What is the Manchester Derby?
The clubs, the fans, the game…
The training is well underway, the tickets have been bought and the 177th Manchester Derby is set to kick off at the Etihad Stadium this Sunday.
But where did the infamous match come from?
Rewind to 1881, the first meeting between two teams which would then become Manchester United and Manchester City took place.
Newton Heath (United) and St Marks (City) — who would a few years later become Ardwick — went head to head for the first time on November 12, with Newton Heath winning 3–0 and taking the very first crown. At this time the clubs were two of many from the Manchester area and the game had no real significance. Nobody knew how big the rivalry would grow to be.
Now fast forward 137 years and we find ourselves in 2018. Newton Heath have become Manchester United and Ardwick are now Manchester City. There’s been almost 200 matches, broken bones, pitch invasions, red cards, the reign of Alex Ferguson, the creation of the Premier League and the historic tragedy that was the Munich Air Disaster, which sadly killed 11 Manchester United staff — nine of whom were players.
But the game isn’t all it’s about. The fans play a huge part in the long-standing rivalry. There have been countless fights over the last 137 years between the two sides, the most recent being a 50-fan-strong brawl in April of this year in Manchester City Centre.
Man United have dominated most of the derbies so far, winning every single match in the 1990s, and 23 more games in total than Man City. But how will this favour them this weekend?
Some fans are doubting United, predicting a win for City after their 6–1 win against Southampton last Sunday.
United fan Jason Kerridge predicts a 2–0 win for Man City this weekend. He said:
“They could be at a slight disadvantage [without De Bruyne] but they still have a strong side without him.”
Another United fan has a similar opinion on how Sunday’s game will turn out, predicting a 2–1 win for City.
“I do think they are disadvantaged without De Bruyne as he plays incisive passes, which will help as we will likely plant 10 men behind the ball.”
Reuben Dawkins, Manchester United supporter
What do you think? Join the conversation on Twitter using #ManchesterDerby.
