how much does your local derby matter?

[Witton]

As a Villa fan, the first game I looked for when the fixtures were released was the games against the clowns from Sty Andrews. My hatred of B*rmingham C*ty has festered for all 29 years of my life & after attending both last years games (and working in Brum) I was gutted. Whats your derby & does it mean everything to you or do you try and rise above it and aim for higher things?

[655321]

As an American, it's means little more than a fixture that will normally produce an exciting hour and a half. I don't have any Everton fans at work to laugh at or take jokes from, I never grew up having to explain "blue or red". I have no territorial reasons to hate Everton, but I love the matches b/c they're always fast paced and gut wrenching.

[billyireland]

I'm not from Manchester, so it's not AS important to me as it is to them, but beating City twice is always high up my wishlist for the season (we unfortunately only drew with them at Old Trafford and lost to them at Maine Road... guess we'll take our title and walk away i nshame ;))

[giggs88]

i was near manchester for two years. i am sure cite weren't in the prem? you wouldn't notice. but they were so MASSIVE last year.

[owian]

Like others on here I live 6,000 miles from Anfield. But having been to liverpool and knowing people from Liverpool (and having everton fans at the pub where I watch matches) the Merseyside Derby is huge. I look forward to that match even when Everton are battaling to stay up. (and now that they are a respectable team makes it that much more intense)

[655321]

Originally posted by owian
Like others on here I live 6,000 miles from Anfield. But having been to liverpool and knowing people from Liverpool (and having everton fans at the pub where I watch matches) the Merseyside Derby is huge. I look forward to that match even when Everton are battaling to stay up. (and now that they are a respectable team makes it that much more intense)

And with out start to this season, this Saturday means even more than normal. To say the least.

[rymannryan]

Originally posted by 655321
As an American, it's means little more than a fixture that will normally produce an exciting hour and a half. I don't have any Everton fans at work to laugh at or take jokes from, I never grew up having to explain "blue or red". I have no territorial reasons to hate Everton, but I love the matches b/c they're always fast paced and gut wrenching.


Exactly the same here. I dislike the Metrostars more than I dislike Liverpool. I don't actually hate Liverpool, but I do grin after seeing how they've done so far. :) Bring on the derby, hope its a great game, with Rooney clinching the winner in the last minute.

[The Double]

I have an uncle in North London. I went to a derby game, sat in The Shelf, and for some reason I wanted to knock out everyone that was wearing red that day. So yeah, it matters to me. Going to my 4th one this year, sitting in The Shelf, and doing it all over again.

[Clan]

Well, for some strange reason most of the people i have talked to on these boards have the impression that Chels have it big for the Arse and the Yids.Which is true to some extent i suppose with the recent success of the team.It was certainly true of the yids when i was a nipper going to the games in the late 70's.

However, Chelseas real rivals are, believe it or not QPHaha.
My first real "derby" that i can recall with any clarity was the FA Cup game at Stamford Bridge against them in the winter of '74.I was almost 10 at the time and had pestered the old man for some time to take me.He was very reluctant as he was sure there was going to be loads of aggro--he was right--and didn't want me near it.
After several days of whinging i got my way.We went into the shed end though as he wouldn't go near the North stand where he usually was because of the away section.
The game ended in a draw and the trouble outside the ground was fierce.
From that day on i detested anything and everything QPR.
I wasn't allowed to go to the replay no matter how much whinging i did.
Bastards won that game and knocked us out of the cup.

[rymannryan]

Originally posted by Clanblue
Well, for some strange reason most of the people i have talked to on these boards have the impression that Chels have it big for the Arse and the Yids.Which is true to some extent i suppose with the recent success of the team.It was certainly true of the yids when i was a nipper going to the games in the late 70's.

However, Chelseas real rivals are, believe it or not QPHaha.
My first real "derby" that i can recall with any clarity was the FA Cup game at Stamford Bridge against them in the winter of '74.I was almost 10 at the time and had pestered the old man for some time to take me.He was very reluctant as he was sure there was going to be loads of aggro--he was right--and didn't want me near it.
After several days of whinging i got my way.We went into the shed end though as he wouldn't go near the North stand where he usually was because of the away section.
The game ended in a draw and the trouble outside the ground was fierce.
From that day on i detested anything and everything QPR.
I wasn't allowed to go to the replay no matter how much whinging i did.
Bastards won that game and knocked us out of the cup.

What about Fulham? If this is a dumb question, sorry, but I don't know where the clubs are located within London and I always understood or thought that Fulham was a rival of Chelsea. All I know is the Arsenal and Tottenham are north London, Chelsea are west London.

[Clan]

Originally posted by rymannryan
What about Fulham? If this is a dumb question, sorry, but I don't know where the clubs are located within London and I always understood or thought that Fulham was a rival of Chelsea. All I know is the Arsenal and Tottenham are north London, Chelsea are west London.

Fulham are close, but a little too close to the water.
So close i suppose that it really doesn't make much difference in the end, however, QPHa are the real rivals.

Nowadays though you won't see it mentioned or spoke about all that much as there is such a difference betwen the clubs and, to be quite honest, most of the fans that are around Stamford Bridge today are quite new and either don't know or choose to ignore the history of the club.

There's an actual QPR poster on here some days and if he reads this he'll confirm it i'm sure.
Those sad bastards actually used to sing anti-Chelsea songs during home games, regardless of opposition on the day.

[The Double]

I remember clutching my stomach in laughter after reading one of Clan's posts that started off with "Well, look at that. A real live fan of QPHaha"

[Albion + England]

Pretty much everything - although we're not playing em this year. I remember one season we were strong possibilities for going down and we played that sh!t at home (we won 3-2) and i remember one guy standing behind me saying 'I doe really care if we goo daan as long as we beat them bas*ards' and his mates agreeing with him.

[OPArsenal]

The London Derby of Arsenal v. Tottenscum is always fun. Even though it's good to see THFC lose, I kinda want them to be good again so it'll mean more if we beat them. But as it is now, it's fun to watch and sing and be a part of the terraces.

Rein mais le Quad!

OPArsenal

_________________
Tottenham, you are our bitch...

[MightyBees]

I grew up with a hatred of QPR as distance wise they are our local team. However when i was a kid QPR where always the bigger side playing in the old First division and Premiership- whilst we where stuck in the old second and third divisions!
However over recent seasons their demise to a second division club has brought great pleasure to our faces! Esspecially when we finished higher than them two seasons ago!
It brings pleasure to our faces when we hear their fans suggest their real rivals are Chelsea!
O well another season playing our West London friends!
Esspecially as our October 11th fixture is live on SKY SPORTS!

Come on you Bees!

[owian]

three cans of redbull: dollars
late night burger king run: 5 dollars
spending all saturday in a lack of sleep haze

staying up to 6:30 in the morning to watch Owen score twice and Kewell rub it in the blue noses faces : PRICELESS