This article has nothing to do with my ongoing efforts to find the hardest sport but more to do with general amusement at members of the same teams who suddenly find themselves squaring up to each other.  What makes it funnier is that quite often these characters are not real fighters themselves, just a couple of squabbling idiots in a slapping contest.

Any follower of the EPL over the past few years will be familiar with this first clip but it’s still funny.  Keiran Dyer and notorious halfwit Lee Bowyer were both playing for Newcastle United in 2005.  Both players were sent off and Bowyer also received further punishments including club fines and a police fine. Really, you can just watch this clip again and again:

The following video is an example of why some players get themselves a bad name.  This is Setanta O’Hailpin in a practise match brawl with Cameron Cloke.  Have a fight – fine.  Throw some punches – OK.  Knock the other guy out with a lucky punch – not too bad.  Kick him in the conkers when he’s out cold – not really on.

One from the world of ice hockey now.  The sizeable amount of fights in hockey matches is reflected the proportion of these which seem to involve team mates fighting each other.  It seems to happen with a strange regularity.  Here’s the first example and these two are Philadelphia flyers players Primeau and McAllister in a practice match.

One last one here, and another from a hockey match.  At least with this one you get an explanation of why they’re having a pop at each other.  Hazing has a lot to answer for.  This is Aliu and Downie from the Windsor Spitfires.