What's the biggest football rivalry in England? your top 3

[Gary James]

I reckon that the Bristol derby is one of the three most vitriolic derbies. It tends to get ignored because of the stature of the clubs.

Other than that, the intensity of rivalries varies over the years. People often talk of Utd-Liverpool but that's only really been significant during the last 40 years (i.e. since Liverpool became a force and then the dominant side, and then the start of Fergie's reign).

Prior to that Utd regarded City as their main rivals and, various other clubs for periods (Leeds late 60s/early 70s), Wolves (50s/early 60s).

Outlasting all those was the Manchester derby which has tended to matter more to City (like beating LFC mattered more to Utd in the 80s than the reverse) than Utd in the last 30 years. From now on, that's changed again.

One city derbies last, but other rivalries can fade.

 

[Pigeonho]

Ric hit it on the head. To each fan their derby is the biggest, but talking to other fans when on hols for example, the Manchester derby isn't viewed as being a massive one in terms of fierce rivalry. To us it is, but that's natural. I think that over the coming years as we challenge alongside them for trophies, it will become more and more fierce between the fans, because we are no longer the joke team between the two, we are infact on a par, or not far off anyway, (squad wise).

 

[THFC6061]

In terms of the two teams closest to each other in major honours won, the North London Derby teams are split by only 9 trophies.

By contrast, Liverpool's clubs have a difference of 25 trophies while Manchester's clubs have a difference of 28 trophies.

 

[forevermancity]

Sorry to bump this but surprised at how little mention of Blackburn and Burnley there is compared to other rivalries you guys have mentioned. Pure hell on matchday, they have been split over the years but when they do meet you see how bad it can get.

haha behave! that derby is nearly as pathetic as pompy southampton!

 

[Balti]

Manchester City v Man Ushited

x3

 

[Deleted member 14625]

1. Newcastle - Sunderland.
Different towns, therefore different people. One town supports one, the other town the other. No family ties to the other club, no best mates that support the other side, no marrying an enemy fan (well not as much as they would happen with a derby rivalry from the same town). Their rivalry has a long history; the citizens of Newcastle and Sunderland were on opposing sides as far back as the English Civil War in the 1600's, they fought each other then and have hated each other ever since!

2. The Manchester derby.
Decent, grounded folk v arrogant scum. Unrivalled loyalty v billy bandwagon, glory hunting wankers. Yes some may well live next door, be best mates with or be married to someone from the other side in our city but you couldn't get two different, contrasting clubs or sets of fans considering we are the same people. There's no difference in class (Famlengo-Flumenense), religion (Celtic-Rangers), continents (Galatasraray-Fenerbahce), there hasn't been a war between us (Bacelona-Real Madrid)... but there is something very different about our clubs to an extreme unlike any other derby, and fans too!

3. Any and every other derby in the country! What's the difference with any of them?

 

[bluecityste]

Can't believe some people have mentioned Brum v Villa on this thread, they don't even get close to filling St. Andrews on derby day.

 

[Stretford Born Blue]

My Wife and City...
City and U####d...
City and any bugger else we are playing...

 

[jacko74]

Sorry to bump this but surprised at how little mention of Blackburn and Burnley there is compared to other rivalries you guys have mentioned. Pure hell on matchday, they have been split over the years but when they do meet you see how bad it can get.

haha behave! that derby is nearly as pathetic as pompy southampton!

Yep it really is right up there in the pure hatred stakes.... didn't a 14 year old GIRL get a life ban for violence at a Burnley/Backburn derby?

 

[Skashion]

In terms of the two teams closest to each other in major honours won, the North London Derby teams are split by only 9 trophies.

By contrast, Liverpool's clubs have a difference of 25 trophies while Manchester's clubs have a difference of 28 trophies.

Stop touting your absurd graph. It's a nonsense as there's no weighting. As for closeness in trophy count, I think Newcastle-Sunderland are a bit closer than your contrived promotion of Arsenal and Spurs as very equal rivals.