"I have always said Liverpool-Manchester United games are fierce in many aspects. Sometimes supporters can play a bad part in that particular game. But it never reaches the levels of Leeds United. Never. It was frightening at our hotel. We had seven police vans round the hotel protecting the team." - Alex Ferguson. Again, not saying it's the biggest game, but definitely among the fiercest.
Begs the question of why the pampered bastards were staying overnight in a city less than an hour's drive away where they were due for an evening kick-off.
Anyone interested in what I actually wrote at a while back, but Leeds v United is the hardest match in the world.
Anyone who claims that the NLD is not a big game clearly has not been to one! Also, there is no "hatred" between Gooners and Yids, only a healthy rivalry. Which is the way it should be. People who claim they hate someone merely because of the team they support have a serious problem and should get treatment for it.
Spurs v Arsenal is a bigger game than Spurs v Chelsea traditionally but in the last couple of years it has got close due to things like the Modric saga, both competing for top 4, us costing them C.L footie, AVB, cup semi last year etc. My point being that rivalries do go up and down in importance depending on the clubs' current situations. I think most Man U fans will see City as their biggest games now where it would have previously been Liverpool for instance. If Liverpool and United were the best 2 teams in the league now, I would say it would be the biggest though.
Liverpool vs United will always be big but in a different way to the difference in quality as you gave as an example. It's fair to say we are miles behind them at the moment but both sets of fans relish the fixture because it is so heated and has that history. Similar to the NLD when Spurs were not so good. However, when we beat the Mancs...much like we have beaten you in the league for the last 2 seasons...bragging rights can only go so far when we finish so far behind.
Don't agree with that. Spurs vs Chelsea never has and never will come close to the NLD that said I'd never seen celebrations like it when they beat us for the first time in 17 years, even when they beat Arsenal. Spurs v Arsenal has about 100 years of history. Their game with Chelsea has half that
But unless you're 100 then you wouldn't have experienced it!! I think the Chelsea v Spurs games will mean just as much to Spurs fans, especially the younger generation, as the Arse games this season. I could be wrong but I think the Chelsea Spurs rivalry has intensified a lot these last couple of years. .
It's certainly the case that rivalries become stronger when clubs are closely matched, because there is a legitimate expectation for both sets of fans that their respective team could win. Breaking our Chelsea hoodoo was a big thing for us, especially as it has been a yardstick against which we've been able to measure our progress in the EPL. Nonetheless, I can assure you that the most important games of our season, for all Spurs fans, are Arsenal, home and away.
Maybe in England, but not in the world. There's people literally shooting at each other with handguns at South American games, and all the tedious political/sectarian matches outside England as well which inevitably play on people's emotions and lead to outcomes like the mass-murder at that Egyptian match recently. Leeds vs Man U is play-fighting compared with some of those genuine nutjobs.
Spurs renaissance has reinvigorated a derby that was IMO on its way out but sorry the Chelsea game never has and never will be as big to them. It's no different to Millwall v West Ham now History and tradition doesn't just disappear though it gets passed from generation to generation. The stronger rivalries can survive division separation and deterioration of Performance of one rival or both. You are right in that some derbies can intensify. For instance Benitez's comments about Everton being a "small club" sparked outrage across Merseyside. Before then fans sitting next to each other was common whereas since then not so much. That rivalry has changed IMO West Ham v Tottenham as well. Spurs have never got over West Ham denying them CL on the last day sending Arsenal to 4th. That was a dark day for the club. Losing the most coveted spot to your biggest rivals is bad enough but on the turf of one of your biggest rivals even Moreso. Spurs even when midtable had no problem beating West Ham but for some reason they've never been able to beat them when it's really mattered
With the Spanners, it's not so much that we have any sense of rivalry with them, it's more the fact that they think we are worried about them, which certainly are not. Yes, lasagne-gate was utterly gutting, what with the Spanners denying us 4th spot over the Gunners, but I think we all got over that the season that the Spanners went down. Now that they have Big Sam (the king of hoof-ball), it would be cruel for anyone to heap any more misery on them. For me, they are nothing but relegation fodder this season, and I certainly look forward to us taking 6 easy points off them. You lot should do, too. Jesus! even Arsenal have got a good chance of winning at least one of their two games against them.
When it come to rivalries then Liverpool, Spurs and Arsenal are all there for me. But, if you change that to clubs I dislike then only Liverpool remain. I find it very hard to hate London clubs (except QPR )
