the Silverstone circuit during the British Grand Prix and played chicken against Jenson Button.
A year later, he attacked Vanderlei de Lima, a Brazilian marathon runner, at the 2004 Athens Olympics.
Both times, the Irishman was trying to attract attention that world was about to end.
