Those sparks came in 1969 in the form of dogs (and lions)

Getty/ullstein bild

Tensions were already high in Ruhr region of Western Germany in 1969 due to the ongoing collapse of the mining industry and the subsequent loss of jobs for the working man.

And things came to a head on September 6, when over 50,000, many ticketless, fans crammed in to Dortmund's 42,000 seater Rote Erde Stadium to watch the derby.

With the arena bursting at its seams, fans stormed the pitch in the 37th minute when Schalke took the lead through Hans Pirkner.

Police released their German Shepherds to try and regain order, but one instead sank its teeth into the behind of Schalke's Friedel Rausch, whilst another bit his teammate Gerd Neuser on the thigh.

Rausch was given a tetanus jab but managed to play out the rest of the 1-1 draw and was later sent a bouquet of flowers and 500 Deutsche Marks (around $290) as an apology from Dortmund, according to the Bundesliga's official website.

The defender told Die Weld in 2009 that the scar on his bottom was still visible, calling it a "souvenir."