standupefc said:
I don't know why people seem to think our derby is that different from yours. If anything when they are incidents at our their far more serous than most in the country. An 18 year old Liverpool fan was beaten to death in the weeks up to the game outside a club after Everton and Liverpool fans fought. A man nearly had his throat slit when a group of supporters attacked a pub. Another fans was stabbed on when he was walking to the game. So that's 1 murder and 2 nearly fatal stabbings. Unfortunately our derby is not freindly anymore. No derby is freindly. Every major derby in football is a hateful derby. I'd say the Merseyside derby is fast becoming 1 of the most vicious derbies in football sadly. The biggest derby is Newcastle v Sunderland in England. As it's a mutual hatred.
This kind of goes with my theory that the more successful one club is than it's main rival, the less rivalry there is. You, like us, have had to watch your neighbour win all sorts for years, compete in the champs league an sign quality players. When its like that there is no rivalry in a sense, other than the 2 times you play each other. There is obviously rivalry, but it can't be as intense because the 'lesser' club simply can't have any bragging rights, other than a derby win. The 2 Sheffield clubs are a good example. Absolute horrid derby that, and I put that down to the fact they are competing on the same level, (when in the same league that is!), and the only thing that can make them top dog is that derby win. What we have had towards United is jealousy, and that is different to rivalry, (all in my opinion of course). The more successful we become though, the more that rivalry will intensify and our rivalry will be up there with the best of them. Imagine 2 clubs the size of City and United constantly out doing each other in the trophy stakes? That is serious rivalry. In your case, unless Liverpool buck their ideas up you will be competing only for that derby win or a place in the top 4, (with due respect).
