Comments on: Is this the greatest derby in world sports?

By: yellowfever

yellowfever — Wed, 16 Mar 2011 15:40:54 +0000

Another great one the East Anglian derby, also know as the old farm as in Glasgow’s old firm
Norwich V Ipswich
Voted the 2nd most intense derby in English football after the black country derby of Wolves V West Brom

By: clipper

clipper — Tue, 15 Feb 2011 04:04:36 +0000

The Derby vs Forest should win – as it’s a Derby derby. My next vote would go to Liverpool vs Everton

By: Dain Whitelae

Dain Whitelae — Tue, 15 Feb 2011 03:28:56 +0000

Sunderland v Newcastle. It’s more than a football rivalry. The two cities are only 10 miles apart but chose opposite sides of the English Civil War, fought an actual battle against each other (Battle of Boldon Hill) and have hated each other ever since. And for the record, Sunderland won the Battle of Boldon Hill too!

By: jamie preston

jamie preston — Sat, 22 Jan 2011 14:44:13 +0000

Rangers v Celtic
nothing even comes close to it
simples !

By: Huns in Europe

Huns in Europe — Mon, 15 Mar 2010 21:22:52 +0000

For me Rangers vs Celtic is the best. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_RIgZmXoKz0&NR=1 probably explains it all.

By: CJ Marji

CJ Marji — Sun, 07 Mar 2010 19:59:19 +0000

Being a Serie A fan for the past 23 years, i haveto say that Inter X Milan is an amazing tie, it is probably the greatest derby in the world. And beign a LAZIO fan for 20 years i shiver just thinkin about Derby Di Capitale…

PS: ROMA MERDA

By: NCB619

NCB619 — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 02:04:12 +0000

What the hell is ‘calico’?

By: Davidde Corran

Davidde Corran — Thu, 28 Jan 2010 18:32:47 +0000

It certainly is a fierce rivalry. Every time I am in Roma and meet a Giallorossa fan, if I don’t declare that I hate and loathe Lazio, I become a second class citizen in their eyes. You can actually see their opinion of you and the way they treat you change. Not for supporting Lazio but for not hating Lazio enough!

By: Davidde Corran

Davidde Corran — Thu, 28 Jan 2010 18:30:20 +0000

That is a great point Towser.

By: Davidde Corran

Davidde Corran — Thu, 28 Jan 2010 18:29:49 +0000

Ta!

By: Art Sapphire

Art Sapphire — Thu, 28 Jan 2010 12:15:02 +0000

I watched the Milan Derby earlier this week. Great game. Great Opera. But I don’t think the Milanese fans hate each other enough. Mourinho looked more passionate than most of the crowd.

Roma – Lazio – now thats what you call a derby with intense passion and rivalry. Forza Giallorossa!!

By: jimbo

jimbo — Thu, 28 Jan 2010 11:05:12 +0000

Davidde,
not incompetent, just a typo.

Keep up the good work.

By: David V.

David V. — Thu, 28 Jan 2010 10:45:46 +0000

Well said. It’s hard to imagine how much it means to two sets of fans unless you grew up there and/or know the environment around it, or get in the thick of the passion. I cherish great Everton wins over Liverpool – ’78, ’84, ’86 and ’88 being some of the very best, and in the 90s when we were garbage we could always be up for a game and win derbies. And of course the Cup tie last season, and the Cup tie in ’91.

Derbies tend to take on significance too when the two teams aren’t doing particularly well- the Sheffield derby in ’79 was one when the two clubs were in the Third Division and altered the team’s fortunes for the next few years.

I recall the Forest v Derby games from the late 80s were choc full of passion, between the two sets of players- so much that Brian Rice took issue with Ted McMinn being on the ground because he thought McMinn was acting!

By: PG

PG — Wed, 27 Jan 2010 00:37:00 +0000

Agree with McCavity about Newcastle Jets vs the Train Seat Hoggers though

By: Towser

Towser — Tue, 26 Jan 2010 23:45:37 +0000

Davidde

By definition Derbys can never be”The greatest in the world”. Quite simply because they are generated locally & its impossible to understand as an outsider the passion generated from two sets of local born fans.
As one born & brought up on the” Steel City Derbys” its a joke to me to proclaim that any other derby throughout the world measures up. Wednesday v United the greatest derby to me. I should imagine the same for AC & Inter Milan fans.

By: Rellum

Rellum — Tue, 26 Jan 2010 23:18:07 +0000

After the world cup and cheering on the Aussies, my next football trip will be to Rome to go to the derby di capitale. Being a Roma fan all my life, I will be hoping for a different outcome

I don’t think naming Derbies after freeways is a great trend for the A-League.

By: Davidde Corran

Davidde Corran — Tue, 26 Jan 2010 15:03:40 +0000

I’ll refer you to the first paragraph:

“The pink sport daily had “analysed” all of Europe’s other derbies and decided none had as many titles between them, as big attendances or successful teams as the Derby Della Madonnina.”

Thanks for the feedback however.

By: Davidde Corran

Davidde Corran — Tue, 26 Jan 2010 15:02:01 +0000

MV Dave, too right. Kolkota, Tehran and Cairo are all on my wish list of derbies I’d like to see in person one day.

By: Davidde Corran

Davidde Corran — Tue, 26 Jan 2010 15:00:09 +0000

Thanks Rellum. Certainly the Derby Della Madonnina is the most popular. The whole nation basically stopped on Sunday. Right across the country people were tuning in. Even last night there were two TV programs on at the same time dedicated to discussing the game.

Though the “Derby D’Italia” between Inter and Juve often holds even more national interest. Though again, despite the name, it isn’t technically a derby.

By: Davidde Corran

Davidde Corran — Tue, 26 Jan 2010 14:56:52 +0000

Il Duce, agreed. They are hardly stupid names.

By: Davidde Corran

Davidde Corran — Tue, 26 Jan 2010 14:55:49 +0000

Jimbo many thanks for picking that up and it has now been changed. Out of curiosity I googled “Caludio Ranieri” and came up with these:

- Caludio Ranieri admits he’s still bitter about Chelsea exit …
- Caludio Ranieri — Blogs, Pictures, and more on WordPress
- Caludio Ranieri | UCF Journo
- “After putting us through to the quarter finals and Friday’s draw, Caludio Ranieri admitted his tactics were probably wrong, as he started with a 443 which …”

Nice to know I’m not alone in my incompetence…

By: westy

westy — Tue, 26 Jan 2010 14:12:30 +0000

The A league may well derive some genuine traction in developing a derby between Sydney FC and its Sydney rival. Welcome it do not limit it. It is something the FFA must embrace. The new Sydney franchise needs to understand its potential supporter base. It would be a mistake to try and be be all things to all people. . Sydney FC has already tried and failed at this business model.

By: westy

westy — Tue, 26 Jan 2010 14:05:10 +0000

i think football has the mantle the big games in say American major league baseball to my knowledge are inter city rather than between two local franchises within a city.. My understanding is the New York Yankees loathe the Boston Red Sox much more than their crosstown rivals the Mets.

By: jimbo

jimbo — Tue, 26 Jan 2010 12:24:23 +0000

Is Caludio Ranieri any relation to Claudio Ranieri?

By: Il Duce

Il Duce — Tue, 26 Jan 2010 12:18:58 +0000

Why they stupid names? beacuase they are in another language and dont translate well into another langauge, having been to 2 derby di capitale (the capital derby) when I was living in rome (which thankfully Lazio won both) the atmosphere was intense the whole month leading up to the game and about 50 times more intense inside the stadium, the displays pre game by both sets of supporters where something to behold and chanting all game by both sets was fantastic, I also have never felt so nervous/scared going and leaving a game before but it was certianly something I thoughly enjoyed.

By: David V.

David V. — Tue, 26 Jan 2010 12:17:39 +0000

The Irish League once flourished when Belfast Celtic were there too, their withdrawal a body blow for the part-time league.

The Irish League did enjoy spells in the 60s and early 80s when their top clubs could hold their own against more professional European sides. Those days are but a distant memory!

By: Al

Al — Tue, 26 Jan 2010 08:33:11 +0000

Lazio vs Roma, the fascists versus the fascist lites. Lazio is a disgusting disgrace of a club.

By: Al

Al — Tue, 26 Jan 2010 08:30:42 +0000

Why do the Italians give their derbies such stupid names?

By: Rellum

Rellum — Tue, 26 Jan 2010 08:29:10 +0000

Congrats David for the article. It is good to see people writing positive things about calcio again. Things are slowly turning around for Italian club football. Hopefully there will be more to see and appreciate in the Aussie media than just the EPL.

Roma v Lazio is the most passionate derby in Italy, maybe followed by the Sicilian derby. Derby Della Madonnina is probably the most watched, but I have no proof to back that up

By: apaway

apaway — Tue, 26 Jan 2010 05:57:32 +0000

I’m a bit biased, but Sheffield Wednesday vs Sheffield United is a huge derby. they have played each other in the first, second and third tiers of English football. On Boxing Day 1979, a game between them in the old 3rd Division drew 55,000 spectators to Hillsbrough. An FA Cup semi final between the two sold out Wembley Stadium in 1993. It’s not a derby born out of religious affiliation, like the Glasgow derby, just an intense dislike for each other. there’s not even a clear divide in the city as to where supporters live. They just don’t like each other.