Fans' plan to create havoc with opposition at Breakers' games

In the hurly-burly of Australian basketball games, fans do crazy things. Snakes have been thrown on court. One New Zealand team was taunted with a sheep-shearing demonstration.

It's enough to make fans of the Auckland-based Breakers fight back.

As the team prepares for a new season in the Australian NBL, a group of fans intend taking sledging to a new level.

One supporter, a 50-year-old man who calls himself Jack, has used an internet message board to call for 20 people to badger and annoy the opposition at Breakers' home games.

His plan is to take up discounted tickets and then "make a hell of a lot of noise to put the opposition off so that hopefully they play like crap".

Jack said he had had some success with similar tactics last season - so much so that he had water squirted at him by an "antsy" player.

One fan has already criticised Jack's plan, saying it is not the kind of attitude needed at family games.

"It's crossing the line from a passionate sports fan to straight-out harassing officials and players.

"They no longer become sports fans but thugs - lynch mobs almost."

Breakers management say they do not support that kind of behaviour.