Derby day - what makes a rivalry?
Arsenal fans out in force for derby day in north London against Spurs
Also In The News
|
By Matt Hallam. |  |
Wednesday, 28, Oct 2009 10:00
By Michael Younger.
Football derbies are as much a part of the beautiful game as players, fans, stadiums and referees.
The atmosphere in the streets surrounding a ground on derby day is fantastic, there's a buzz in the air that cannot be described - it's electrifying.
Walking through the turnstiles, the smell of stale beer, sweaty men and meat pies seem more potent than normal, while the chants erupting around the ground as the terraces fill up make the hairs stand on end.
Fathers and sons, friends and strangers stand side by side, squashed from all angles by fellow fans singing their hearts out in honour of not only their team but their town and city - a return to the tribal instinct that burns inside every football fan.
Nothing can compare to the experience of a true derby day. It's the game that everyone looks for when the fixtures are released at the start of the season. Win against your local rivals and you have bragging rights until you meet again.
But what leads to a team being considered a rival? Is it their competitive closeness and league position? Is it history between clubs? Or is it locality?
A recent study on football rivalry in England, found that 45 per cent of those questioned see history and tradition as the reason why their main rivals are so, while only 35 per cent said it is because they're the closest club geographically, and a measly seven per cent feel the rivalry is mainly based on competitive closeness/ league position.
One of the Premier League's biggest rivalries - the north-west derby - took place over the weekend as Sir Alex Ferguson's Manchester United took on Rafa Benitez's Liverpool at Anfield.
The match finished 2-0 to Liverpool, with a brilliantly taken goal by a semi-fit Fernando Torres before Daniel Ngog wrapped up a much-needed three points deep into injury time to prevent Liverpool falling to a fifth straight defeat.
This is a rivalry filled with passion, hatred and envy - evidenced by the electrifying atmosphere within Anfield on Sunday - but as with many football rivalries, it was born off the pitch.
The hatred between these two clubs, two of the most successful in England, can be traced all the way back to the 19th century when the construction of the Manchester ship canal led to many job losses in Liverpool. The new construction meant ships carrying goods could bypass Merseyside directly into Manchester.
During the 1970s and 1980s, Liverpool were considered numero uno as domestic and European success flowed freely through the Shankly Gates, leaving United fans resentful.
However, since Ferguson took charge at Old Trafford, the tide has slowly turned.
Although it took the Scot six years to win his first trophy with the Red Devils, they have, as of last season, equalled Liverpool's long-standing record league title haul of 18 which makes this year's season pivotal for both clubs.
Having taken bragging rights after Sunday's clash, Liverpool will be hoping they can continue their success over their rivals when they face Everton later in the season in the Merseyside derby - a more deserving derby in the eyes of most as it is based on the two being geographically closest to one another.
This element adds split loyalties within families and friendship groups to the match-day experience, created an arguably more volatile experience with interest compacted within the Liverpool city limits.
Also known as 'the friendly derby', this rivalry has been going on since the 1890s, yet unlike others, it doesn't feature any divisiveness. There are no major religious, socio-economic or political factors that contribute to the rivalry - just kit colour.
The rivalry between Merseyside's biggest two clubs was born out of a rent dispute at Anfield Road in 1892, which caused Everton players and members to leave the ground and find another one. Those that left formed a club at Goodison Park while the remaining players and club at the now famous Anfield were forced by the League to change their name from Everton Athletic Grounds Ltd to Liverpool.
Since Everton left Anfield and made Goodison their home, there have been some breathtaking bouts between the two, especially during FA Cup games.
The two met in FA Cup finals in the 1980s with Liverpool victorious in both.
The first was in 1986 when Liverpool were trying to achieve the league and cup double.
Liverpool were able to boast stars such as Alan Hansen, Ian Rush and Steve Nicol in their line-up, while their Scouse counterparts had England forward Gary Lineker leading their attack along with Graeme Sharp and Kevin Ratcliffe in a strong starting XI.
Lineker opened the scoring with a goal in the 27th minute, before Liverpool fought back in the second half with three fantastically taken goals - Rush scored a double with Craig Johnston netting the other.
Three years later the two met again in the FA Cup final on an emotional occasion in the wake of the Hillsborough disaster.
Liverpool's John Aldridge opened the scoring in the fourth minute and it looked like it was going to end 1-0 - that is until Everton's Stuart McCall had other ideas and scored in the 89th minute with one of the finest goals ever witnessed in a cup final.
Extra time proved an equally thrilling affair as Rush scored to put Liverpool ahead, only for McCall to equalise again. Rush would score another and that would be that. Liverpool won 3-2.
The two teams have taken part in many bitter battles on the pitch, providing great games for the neutral. The most notable result came during a fifth round replay in the FA Cup in 1991, which finished 4-4 and ultimately cost Liverpool manager Kenny Dalglish his job.
Off the pitch it is a different story - with respect being shown in the face of adversity.
When 96 Liverpool fans died at the Hillsborough disaster in 1989, fans of both clubs rallied round in a period of unparalleled unity. A chain of blue and red club scarves was stretched for the mile or so across Stanley Park from the gates of Anfield to Goodison Park in memory of the deceased.
Another long standing derby within English football is the north London derby between Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur - a rivalry that will be reignited this weekend.
Unlike the 'friendly derby' both sides of the north London derby love nothing more than seeing the other inflicted with pain and misery.
The first game between the two sides took place in 1887 but was cancelled due to bad light with Tottenham in front - this controversy was to be the start of the fierce rivalry which has existed ever since.
Twenty years later in 1909, the two teams met again in another hotly contested clash, and then when the Gunners moved grounds from their old Charlton base in 1913 they were just four miles from White Hart Lane - stoking the rivalry still further.
A long-standing sore point between the two from the 1919 season has been attributed to escalating the intensity of the Tottenham-Arsenal rivalry.
That year the First Division was going to increase in size from 18 to 20 teams. Both Arsenal and Tottenham were lobbying for one of the spots, however League president John McKenna gave his endorsement to Arsenal and they won the vote to secure place in the top flight. This left Tottenham furious and convinced Arsenal had used underhand tactics to aid their campaign. Before too long, Tottenham were themselves promoted, allowing the Arsenal-Tottenham rivalry to take place on the pitch.
The first match took place in 1921 and was played in a nasty and spiteful spirit. After the next couple of matches continued in this vein, the Football Association stepped in and promised to have the game played behind closed doors unless both sides cleaned up their act.
Nearly 90 years on and although the threats from the authorities are less heavy-handed, the bad blood between the two teams continues to flow every time they meet.
Arsenal have traditionally been seen as the glamour club - the wealthier of the two run by the middle classes rather than Spurs, whose roots can be found in the working classes of Edmonton and Haringey.
The Gunners have also enjoyed much more success in the last 20 years, some of it coming on their rivals' own doorstep. In 2004, Arsenal won the league at White Hart Lane after drawing 2-2, despite Tottenham fighting back from 2-0 down.
However, in 2008 a League Cup semi-final between the sides saw Tottenham smash Arsenal 5-1 - Spurs' first victory over their neighbours since 1999.
Last season saw perhaps the most entertaining game between the two, as they played out a dramatic 4-4 draw in the Premier League, with Spurs scoring twice in the last two minutes to level the game.
The wild celebrations at the visiting end, even though the one point earned would have little bearing on Spurs' season, showed just how brightly the passion of a derby burns within every fan.