What are the biggest British football rivalries? You are about to find out as we are ranking them in this post.
Britain, as the home of football, naturally has some of the sport’s most iconic rivalries. But which rivalries are the fiercest of them all? Is it Glasgow’s Old Firm between Celtic and Rangers? Or how about the animosity that exists in London between the likes of Tottenham, Arsenal and Chelsea? That’s not to mention the emotionally charged duels between Man City, Man United and Liverpool in England’s northwest.
Find out below which rivalry comes out on top as we count down the top 5 British football rivalries.
British Football Rivalries Ranked
5. Millwall vs West Ham – “The Dockers Derby”
The rivalry between Millwall and West Ham United is one of the longest-standing and most bitter in English football. Originally the rivalry commenced in 1899 with the teams known as Millwall Athletic and Thames Ironworks, both originated in the East End of London and were located less than three miles apart.
The reason for the rivalry transcends “football” and touches on issues of territorial pride and identity in East versus South East London. The rivalry became initially known as the “Dockers Derby” as both sets of supporters were predominantly dockers at shipyards on the River Thames. Consequently, each set of fans worked for rival firms who were competing for the same business; this intensified the tension between the teams.
Games between both sides have been marred by general hooliganism, crime and violence with one of the most prominent “Pop Culture” features of the rivalry coming when both sides featured in the 2005 movie “Green Street”.
Both sides have met a total of 99 times with Millwall leading the head-to-head with 38 victories, West Ham have 34 victories while 27 draws have taken place. The only thing preventing this from being an even bigger rivalry is that both sides haven’t played each other since West Ham’s 2-1 Championship win in February 2012.
4. Man United v Man City – “The Manchester Derby”
The Manchester Derby refers to football matches which take place between Man United and Man City. Their stadiums, Old Trafford and the Etihad Stadium, are only separated by 6.4km. The first meeting between these two clubs took place all the way back on the 12th of November 1881 with St Mark’s West Gordon (Man City) losing 0-3 to Newton Heath LYR (Man United).
While Man United dominated the fixture for decades, the rivalry has taken on even greater meaning since Man City were taken over in 2008. The blue side of Manchester has gone on to dominate English Football in recent times, especially since former Man United manager Sir Alex Ferguson retired in 2013. Both clubs are also the first two English clubs and first cross-city rivals to have won the treble with United winning theirs in 1999 and City winning theirs 24 years later in 2023.
194 official games have taken place between both sides with Man United leading the head-to-head with 79 victories to City’s 61 while 54 draws have occurred.
3. Arsenal vs Tottenham – “The North London Derby”
The North London Derby pits Arsenal against Tottenham Hotspur and is widely regarded as one of the most bitter rivalries in the world of football. That is even though both teams played one another first in 1887 the rivalry did not begin until 1913 when Arsenal moved their ground to North London from Woolwich, south of the River Thames.
The rivalry predominantly comes from both sets of supporters' contrasting cultures and their different socio-economic backgrounds. Arsenal is better known as a club which represents North London’s affluent culture while Tottenham’s stems from a more blue-collar heritage.
Matches between these two sides are often marked by high stakes and fiery encounters on the pitch.
Both sides have met a total of 195 times with Arsenal boasting a significant lead in the series of games with 82 victories compared to Tottenham’s 61 wins alongside 52 draws. Spurs have the leading scorer in clashes between both though with Harry Kane scoring 14 times in the North London Derby.
2. Celtic v Rangers – “The Old Firm”
If it were for name alone then this rivalry would surely top the list. ‘The Old Firm’ rivalry between Celtic and Rangers is another which transcends football with a history deeply rooted in religion, politics, and sectarianism.
Rangers, historically Protestant, and Celtic, traditionally Catholic with both sides coming from a fiercely divided Glasgow area making their encounters some of the most bitter and action-packed in football.
The rivalry is magnified by the fact that both teams are by far the most successful sides in the history of Scottish Football. Between both, they have won 109 Scottish League championships (Rangers with 55 and Celtic with 54), 76 Scottish Cups (Celtic with 42 and Rangers with 34), and 49 Scottish League Cups (Rangers with 28 and Celtic with 21).
Remarkably both clubs have met 441 times, which I think slightly reduces the allure of the fixture (and one of the main reasons it doesn’t reach #1). From those games, both teams have an incredible 169 wins each and 103 matches have resulted in draws.
1. Man United v Liverpool – “The Northwest Derby”
“The Northwest Derby” is the most famous rivalry in the history of English Football with the fans and the media even considering it bigger than both sides' local derbies (with Man City and Everton respectively). The rivalry stems from their battles for supremacy in domestic and European competitions, as well as the industrial and cultural rivalry between the two areas ensuring an emotionally charged spectacle.
They are both the most successful in the history of English football; between them, they have won 39 league titles, 21 FA Cups, 16 League Cups, 37 FA Community Shields, nine European Cups/UEFA Champions Leagues, four UEFA Cups, one UEFA Cup Winners' Cup, five UEFA Super Cups, one Intercontinental Cup and two FIFA Club World Cup.
Both clubs meet often enough for it to be considered the #1 rivalry and infrequently enough for it to be considered a “big game”. From their 214 games, Man United have been the most successful with 83 wins to Liverpool’s 71 and 60 draws have taken place.
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