7:00AM BST 09 Sep 2010
The prisoners at Cookham Wood Young Offenders Institution in Rochester, Kent, even took one of their own 'hostage' in a bid to try and force prison supervisors to let them switch on the television.
According to sources imates went 'mad' after being told they could not watch the quarter final match between Russian player Vera Zvonareva and Kim Clijsters on June 29 this year.
They led the 'victim' - who was part of a ploy to get the TV switched back on - around with his arms tied behind his back and legs tied together before shoving him to the ground in front of wardens as they shouted 'We want TV we want TV'.
During the five-hour stand-off the 32 inmates caused more than £10,000-worth of damage to the 157-capacity prison.
A riot team had to called in to deal with the thugs, and three were arrested and charged with violent disorder at Medway Magistrates Court last week.
The court heard how TVs were switched off on the afternoon of June 29 after wardens told 40 inmates that a recreation break had ended.
Only eight complied with the request, with the remainder shouting and screaming at wardens, chanting 'We want TV, we want TV."
As wardens tried to break up the group, the court heard how the scene 'turned ugly' as prisoners started smashing windows and breaking bits of concrete off walls and hurling them at wardens.
Some of the prisoners even dismantled a set of indoor goal posts and threw them at staff.
Staff were forced to retreat and called in a specialist riot squad - called the Tornado Team - to deal with the chaos as inmates picked up pieces of smashed glass and began making threats to wardens.
The riot officers moved in after a the five-hour stand-off and arrested the ringleaders.
A prison source said: "The group were all fired up by Wimbledon and the World Cup and wanted to watch as much sport as possible.
"When they were told that recreation break had ended and the TVs had to be switched off they went mad and started smashing the place up.
"The incident took place just as the women's quarter final was underway."
A prison spokesman said that one female member of staff was hit on the thigh by a lump of concrete, but that there were no other injuries to staff.
He said: "Three prisoners were treated in the prison for superficial injuries.
"The events have been subject to investigation and appropriate disciplinary actions has been taken."
No idea how I missed this!. That's what i call avid tennis fans. Crazy! :D.
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