Derbies & Rivalries
Getting to Know the Manchester Derby
The Manchester Derby, Man City vs Man United, has become one of the most high-profile derbies in English football. But it hasn’t always been that way, and as great as Manchester City are these days, it’s only recently that they established any kind of parity with Manchester United. Meanwhile, the red half of Manchester doesn’t…
The East Midlands Derby, Nottingham Forest vs Derby County
As with many English football derbies, proximity is the main reason for the dislike between Derby County and Nottingham Forest, who share the East Midlands Derby. (Above photo from BrianClough.com) But these two clubs, whose stadiums are less than 20 miles apart, also share two unique features among soccer derbies in England: each club’s greatest-ever…
Getting to Know the Everton-Liverpool Merseyside Derby
Sometimes called the Friendly Derby, the Merseyside Derby between Liverpool and Everton is the longest-running top flight derby in English football, the two having played at least twice every season since 1962. So let's take a look at the history and some of the key games between these two great clubs and what is --…
What is Up With the Brighton-Crystal Palace Rivalry?
When you consider all of the top derbies in English soccer, you generally think of three characteristics: regional proximity, a long history, and battling for honors. In the case of the rivalry between Crystal Palace and Brighton and Hove Albion, literally none of that is the case. In fact, people don't even agree on the…
QPR vs Brentford: What One Might Call a Second-Tier West London Derby
Queens Park Rangers vs Brentford certainly qualifies as a West London Derby, the two clubs being just under four miles apart. But neither club’s fans rank the other as their top rival, even though QPR once tried to literally wipe Brentford off the map. This could be for all sorts of reasons, the biggest being…
Liverpool vs Manchester United: The Biggest Rivalry in English Football
All the great English football rivalries contain some combination of proximity, a history that goes beyond football, and a shared level of success. That all comes together like nowhere else in the North West Derby, Manchester United vs Liverpool. Since we here at Groundhopper Guides love to explore and explain the world of English football,…
Say Hello to the Black Country Derby
We at Groundhopper Guides like to introduce folks to parts of English football culture you might not be aware of. So along those lines, let's get to know one of the most intense rivalries in all of English football, the Black Country derby between Wolverhampton Wanderers and West Bromwich Albion. If you're really new to…
East Anglian Derby: Norwich City vs Ipswich Town
I love a derby day. It’s the peak experience of watching English soccer. And the East Anglian Derby featuring Norwich City vs Ipswich Town is a lesser know example (outside of England anyway) of a proper rivalry. This post was written in 2019, when Norwich and Ipswich were in the Championship, and has been left…
Back in Sheffield for Another Steel City Derby
Somewhere, in the streets near my hotel, a small band of lads are giving it one last “We are BLAAAADES!” The result is a kind of echoing silence. No “We are Wednesday” response, no clopping of police horse hooves, no sirens, no word from any other Blades. Still determined to give it a go, I…
Agony and Ecstasy:
The 2017 Steel City Derby
Perhaps the reason we go to football games is because we just might have an experience people will talk about for generations. We sit through countless forgettable affairs because someday we’re going to see a world-class game-winner, or a stunning upset, or a penalty kick hit a season-saving post, or some seismic shift in the…
