Inbred-on-inbred action: Burnley vs Blackburn. Two traditional clubs very fiercely supported in their little, gnarled, crumbling Lancashire towns. Don't play each other too often, so the hatred simmers, and there will no doubt be plenty of 'Kean in' jibes coming from the Claret sections. Blackburn have made a good start, however, and have the upper hand in terms of club size and silverware. The utter stupidity of some of these people was exemplified when Burnley's militant element last went to Blackburn and travelled to their main pub, surrounded by Police, by taxi. EXODUS' ESTIMATION: Top dog of the Championship rivalry stakes. Cross-border Carnage: Cardiff vs Bristol City. It started with a bang when the Bristol side took an emphatic 4-2 victory at Ashton gate. But will their fellow red-clad side be out for revenge when they visit Legoland? An expensive squad may have gelled better by that point, and there's plenty to prove with neither side able to face their natural local rivals due to divisional gaps on either side of the divide. The cider-swillers love nothing more than boasting of their Englishness to these third world dragon-worshipping heathens, and vice-versa Cardiff's new-found all-encompassing Welshness as devised by Malaysian Vincent Tan. Plenty of ammo for the terrace trade-off. EXODUS' ESTIMATION: Two clubs with a nasty edge. Silver medal position. South London Sparkler: Millwall vs Charlton. After having the Hammers back for a brief spell in the second tier last season, Millwall will look for a new place to vent their spleens. Well, locally anyway (we all know who their true obsession is with). Charlton being the biggest club in Kent and Millwall the second biggest, it provides a unique opportunity for local bragging rights, although it's highly doubtful either stadium will sell out with the piddling amount of home fans these two clubs are able to muster. EXODUS' ESTIMATION: Police overkill, but still an enjoyable game on the pitch with plenty to play for in a season of nothingness for both cubs. Average rivalry. Battle of the identicals: Forest vs Derby. Both managed by the same iconic bloke FFS. They play each other all the time and there's very little for them to hate each other about. Usually a decent game and there always seems to be an inter-squad brawl, but that's about all it has to offer the division. EXODUS' ESTIMATION: More of the same. Run-of-the-mill stuff from the no-man's land known as the Midlands, and in reality, both sides will look forward to their fixtures against true hate Leeds than against each other. More to follow (including Hudders/Leeds, Wendies/Barnsley, Palace/Brighton and much more)! Any suggestions of your own, Leeds fans? Criticisms/corrections?
Hull, Derby & Wednesday are looking forwards to playing Leeds this season. Cardiff is the game I am most looking forward to.
Doesn't count in my opinion if it only takes place at one ground. It can't be a rivalry at Elland Road because there are no Millwall fans present to have any banter with.
It has to be Forest v Derby for me. Our matches with the Wurzels arent really seen as a Derby match as they only ever bring about 500 over the Bridge. Surely another good derby match in this league is Leeds v Barnsleeee ? or Leeds v Uddersfield, you have many Yorkshire derbies in this league which will ultimately go against you.
Hadn't realised until now how many derbies there are in this division. Not sure about the Cardiff/Brizzle connection though. Palace v Brighton is a much bigger rivalry than most people realise. I've got a few mates who support Palace and they absolutely detest Brighton.
Doesn't count in my opinion if it only takes place at one ground. It can't be a rivalry at Elland Road because there are no Millwall fans present to have any banter with. Good comment thank god we dont ask the Met to protect us from you or both games might be no brainers,
leeds v hull yes big game just a shame many hull fans and other away fans refuse to come because its £34 a ticket, petrol money on top who can blame them
Forest vs derby without a doubt. Both games are sell outs whatever the occasion. Both sides absolutely hate each other.
Burnley vs Blackburn is like that game except with a fifth as many teeth in the fans' gums and far more to taunt each other about (e.g. about Jack Walker and Bob Lord, the two defining figures of the two clubs, as opposed to Clough who defined both Derby and Forest). That comes top for me. Leicester vs Forest does feature somewhere though, rest assured.
While you South Welsh scoundrels are here, what are your feelings about the Bristol City game? Maybe I overstated its fieriness a little in the original post. Do you look forwards to them, Leeds or Millwall the most this season? (I imagine the Wall will have some hilariously witty chants about the fan who fell from their stand in recent times).
