'Star Wars' and 'Doctor Who' fans in altercation at sci-fi convention

I had always imagined that attendees at sci-fi conventions were peaceable sorts.

I know they turn up waving lightsabers and other implements of war, but I imagined that these served no greater threat to society than an elongated ball-finder at a golf course.

And yet word reaches me that fans of "Star Wars" were embroiled in a confrontation with aficionados of "Doctor Who" at a sci-fi convention in the U.K.

Alright, that word initially came from my religious reading of the Sun. But it is supported by reports from august organizations like the BBC.

It seems that there has always been friction between the Norwich Sci-Fi Club and the Norwich Star Wars Club.

The Norwich Sci-Fi and Film Convention was organized by the latter. But members of the former performed an alleged invasion.

This would be a slight exaggeration. It seems that they merely wanted to get autographs of a couple of "Doctor Who" actors who happened to be attending.

There was something of a verbal confrontation.

Disappointingly, the police were called. Why not some more appropriate, impartial and intelligent being -- like a local Mr. Spock impersonator?

Jim Poole, treasurer of the Sci-Club "Who" lovers, insisted he had been physically assaulted.

However, police seem to have viewed CCTV footage of the alleged incident and decided that no one had been lasered, so no one had to be Tasered.

There is something uplifting about the idea that Poole -- an IT engineer -- might have had to use his own superpowers against, say, a Jedi Warrior or Darth Vader.

The Sun helpfully analyses the strengths and weaknesses of protagonists in the two series. It offers that though the Daleks from "Doctor Who" are fierce competitors, they might have trouble if the fight involved stairs.

Conversely, the Sun feels that the danger for a "Star Wars" fan might be a tendency to give in to the dark side.

It sounds like this whole affair was, indeed, slightly depressing.

Poole was put in a car for a while and both he and Star Wars Club boss Richard Walker were told to stop being naughty boys and just go off and play with their toys.

Walker told the Sun: "It was more or less an argument. It was wrong for him (Poole) to come in and cause a scene. There has been a long-running saga."

Yes, he really did say "long-running saga."