Top 5 football rivalries in England

So i have to do a magazine article for English Language and this is the topic i am doing, take in to fact i am doing the derbies on atmosphere, the history of the clubs and the history of the derbies.

The four i think i will definitely include are.

Manchester United V Liverpool
(The history of the two clubs speaks for itself.)

Milwall V West Ham.
(Although they have not played each other recently over the years the atmosphere is incredible at this derby.)

Manchester City V Manchester United
(Has become more prolific these past few years due to City having the money and the amount of fans who go to both games shows how much the derby means to each club.)

Everton V Liverpool
(The distance from Goodison Park to Anfield is so close that most families will have different members supporting one or the other.)


I have one more to choose so which other one could i choose and do you agree with my choices as of far?

Wolves V West Brom
Port Vale V Stoke
Portsmouth V Southampton
Newcastle V Sunderland
Derby V Nottingham Forest
Leeds V Manchester United
Blackpool V Preston
Arsenal V Tottenham
Brighton V Crystal Palace
Aston Villa V Birmingham
Sheffield United V Sheffield Wednesday
Blackburn V Burnley
Bristol City V Bristol Rovers
Luton V Watford
Bury V Bolton/Rochdale

Bristol City v Bristol Rovers

Forgot to add that to my list actually.

North London derby.

Ipswich vs Norwich?

Burnley V Blackburn



No one survives.

Also

United vs Arsenal was until Arsenal stop challenging for the title.

Filippo Inzaghi wrote:North London derby.

take in to fact i am doing the derbies on atmosphere

Burytilidie wrote:Luton V Watford

This is a fierce rivalry, with Luton being scum and all.

Half a shame that we can't thump them every season....too busy being average in the Conference

grenade187 wrote:

Filippo Inzaghi wrote:North London derby.

take in to fact i am doing the derbies on atmosphere

Tottenham fans are fantastic at 3 point lane

Skates vs Saints.

Leeds vs Man Utd?

Newcastle vs Sunderland?

Black Country derby - West Bromwich Albion v Wolverhampton Wanderers
A420 derby – Swindon Town v Oxford United
Edinburgh derby - Hibernian v Hearts
East Anglian derby - Norwich City v Ipswich Town
North London derby - Arsenal vs Tottenham Hotspur
North-West derby - Liverpool vs Manchester United
East/South East London derby - Millwall vs West Ham United
Manchester derby - Manchester City vs Manchester United
Merseyside derby - Everton vs Liverpool
Birmingham derby (also known as the Second City derby) - Aston Villa vs Birmingham City
Tyne-Wear derby - Newcastle United vs Sunderland
Steel City derby - Sheffield Wednesday vs Sheffield United
West Lancashire derby - Blackpool vs Preston North End

ahlycotc wrote:
Old Firm derby – Celtic v Rangers

My friend, that is in another country.

Yeah I know, I just copied and pasted from Wiki and forgot to remove it.

The biggest one is obviously Plymouth V Exeter.

Burytilidie wrote:So i have to do a magazine article for English Language and this is the topic i am doing, take in to fact i am doing the derbies on atmosphere, the history of the clubs and the history of the derbies.

The four i think i will definitely include are.

Manchester United V Liverpool
(The history of the two clubs speaks for itself.)

Milwall V West Ham.
(Although they have not played each other recently over the years the atmosphere is incredible at this derby.)

Manchester City V Manchester United
(Has become more prolific these past few years due to City having the money and the amount of fans who go to both games shows how much the derby means to each club.)

Everton V Liverpool
(The distance from Goodison Park to Anfield is so close that most families will have different members supporting one or the other.)


I have one more to choose so which other one could i choose and do you agree with my choices as of far?

Wolves V West Brom
Port Vale V Stoke
Portsmouth V Southampton
Newcastle V Sunderland
Derby V Nottingham Forest
Leeds V Manchester United
Blackpool V Preston
Arsenal V Tottenham
Brighton V Crystal Palace
Aston Villa V Birmingham
Sheffield United V Sheffield Wednesday
Blackburn V Burnley
Bristol City V Bristol Rovers
Luton V Watford
Bury V Bolton/Rochdale

From one of these 6.

Actually, from my experience of watching English derbies, out of that list, nothing is more intense and with higher emotions than the Newcastle vs Sunderland derby.

If Leeds and Man United were in the same league still that would have been picked no doubt but i might go for two teams who have played each other a lot recently and two of them you have highlighted polska.

Birmingham V Villa
Newcastle V Sunderland

I think Leeds vs Man Utd is definitely the most hostile out of the ones remaining in terms of the genuine hatred and it has flared up due to the last two meetings but I see where you're coming from about doing one with the two teams having played each other a lot recently.

Ben what do you think Birmingham V Villa or Sunderland V Newcastle?

Colchester United VS Southend United

Villa v Birmingham

i would say Villa and Birmingham

Manchester United vs Manchester City will be the biggest one in future years.

If you're talking about history of the clubs, atmosphere etc then look no further than Forest v Derby. All centred around one name in particular, Clough! Both cities have statues of Clough, the road from Nottingham to Derby is named Brian Clough Way, each time we play each other, were also competing for the Brian Clough Trophy. He made the impossible possible at Derby, then went and did even better at Forest. There were lots of player swapping back in the 70's/80's which intensified the rivalry. It's seemed to get more heated again in recent years too, with players like Commons, Earnshaw, Camp, Tyson, Tudgay all having played for the 2 clubs, so that created an atmosphere. Even the managers, Billy Davies, ex Forest and Derby. Nigel Clough, Forest legend, Derby manager. It's definitely one of the most underrated derbies in this country. Don't think we've been in the top flight together since the 1998/99 season.

I'd personally go for Cheltenham vs Hereford Newcastle vs Sunderland. It's probably due to the geographic location of these two sides as they don't really have any proper rivals bar Middlesbrough within 100 odd miles meaning all the hatred is focused on either Newcastle or Sunderland.

Villa v Birmingham was played in a half empty stadium last season

Hitchy wrote:Villa v Birmingham was played in a half empty stadium last season

That's what I was thinking. I see where the history comes from, but if we are doing history, Manchester Derby shouldn't be in the top 5 and the Leeds vs United should be.

Geordies and the Mackems definitely. These are literally each others biggest rivals. Brum and villa have their eyes on west brom, wolves etc. and games don't sell out, especially at villa park