Yes, this is getting rather tiresome, but you've raced off on a few tangents there. I'm not disputing attendances in the 1950's or match fixing in 1915 or whatever it was? Nor am I arguing that City or Leeds are/were our rivals, or even the loose definition of the term 'Derby'. What I'm disputing is the statement you made about Alex Ferguson creating the rivalry with Liverpool. It's simply incorrect. I have shown you footage from the previous manager to Fergie stating that the atmosphere at those games was pure hatred. There's also an hour long interview with the Doc which adds further insight into the feeling around the club at the time. I've shown you the Munich banners and 'Atkinson Fat head' that Liverpool fans brought to Heysel with them. They had similar banners at Wembley in 77 and in Rome. They sang are you watching 'Manchester' at every final, not are you watching Everton. And we sang are you watching Merseyside, not Leeds at all of our finals. I know, because I was there at the time. Funny that. What I'm really struggling to grasp, is why you are even disputing it or what you have to gain from doing so? As other posters on this thread have stated, City were in a different division for long periods so we concentrated on overcoming the enemy, and Liverpool were THE team to beat from 1975 all the way to the mid nineties. There was nothing manufactured about it.
Yes it is getting tedious... but that's mainly because you cannot simply pack it in and admit when you are beat... you will NEVER win an argument over Mancunian footballing history (Blue and Red) with Gary James... end of!
Also Gary did not say the 'rivalry' was an invention of Ferguson, he simply took the seething jealousy the club held for the more successful Liverpool and stoked the fire so that the fans picked up on it.
The clip you show of Fat Ron only says the players thought the games against Liverpool at that time we heated affairs – but it's out of context... we don't know how he and the players felt about playing Leeds, City or Arsenal for example at that time. It's an isolated quote used to prove the agenda you're pushing... it's classic media manipulation, I could find a quote, or take clip from an interview to fit any argument I wanted.
As for singing "are you watching Merseyside?", again that is simply because you want to win more than them – if Leeds had won 18 titles and 5 European Cups you'd sing "Are you watching Leed?" United have had this arrogant sense of entitlement since the late 50's, their ego preened by the press and their arses kissed to such an extent that this entitlement became part of the vile fabric of the club – it's why you were so univerally hated. Because of this belief you were the best team around lead you to lash out and oppose whoever actually was the top team at the time, hence the attacking of the BWFC bus.
I grew up in the 70's and went to school with Rags, the 'rivalry' simply didn't exist.