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Top 20 rivalries in Britain ranked


Locky

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Express ranked their 20 biggest rivalries in British football yesterday. Edinburgh Derby 11th, and not much to argue with.

 

However, the Sheffield derby was referred to as arguably the oldest in the world, despite not being first contested almost 20 years after ours.

 

As for the Edinburgh derby, their brief description was that the match is partly fuelled by sectarian hatred. An unfair assessment? I think so.

 

http://www.express.co.uk/pictures/sport/8047/rivalries-football-British-top-20-ranked-Premier-League-pictures

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I think it is an unfair assessment of the modern derby.

 

It's fuelled by a crushing jealousy on their part and our absolute belief that we are the superior club.

 

 

I liked the little bit at the end where they slip in their relegation.

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queensferryjambo

I think the bit about both teams having similar success is more unfair LOL. Hearts are 6 trophies ahead of Hibs and considering it has taken Hibs over 140 years to win 10 trophies I don't see them catching up anytime soon.

 

Sectarian fueled hatred is also way off the mark - but we all know there are still some absolute idiots on both sides who still spout that crap. 

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I think the bit about both teams having similar success is more unfair LOL. Hearts are 6 trophies ahead of Hibs and considering it has taken Hibs over 140 years to win 10 trophies I don't see them catching up anytime soon.

 

Sectarian fueled hatred is also way off the mark - but we all know there are still some absolute idiots on both sides who still spout that crap.

I agree but our idiots tend to come out when we play Celtic. Can't say I've heard any sectarian abuse of any kind at a derby.

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So Hearts HIbs is "secatarian differences" but rangers celtic is "religious differences"?

 

the old firm is nothing without their bigotry/sectarianism..

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I think the express are trying to have a giraffe the wearside derby is bigger than the old firm do me a favor. But they said that hearts and hibs had similar achevements honestly who writes this garbage.

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jamboinglasgow

The Express is a comic.

The express used to be a good paper (a bit right wing though) until it was taken over by a narcissistic porn baron who turned into a ukip fanzine. Now it's a horrible xenophobic paper.

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I haven't read the article, but maybe a comparison of head to head results in competitive matches would have left them in no doubt as to who the dominant team is in Edinburgh.  It would also no doubt show that Hearts dominance in the Edinburgh derby is greater than any club has achieved in the other derbies they include.

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I think the express are trying to have a giraffe the wearside derby is bigger than the old firm do me a favor. But they said that hearts and hibs had similar achevements honestly who writes this garbage.

Imagine letting your club die. Focus on that, and leave us in peace.

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Doctor FinnBarr

Hatred off the scale

 

Really? Not according to my Geordie wife, the Rangers/Celtic are far more toxic to her (and shes right)

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As for the Edinburgh derby, their brief description was that the match is partly fuelled by sectarian hatred. An unfair assessment? I think so.

 

http://www.express.co.uk/pictures/sport/8047/rivalries-football-British-top-20-ranked-Premier-League-pictures

 

Some slight strange things in there. Millwall - West Ham should be higher given the level of violence there has been around that fixture.  I assume it was written by a Newcastle or Sunderland fan. Only reason I can think of for putting that first.

 

Reference to sectarianism seems to have been removed from the Edinburgh derby. There is a slightly odd reference to us being practically on top of each other, which given a number of the rivalries are city derbies is a bit odd. Not sure we are particularly close compared to others on the list.

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Ricardo Quaresma

Some slight strange things in there. Millwall - West Ham should be higher given the level of violence there has been around that fixture.  I assume it was written by a Newcastle or Sunderland fan. Only reason I can think of for putting that first.

 

Reference to sectarianism seems to have been removed from the Edinburgh derby. There is a slightly odd reference to us being practically on top of each other, which given a number of the rivalries are city derbies is a bit odd. Not sure we are particularly close compared to others on the list.

That is odd; not sure this is all they have written "11. Hearts v Hibernian: The two Edinburgh clubs sit practically on top of each other and have had similar success in their history but the sides share an intense rivalry but it has been defused slightly by Hibs? relegation"

 

But, but, this is supposed to be a national newspaper

 

But, but....

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Badly written, poor grammar, hyperbolic, inconsistent, poorly researched, badly edited and basically wrong - definitely the Express. Worst paper in britain.

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Including Hearts - Hibs in a world's biggest football rivalries list is pretty laughable to be honest. The rivalry is pretty tame on any measure.

A derby where one of the club's tried to buy over and wipe out the other? A derby that has taken place since 1875? A derby with remarkable events such as 22 in a row and a 1-5 hammering in a national cup final?

 

It may not be Boca v River Plate but I don't know why you would believe it to be tame. It certainly doesn't feel very tame to me before or after we play them.

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To every fan, their own derby is the 'big one'. Ours is in no way less important to us than the others on that list.

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To every fan, their own derby is the 'big one'. Ours is in no way less important to us than the others on that list.

This exactly

I was taken to an Old firm game at Ibrox around 1990 by a family member, I honestly wondered what all the fuss was about, no more intense than 100 other games I've attended in my life.

I was honestly more interested in how Hearts were getting on that day against Motherwell (won 2-0 ) and in the end I would have enjoyed myself more at Tynecastle

Each to there own I say

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To every fan, their own derby is the 'big one'. Ours is in no way less important to us than the others on that list.

Indeed, yet perhaps there is a lot less hatred/dislike attached to ours, and example being the number of Hearts supporters on here who wanted "our bitter rivals" to win the cup and who openly mock other fans who found the SC exit to them a huge disappointment. I can't see this happening in any of the other rivalries listed.

 

This isn't necessarily a negative (although I view it as such), simply that ours is maybe more friendly, lighthearted and less intense.

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Indeed, yet perhaps there is a lot less hatred/dislike attached to ours, and example being the number of Hearts supporters on here who wanted "our bitter rivals" to win the cup and who openly mock other fans who found the SC exit to them a huge disappointment. I can't see this happening in any of the other rivalries listed.

 

This isn't necessarily a negative (although I view it as such), simply that ours is maybe more friendly, lighthearted and less intense.

Oh come on man. Every thread? Really?

 

I take your point but I don't agree with it. I bet every single person that you are referring to is nervous and excited before an Edinburgh derby. For my own part, I want them crushed every time they play.

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Oh come on man. Every thread? Really?

 

I take your point but I don't agree with it. I bet every single person that you are referring to is nervous and excited before an Edinburgh derby. For my own part, I want them crushed every time they play.

It is entirely relevant to this thread.

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michael_bolton

This exactly

I was taken to an Old firm game at Ibrox around 1990 by a family member, I honestly wondered what all the fuss was about, no more intense than 100 other games I've attended in my life.

I was honestly more interested in how Hearts were getting on that day against Motherwell (won 2-0 ) and in the end I would have enjoyed myself more at Tynecastle

Each to there own I say

 

I think it's like any other fixture. It just depends.

 

I've been at incredible Edinburgh derbies. My personal favourite (apart from the Hampden games) is the Boxing Day 2006 game. What an atmosphere and what a game. Anyone visiting that day would have left with an incredible opinion of Hearts - Hibs games. But there have been plenty where it just doesn't really happen. Quiet games with weak atmospheres. We forget those ones. The 0-0 draw in 2009 at Tynecastle? Mince. A visitor would have left convinced our derby was nothing special at all.

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Some slight strange things in there. Millwall - West Ham should be higher given the level of violence there has been around that fixture.  I assume it was written by a Newcastle or Sunderland fan. Only reason I can think of for putting that first.

 

Reference to sectarianism seems to have been removed from the Edinburgh derby. There is a slightly odd reference to us being practically on top of each other, which given a number of the rivalries are city derbies is a bit odd. Not sure we are particularly close compared to others on the list.

 

I suspect the inference is that "they are both pishy wee Scottish clubs so are close in those terms"

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A crap, ill informed and poorly researched article.  Sectarian Divisions have not played any part in the Edinburgh Derby for at least 30 years.

 

As for Swindon v Oxford, the M4 goes nowhere near Oxford. It's certainly a nasty local derby with a long history of crowd trouble.  The Police Helicopter is out for every derby.

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As for Swindon v Oxford, the M4 goes nowhere near Oxford. It's certainly a nasty local derby with a long history of crowd trouble. The Police Helicopter is out for every derby.

Yeah, how the hell did they miss out that famous/infamous rivalry?!

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Yeah, how the hell did they miss out that famous/infamous rivalry?!

 

They didn't miss it!  It's in the article and I've no idea why it's specifically included tbqh.  It's just one example of many  local medium size town nasty local derbies, of which England has many.  Plymouth v Exeter and others are similar and so too Swindon with both Bristol Clubs.   They claim the Sheffield Derby to be the World's oldest, which we all know to be untrue.  Like I say, a crap article full of factual inacuracies.

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Is it just me or is it just wrong that some teams have more than one rivalry.  Man Utd are on this list 3 times ffs.  It should just be derbies on this list imo. Liverpool v Man U should be nowhere near it for a start.

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Nah sorry it cant be true because according to some folk on this very site, Hibs aren't even our rivals any more.

 

In fact, according to one poster - we've not even got a real rivalry with them anyway. I think the words he used were 'a pretend internet rivalry'.

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Nah sorry it cant be true because according to some folk on this very site, Hibs aren't even our rivals any more.

 

In fact, according to one poster - we've not even got a real rivalry with them anyway. I think the words he used were 'a pretend internet rivalry'.

 

The day Hibs are no longer the most important game on the fixtrers list is the day I stop supporting Hearts.  Never understood people who think it is not 'the big one' now.  I hope we get them 3rd round of the Scottish Cup.

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Is it just me or is it just wrong that some teams have more than one rivalry.  Man Utd are on this list 3 times ffs.  It should just be derbies on this list imo. Liverpool v Man U should be nowhere near it for a start.

 

I understand what you are saying there, but I would say that Liverpool v Man U and Barca v Real Madrid are bigger and more intense matches than their local derbies.

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Ranked on what basis?

 

Sounds like some pointless filler on a slow news day.

 

The Edinburgh Derby is the #1 rivalry for me, personally, and I don't care much about the rest.

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Suddenly Man City have a shed load of wonga, Manchester United now class it as a derby.  Did not care about them for 40 years. Take this off the list please.

 

And from someone that used to live in Bristol they VERY much do care about football down there.

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Suddenly Man City have a shed load of wonga, Manchester United now class it as a derby.  Did not care about them for 40 years. Take this off the list please.

 

And from someone that used to live in Bristol they VERY much do care about football down there.

 

For those who follow football there ,yes I know they do :)  Bristol Rovers were here last night and there was a row of 8 Polis Meat Wagons with full riot guards all around them, parked outside the County Ground an hour before kick off!  And Rovers are very much their wee team, City having a far bigger following. In the 80s and 90s, they used to have a large hooligan element, but they've cleaned up their act to a degree since then.

 

However, Bristol is generally seen as a Rugby city, much more so than Edinburgh.

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I understand what you are saying there, but I would say that Liverpool v Man U and Barca v Real Madrid are bigger and more intense matches than their local derbies.

 

In both of those examples you've picked here, I fully agree.

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"I understand what you are saying there, but I would say that Liverpool v Man U and Barca v Real Madrid are bigger and more intense matches than their local derbies."

 

Agree with this. Been to the Uglies (pre-Souness) and also Liverpool v Man United (1-1 draw. Sparky for Utd and Dalgleish for Liverpool) in the days before Sky invented football. Interestingly what contributed to the "atmosphere" was how much you saw of the opposing support before getting into the ground. At Ibrox, I never saw a Celtic supporter from Cumbernauld until I got into the enclosure. The whole trip and pre-match build up was just like an Orange walk. At Anfield, the Manc's were herded to the opposite side of the street by lines of cops. Didn't stop the locals showering them with bags of piss and as I later learned, ammonia, from upstairs windows. it was bedlam. Actually led to something much more threatening than Ibrox where they just chanted at each other from within the stadium. Been to the Bernabeu  to see the European Cup quarter final Real V Mancs when it was the Galactico's (Hampden final year) and they won 3-0. Atmosphere was fantastic but much more dignified than anything here. Been to Racing Club v Independiente which is the "other" Buenos Aires derby. Tension and atmosphere for the whole match was in a different league from the others I just mentioned. I believe Boca V River takes it up another notch - just can't imagine what that is like.

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"I understand what you are saying there, but I would say that Liverpool v Man U and Barca v Real Madrid are bigger and more intense matches than their local derbies."

 

Agree with this. Been to the Uglies (pre-Souness) and also Liverpool v Man United (1-1 draw. Sparky for Utd and Dalgleish for Liverpool) in the days before Sky invented football. Interestingly what contributed to the "atmosphere" was how much you saw of the opposing support before getting into the ground. At Ibrox, I never saw a Celtic supporter from Cumbernauld until I got into the enclosure. The whole trip and pre-match build up was just like an Orange walk. At Anfield, the Manc's were herded to the opposite side of the street by lines of cops. Didn't stop the locals showering them with bags of piss and as I later learned, ammonia, from upstairs windows. it was bedlam. Actually led to something much more threatening than Ibrox where they just chanted at each other from within the stadium. Been to the Bernabeu  to see the European Cup quarter final Real V Mancs when it was the Galactico's (Hampden final year) and they won 3-0. Atmosphere was fantastic but much more dignified than anything here. Been to Racing Club v Independiente which is the "other" Buenos Aires derby. Tension and atmosphere for the whole match was in a different league from the others I just mentioned. I believe Boca V River takes it up another notch - just can't imagine what that is like.

 

I hate mentioning it but.... I have been to a few River v Boca matches and the atmosphere is incredible: hostile to the absolute extreme, the most passionate supporters who absolutely care about nothing else than winning that match and a sense that you don't really know what might (and often does) happen next.... Just an amazing experience.  I thought the first one was like that because it was new for me but it every single one had the exact same atmosphere and edge. 

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avhudtheteeshirt

Can't believe that Aberdeen V Rangers is missing from this?

It is one of the most aggressive games in the football calendar, and always throws up controversy and bad challenges throughout the years! 

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Can't believe that Aberdeen V Rangers is missing from this?

It is one of the most aggressive games in the football calendar, and always throws up controversy and bad challenges throughout the years!

Nowhere near the top rivalries, not even remotely close. Aberdeen make it more than it is due to not having a proper rival.

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I agree but our idiots tend to come out when we play Celtic. Can't say I've heard any sectarian abuse of any kind at a derby.

Not that I have any time for that crap, but that's probably just a knee jerk, basic response to the 'up the Ra' none sense from the septic away crowd, possibly some of the most vile & arrogant about...

As another poster said, it's probably more to do with the hibees inferiority complex that cranks up the tension of the derby's.. Although, I really do hope that Hearts win trophies on a more regular basis in the next few seasons onwards, as whilst we may be the 3rd or 4th most successful club in the country, it would be good to be seen as the genuine third force, and really break away from the rest of the pack

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Nowhere near the top rivalries, not even remotely close. Aberdeen make it more than it is due to not having a proper rival.

 

Well you would know, eh?

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Well you would know, eh?

I have never been to a Rangers v Aberdeen match but my experience is that they hate Celtic, then a big distance to second, who would probably be Hibs/Aberdeen.

 

Nothing like the cosey, "so delighted the SC is in Edinburgh!! Let's make it in Gorgie next time!" relationship some Hearts fans have with Hibs.

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