What Is The Biggest Derby In Britain?

[brummie]

Liverpool everton?!  there were liverpool fans openly in the everton end this year.  Liverpool manu is bigger.

 

You're right, but Liverpool Man U is a rivalry, not a derby. Different thing.

[Guest Digger]

People get confused at the Merseyside derby. The derby is a  nasty day in the city -violence wise- as a whole. I hate it. Made worse by the fact, if you lose, you can't go out in town if you've lost. Well obviously you can as long as you don't act the tit, in colours etc. but it's full of the other mob celebrating.

 

The 'friendly' derby is and always has been a show. Hillsborough made it a reality for a few seasons but basically, rightly or wrongly, there was a feeling in the 80s that everyone as down on the city and it was one of the true shows of solidarity one could make as a liverpudlian. Outside the ground it is entirely a different matter. Nothing is worse than teachers, brothers, co-workers and the rest being on your case; nothing better than giving them stick.

 

Generally they have been fought over important issues: champions league spots (and the resulting winners vs 5th debate), Heysel and the robbery of a 'dynasty', league titles, Fa and league cup finals. All that adds to the spice.

 

People who think Liverpool-Utd. is a derby need their heads read. Fair enough we are rival cities. Scousers looking down on poor Mancs then the roles reserved. The city of Manchester building a canal to take what was seen as liverpudlian trade etc. but it's not a derby. Liverpool isn't adverse from glory hunters just like everywhere else, but United fans are really few. You can lose to United and, outside the national press, barely hear it mentioned again. Even Evertonians see it as the lesser of two evils and give out little stick.

 

Liverpool-Everton is the game I and most scousers get up for, far more than Liverpool-United.

 

Ohmelads has it. Liverpool-Utd is more likely to attract 'mob' violence for the reasons he listed, but for anyone bar the mindless few who like to fight for their football clubs the Merseyside derby is the one of those 2.

[madras]

can we quantify "bigger" ? is it biggest as in biggest clubs or nastiest, best atmosphere,most at stake,most vicious or what ?

[Dave]

can we quantify "bigger" ? is it biggest as in biggest clubs or nastiest, best atmosphere,most at stake,most vicious or what ?

 

All of the above, I guess.

 

It's always the question that is asked, what does 'bigger' mean. Everyone thinks differently on it.

[Kev]

can we quantify "bigger" ? is it biggest as in biggest clubs or nastiest, best atmosphere,most at stake,most vicious or what ?

 

i see it as biggest rivalry between derby clubs, and because liva man utd isnt known as a derby i didnt put these as a choice

[brummie]

re Digger's point about the Liverpool derby, I too have heard frequently that this "we all stand together" kissy kissy thing is a myth.

[Keefaz]

re Digger's point about the Liverpool derby, I too have heard frequently that this "we all stand together" kissy kissy thing is a myth.

 

You still see blue shirts in the home end at Anfield and vice versa at Goodison. The thought of an away shirt among the home fans at SJP is ludicrous as I'm sure it is in the Brum derby.

[Guest Digger]

Of course, I've been to Goodison as a red.

 

Little anecdote

The tks used to go on sale for away as well as home specs on the same day. You could queue at Anfield, the sold out signs would go up, then you could run across the park and beat most of the Evertonians to theirs - away fans were generally up earlier in bigger numbers as there were less tickets to get.  They'd do the same.

 

My uncle can get tickets to Goodison and can to Anfield even now. It's happens a lot. That doesn't make it friendly though. It's an image the city likes to project at the match, and no one would deny their own a ticket if you can get one, but I wouldn't go walking down County Road in red on derby or any match day, nor drink in the Sandon in Blue. I certainly wouldn't wear colours anywhere in the afternoon and evening after unless in very big numbers.

[9]

IMO to decide whats the derby with the most rivalry you would have to go as a away fan, ive been to tyne/wear and old firm games as a away fan and it would take alot to beat the hatred between fans, i cant see Merseyside, London derbys coming close..Villa/Brum maybe..

[madras]

the closest for nufc/safc style hatred that i know of is cardiff/swansea.

[Guest Pie]

The ones that piss me off are Londoners/Scousers - and to a lesser extent Mancs, where you have half of one family supporting different teams. What the f*** is all that about? Me fatha wouldn't tolerate s**** like that like. Nor would any other Newcastle born male (other than Gordon Armstrong - God bless his 'celebration').

 

That's the thing about divided cities, this kind of thing is inevitable.

 

I've been following Villa for over 30 years. My father has been a Birmingham City supporter since 1950.

 

One brother is a Villa fan, one is a Blues fan. On my mom's side (who are from north brum - pretty much entirely Villa territory) the family are all Villa fans, and have been since the 19th century (old stories passed down through generations about ancestors), with the exception of one uncle who is a West Brom fan. My mom's more righteous family members got to me first, and I've always been a Villan. I am pretty much unable to discuss football with my father without it turning into an argument. He has only just started taking my calls again following our derby win.

 

That's the kind of stuff that goes on all the time in shared cities.

 

 

 

Thats why it will NEVER have the intensity of what we have either. I'd disown any fucker who was Red and White in our family. There isnt. On either side. Never will be either. Ditched a lass immediately after humping her when I found out she was red and white. Probably taking things too far but I have never and will never own anything red. Same in the rest of the family. The thought of actually living with one of the fuckers is just f****** freaky. You can pick and choose anything you like. Just not your football club.

 

All fair comment, but when they're around you from the minute you leave the house for work till the minute you get home at night, it changes things, it is horrible. When you live in a one club town, it is different.

 

I'm a grown, reasonably educated man, and I f****** hate them. I see them around town, I see them on the train, I see them in the pub, I see them everywhere. It creates constant tension.

 

Having them in the family is almost inevitable at such close quarters.

Fair enough. Like a few have said, its entirely down to the one that you are involved in. Any other doesnt come close.

[1878]

Of course, I've been to Goodison as a red.

 

Little anecdote

The tks used to go on sale for away as well as home specs on the same day. You could queue at Anfield, the sold out signs would go up, then you could run across the park and beat most of the Evertonians to theirs - away fans were generally up earlier in bigger numbers as there were less tickets to get.  They'd do the same.

 

My uncle can get tickets to Goodison and can to Anfield even now. It's happens a lot. That doesn't make it friendly though. It's an image the city likes to project at the match, and no one would deny their own a ticket if you can get one, but I wouldn't go walking down County Road in red on derby or any match day, nor drink in the Sandon in Blue. I certainly wouldn't wear colours anywhere in the afternoon and evening after unless in very big numbers.

 

That's spot on mate.

 

I don't think any red would feel comfortable in a boozer on County Rd of a matchday even when we play some run of the mill team like Wigan.

 

I have sat in the home ends at Anfield many times- to varying reactions. Good experiences and bad experiences. Just depends what type of people you get around you but even when you're next to generally good natured lads I wouldn't go mad celebrating a goal like I normally would. If you take the piss then you can expect a reaction.

 

On the whole, it's not as nasty as some other derbys but way too many people on here are confusing hatred/violence with passion. If that is the main criteria then Old Firm wins hands down with rubbish like Cardiff/Swansea also in the running. 

[fredbob]

id have to go for the old firm,it epitomises everything that is good, and bad about a derby. There aint a another derby in britiain which genuinely has so much on it, both competivtely and regrettablly religious. Its also the only derby which has 2 genuinely big teams with absolute equal aspirations. Cant say that about any other single derby in britian.

[LooneyToonArmy]

Wasn't the scouse derby labelled the 'friendly derby' or something like that up until a few years ago?

 

aye, the fans sit down and have a cup of tea with each other after the game, not very vicious. When I think about a derby game, the fans hate others guts etc etc

[sicsfingeredmong]

Liverpool v Everton, purely because of it's ramifications in the race for European slots - especially these days in the wake of Everton's current position of strength. It's a genuine '6-pointer', and the expectant lustre of the Arsenal/Spurs has been tarnished this season. If Ramos can turn Spurs around the North London derby will re-enter this sphere of importance.

 

 

[Guest teepee]

old firm is seen a bit too often - and to me it has lost it's appeal somewhat

 

i've been to spurs-arse and it is nowhere near our derby, so i voted nufc-mackems

[Colos Short and Curlies]

Would a neutral be able to get  aticket on general sale the week before a 'big' derby?

 

5 of us at Uni did it form Everton-Liverpool and the ground wasn't full (This was Moyes Everton too).

 

Prior to that game I had imagined the Scouse derby to be up there, not after my experience.

 

Hoping to sample Swanse-Cardiff next season if the Swans go up.

[Northern Monkey]

Newcastle v Sun'lun??? As if thats the biggest!

 

We, as Newcastle fans, are amongst the least self-aware fans in the country, i have come to believe.

[La Parka]

Old Firm.

[Optimistic Nut]

I suppose as Newcastle fans you would see your rivalry as one as the biggest, same as for me as an Arsenal fan.

 

Would be intresting to see a neutrals view.

 

Andy Gray in commentary thought ours was more like a "proper" rivalry. Said the Arsenal-Spurs players were all too pally, giving each other hugs and all that b*llocks before and after the match with a muted atmosphere, while he couldn't stop raving about the atmosphere at the SoL.

[Optimistic Nut]

You know what I don't get.

 

Games like the Mighty Blues vs the Forces of Darkness or Liverpool vs Everton. These are what I call derbies. Where the teams are from the same place and the support is intermingled, sometimes even between families.

 

But Newcastle vs Sunderland. Is that the same thing? Two teams from two distinct places, close as they are? How many Newcastle fans have Sunderland fans for workmates, neighbors, or grandads? I doubt its many.

 

Newcastle vs Sunderland, Soton vs Pompey, Norwich vs Ipswich etc, are not derbies. They are rivalries. Discuss.

 

Well. They might be derbies as I'm not sure as to what the exact definition of the word is. But they are different?

 

(See also, Barcelona vs Real Madrid "El Derby" equals biggest derby in the world. No it f****** isnt. Its 300 and odd f****** miles away.)

 

 

You've given the reasons why I think local city rivalries beat rivalries from the same city. For example, you see at the Liverpool-Everton game the fans sitting amongst each other. No way would that happen in a Tyne-Wear derby. Also, with it being city versus city, there's quite often a genuine hatred of each other and the numbers are far greater, while in surrounding towns such as Jarrow, South Shields, Washington, etc. you've got an almost 50-50 split of fans.

[ross magoo]

Everton v Liverpool and Man Utd v City are the only two i'd go out of my way to watch from a neutral point of view.

 

The Old Firm game has more hatred involved than any of the others but that doesn't make it a "big" game imo, it just makes their fans idiots.

[Guest alex]

Epsom

*insert groans here*

[ChezGiven]

Epsom

*insert groans here*

 

Probably true though.

[Scoreboard82]

You know what I don't get.

 

Games like the Mighty Blues vs the Forces of Darkness or Liverpool vs Everton. These are what I call derbies. Where the teams are from the same place and the support is intermingled, sometimes even between families.

 

But Newcastle vs Sunderland. Is that the same thing? Two teams from two distinct places, close as they are? How many Newcastle fans have Sunderland fans for workmates, neighbors, or grandads? I doubt its many.

 

Newcastle vs Sunderland, Soton vs Pompey, Norwich vs Ipswich etc, are not derbies. They are rivalries. Discuss.

 

Well. They might be derbies as I'm not sure as to what the exact definition of the word is. But they are different?

 

(See also, Barcelona vs Real Madrid "El Derby" equals biggest derby in the world. No it f****** isnt. Its 300 and odd f****** miles away.)

 

 

Are you Ruud Gullit in disguise? He said similiar things on the eve of a Tyne/Wear DERBY years ago. He left Shearer on the bench we lost and i think he was gone next day. Only an outsider of this area could think along those lines.

IMO a derby is a game against your nearest geographical league opponents.