We know without a doubt that football is a sport that’s all about competition. Both locally and internationally, we see teams that compete with each other at a level beyond the simple ‘game’ mindset. Some teams literally have it out for each other, and the feeling is also expressed through the supporters.
Sometimes these rivalries go a long way back beyond the sport, to certain beefs that certain localities had with one another, others are just caused simply through competitiveness due to teams sharing the same locality, also known as city derbies, like for example any match between any two teams of the twelve that are based in London, (six in the Premier League and six in the EFL). This is by far one of the most popular football rivalries in the world. Even though they do not share the same city, Man United and Liverpool are only some 50 kilometres apart. The history of this rivalry goes way way back, to before football even started.
That’s right, this rivalry goes all the way back to 1894, where a Ship Canal was built in Manchester, which caused workers in Liverpool to suffer from job losses as Manchester had taken over the sea import and export industry. This started the tension between Mancunians and Liverpudlians.
Their first meeting in football happened around 3 years later, when Newton Heath, (Manchester’s first name before it was changed to Manchester United 8 years later,) finished at the bottom of the first division, while liverpool were unbeaten the whole season to win the second division, leading to a playoff between the two teams to see who will play the first division for the next season. Liverpool Beat Man United 2-0, sending them to the second division, and the football based rivalry was born.
In 1901, Liverpool managed to clutch their first ever league title. Their second title was won in 1906, which was the same season that Manchester United were back in Division 1. Manchester United won their first league title only a couple years later in 1908, along with the first ever Charity Shield in the same year, then they won the FA Cup a year later. This shows the teams had it out to get to the top from the start, which shows why they have become so successful nowadays.
Later on in 1945, after the pauses of the world wars which caused a lot of confusion and instability in the football teams, football was starting to get back up on its legs. Man United were under fresh Management under legend Sir Matt Busby, who had also played for United’s two biggest Rivals, Liverpool and Man City. At a point, he was even Liverpool’s captain! He later on showed us that it doesn’t matter who plays for who, rivalries shouldn’t be personal.
As the years passed the sport rivalry continued to grow as both teams battled it out, playing king of the hill among the premier league, clutching the top of the table from each other’s hands along with other successful teams from all around the UK.
