Derby Day: A look at English football's fiercest rivalries

Derby Day
Years of rivalries
The best ones
Stoke City vs Port Vale
Sheffield United vs Sheffield Wednesday
Swansea City vs Cardiff City
Aston Villa vs Birmingham City
Sunderland vs Newcastle United
West Ham United vs Millwall
Manchester United vs Manchester City
Better than ever
Liverpool vs Everton
Local heroes
Arsenal vs Tottenham Hotspur
Great battles
Manchester United vs Liverpool
The fate of success
Derby Day

Football fans across the country look out for Derby Day. A game like no other, with friendships and rivalries on the line, and most importantly, who will get that most elusive victory on the day?

 

Years of rivalries

Rivalries between football fans started decades ago, the fierce competition between two clubs and their fans is what makes the English game so unique from the rest of the world.

The best ones

Let's look through some of English football's best derbies.

Stoke City vs Port Vale

Maybe not the most notable to some football fans, but the potteries derby is one of the most fierce derbies in English football. In a game in 2018 between Port Vale and Stoke under 23's, eleven Stoke fans were arrested, with 150 police officers deployed for a reserve team match.

Sheffield United vs Sheffield Wednesday

The Steel City derby between the two Sheffield teams has been of regular occurrence throughout the years, with both teams competing up and down the Football League. The rivalry became real when United charged more for Wednesday to use Sheffield United's stadium.

Swansea City vs Cardiff City

The two biggest clubs in Wales. It's not just the pride of South Wales between these two clubs, it's the pride of a whole country at stake when they face off, making it one of the most intriguing fixtures in the calendar.

Aston Villa vs Birmingham City

The pride of Birmingham. The derby between Villa and Birmingham is the most heated in the midlands. In one of the last games between the pair, Jack Grealish was punched in the back of the head during the game by a Birmingham fan.

Sunderland vs Newcastle United

The fixture between the two North East giants can be summed up when away fans were banned from attending the games in 2013/14. The fans in the North are some of the most passionate fans in the world, making Sunderland against Newcastle derby one of the best.

West Ham United vs Millwall

It's probably the most notorious and glamourized derby in world football, with films like 'Green Street' highlighting the bloody rivalry between the two London clubs. An FA Cup tie in 2009 saw one of the biggest football riots in modern history, seeing 20 arrested at the game.

Manchester United vs Manchester City

Derby day in Manchester is one of the biggest games on a football fan's calendar. One side of the city is blue, the other red, with thousands of fans descending towards a huge clash.

Better than ever

In recent years, the city has been dominated by Sir Alex Ferguson and Manchester United, but since the rise of Man City in 2008, the rivalry is better than ever before, with the best players in the world playing for both clubs and challenging for silverware.

Liverpool vs Everton

A derby split by Stanley Park, Liverpool versus Everton is one of the most passionate derbies in English football, making it an enthralling encounter for both sets of fans.

Local heroes

It's been a clash led by local heroes of each club, adding an extra sense of pride when the game kicks off. The game has always been about Everton trying to make it out of Liverpool's shadow, producing a highly tense fixture.

Arsenal vs Tottenham Hotspur

A rivalry that started when Arsenal moved to Highbury in the early nineties, the North London derby is the most notable game in London.

Great battles

Early on, Arsenal would always dominate the fixture, but with the rise of Spurs and the slight demise of Arsenal before this season, the North London derby always determined which side would finish in the top four of the Premier League table.

Manchester United vs Liverpool

The two biggest, and most successful clubs in England. Manchester United versus Liverpool is English football's greatest fixture, historically possessing the best players and teams.

The fate of success

The clashes between the clubs have decided cups, league titles, and victories on the European stage. For that reason, this is the biggest derby/rivalry in English football.

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