The root of all the hatred
Believe it or not, it was the industrial revolution (YES, that’s right) that ignited the fire of the hatred that know burns brightly in the heart of every Scouser and Manc. During this time, both were competing with each other for supremacy of the north-west, with Manchester famous for its manufacturing prowess while Liverpool was famous for the importance of its port. Once the Manchester Ship Canal was built, ships could bypass Liverpool and transport goods directly into Manchester. The Ship Canal was an audacious project and upon completion in 1894 it was the longest man-made ship canal in the world. The Ship Canal meant less dues for Liverpool merchants which consequently resulted in job losses at the Port and resentment from the local people of Liverpool. Furthermore, the crest of Manchester United includes a ship representing the Manchester Ship Canal and reflects Manchester's trade roots. Fascinating.
Football adds the fuel to the fire
The best way to test the real extent of human friendship- pit them against each other on a football pitch. With the title of “The Greatest English Football Club” at stake, the already existent foe-lationship got even fiercer. The domination of English football can be represented by a sinusoidal wave, with Liverpool dominating the scene in the 1970s and 1980s winning the league 11 times and the European Cup 4 times. Manchester United’s period of domination began with the introduction of a certain Sir Alex Ferguson in 1986 and has continued till now. Since then, they have won the league title a record twelve times, a European Continental treble (European Cup, the Premiership and the FA Cup) in 1999, two domestic doubles and The European Double of the Premier League and European Cup in 2008.
The teams have met in four major cup finals; the FA Cup in 1977 and 1996, and the League Cup in 1983 and 2003. Both the clubs have shared the spoils, with United winning both FA Cup final meetings in pulsating encounters, and Liverpool coming out on top in the League Cup meetings.
Public Display of Emotions
The players and managers of both teams definitely do not have the word diplomacy in their dictionaries. Their emotions which include, mostly bitterness and despicableness, come out in all forms, be it chants, quotes, banners or gestures.
With Manchester United winning a record-breaking 19th title this season, Sir Alex Ferguson’s famous comment comes to mind
“My greatest challenge is not what’s happening at the moment, my greatest challenge was knocking Liverpool right off their f**king perch. And you can print that.”
In 1994, after a thrilling 3-3 encounter between the two, the Kop unfurled a banner that read "Au revoir Cantona, come back when you've got 18 titles". United fans did not forget this. 15 years later, when United equaled Liverpool’s record of 18 league titles, they travelled to Anfield with Cantona masks and beach balls (Mocking the infamous beach ball goal Liverpool conceded against Sunderland)
Wayne Rooney, being an Everton Youth Academy product, hasn’t refrained from publicly expressing his hatred for the red half of the Merseyside .
Liverpool’s very own Mr.Liverpool, Steven Gerrard, in one of the documentaries, pointed out that that there were no Manchester United shirts in his collection and that he would never have one of them in his house. Gerrard wrote in his autobiography– “during 90 minutes of football, I want United to die.”
It got really ugly at times too.
Kop fans openly mocked the Munich air tragedy in their chant:“Who's that lying on the ruuunway? Who's that lying in the snow? It's Matt Busby and the boys, making all the fucking noise, cause they couldn't get the aeroplane to go! “
United fans decided to take revenge with their own chant ridiculing the Hillsborough tragedy:
“Who's that choking on their vomit? Who's that turning fucking blue? It's a scouser and his mate, crushed behind the Hillsborough gates, and they won't be singing Munich anymore!”
In 2006, when a late Rio Ferdinand header gave United a bitter victory over their rivals, Gary Neville celebrated by kissing the United badge right in front of the Kop fans and shouting profanities at them. While Jamie Carragher publicly criticized Neville’s actions and claimed that he ‘crossed the line’, United fans regarded this as an act of loyalty and sang to the tune of ‘London Bridge is falling down’:
“Gary Neville is a red, is a red, is a red. Gary Neville is a red. He hates Scousers!”
The 30-mile journey that can’t be made
The rivalry is so intense that there has been no direct transfer between the two clubs since Phil Chisnell, who joined Liverpool from United way back in 1964. In 2007, Liverpool approached United with a bid for Argentine defender Gabriel Heinze and the player had publicly opened the doors for the move. The fans regarded this as an insult to the club and Heinze became a target of hatred. Sir Alex blocked the move and the Argentine was eventually sold to Real Madrid.
The two clubs have arguably the most overwhelming fan-base across the globe , which makes the rivalry global, so it won’t be surprising if you see an Asian United fan and an African Kop fan arguing away to glory. The passion the fans have for their club, it freaks some people out. They take the insults and criticisms personally. Two of my friends are Liverpool supporters and we manage to remain at peace thanks to an agreement which bans all forms of banter. :D
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