By Kenneth Jackson
APTN National News
An all-out “barroom brawl” broke out in the stands of a youth playoff game between Six Nations and Tweed Saturday that was captured on video and posted online.
The video shows a verbal spat between fans that quickly led to fisticuffs at the Ontario Minor Hockey Assoociation Bantam C finals in Tweed, Ont.
But the melee started long before that said the president of Six Nations minor hockey.
Blaine LaForme said four minutes into the game he complained to the Tweed representative of the OMHA that the game was too rough.
LaForme was worried the game was going to get out of hand.
“They said ‘well you guys were rougher than that last week; can’t you take it this week?'” he said Monday. “The refs didn’t have control over that game whatsoever. What happened on the ice reflected what was going on in the stands.”
Just before the brawl erupted in the stands there was one on the ice said LaForme.
The video was posted on You Tube by a person with the username Jane Hockeyfan and had 13,000 views as of 12 p.m. Monday.
“On the video you see Six Nations parent calling on Tweed people for a fight, then you see group of Six Nations parents going over to do just that,” said the poster. “Tweed parent steps in to pull Six Nations person off Tweed teenager as he is pounding him and Tweed parent gets grabbed and punched from behind by Six Nations man.”
LaForme said he takes offence the video pins blame on Six Nations.
“She failed to mention on there all the bull-s*** that went on leading up to this. She lets it go like we went over there like a heard of wild Indians,” he said.
LaForme said the Tweed fans were making sexual gestures and swearing at the Six Nations fans causing them to go over and confront them.
“This went on for like 45 minutes and by the time game was over all the players on the ice were fighting. And one point, they all had stopped to watch what was going on in the stands,” he said.
Ontario Provincial Police were at the game and apparently found nothing wrong with what happened at the time according to LaForme.
Police did have one of the Tweed fans leave according to LaForme and the person who posted the video.
However, Monday the OPP said they were looking into the incident in the stands but not the brawl that happened on the ice between the players.
As for the hockey series, play went back to Six Nations Sunday where Tweed was defeated making the Six Nations team Ontario champs for their division.
Local police were present but LaForme said there was no incident.
Calls to the Tweed minor hockey association were not returned.
Twitter: @afixedaddress
Long ago, as a kid, I learned the saying: sticks and stones may break my bones, but names will never hurt me. I also learned that it is not a true statement. Names can hurt people.
However, I also learned to “turn the other cheek”. There is no excuse for violence as a response to verbal taunts. It is unacceptable.
Should Tweed parents have been ejected? Absolutely. I believe that there is no room for parents who cannot act civilly at a kids sporting event.
Should arrests have been made? Absolutely. Those who initiate violence belong behind bars – or at least to be charged and banned from future games.
The OMHA should be investigating the incident and so should the police.
Unfortunately there is no excuse for this behaviour from either side. Complete lack of maturity and intelligence. I really just feel sorry for the kids. I would be pretty ashamed if my father or mother acted like an out of control psychopath. Everyone involved should have spent the night in jail.
Yeah people should be arrested