There’s been a healthy rivalry between Manchester United and Liverpool FC for over 100 years…but is that a good thing or a bad thing.
Mention great sports rivalries and several could come to mind.There was Muhammad Ali duking it out with Joe Frazier, Greg Norman taking on Nick Faldo on the golf course and Chris Evert battling Martina Navratilova on the tennis court.There’s still a healthy rivalry in cricket between India and Pakistan.Anatoly Karpov and Garry Kasparov have even made competitive chess seem exciting with their ongoing rivalry through the years.
But can any of these admittedly classic face-offs hold a candle to the colossal confrontation that occurs whenever the Red Devils of Manchester United clash with the Liverpool Reds?Let’s have a quick look at why this great football rivalry exists, and why it continues
1. The Northwest Derby – Matchups between the two clubs are often referred to using this moniker. Liverpool and Manchester (the cities) have maintained a healthy competition since industrial times, and that sense of one-upmanship has apparently spilled over into the football world.
2. “The Greatest English Football Club” – Manchester United and Liverpool both lay claim to the title of The Greatest English Football Club. A similar number of trophies have been won by each club, and they are also the two most successful English teams in European competition.
3. Fans and Money – The two clubs are widely-supported throughout the world and boast some of the most devoted fans in any sport.Also, they are two of the biggest-earning clubs in the world.
4. Player Haters – As with a lot of football clubs, the fans can be downright hostile to each other sometimes. With Liverpool and Man U, though, the hostility spills over to the players too occasionally.United striker Wayne Rooney has publicly mentioned that when he was growing up he hated Liverpool FC.On another occasion, Liverpool’s Steven Gerrard told a TV crew that, although he often exchanges shirts with opposing players, he would never have a Manchester United shirt in his house.
5. Transfers? What are Transfers? – Since 1964, no player has been directly transferred between the two clubs; the few who have played for both sides always played for a different city’s club in between. As recently as 2007, United left-back Gabriel Heinze expressed a desire to move to Liverpool, and a bid was made, but Man U rejected the bid and stated that Heinze would only join a foreign club if he chose to leave – all due to the age old rivalry.
It’s inspiring, in a way, how these two football clubs can be so passionate about the rivalry between them. I suppose some people don’t understand and think the whole thing is just silly. So, who’s the best team in football?That’s simple. Everyone knows it’s Spurs.
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