Fact of the Day - D is for Derby

A derby (pronounced DARBY in British English) is the shorthand for a local sporting rivalry. The opinions on the origins of this usage are extremely varied but it seems to have originated well before 1900 in reference to crosstown competitions in the UK. My personal favorite theory is that it comes from the Royal Shrovetide Football matches played in Derbyshire (or in the city of Derby itself) which were all-in matches involving as many as 1000 players per game with goals on either side of town. Deaths were standard in most meetings.

Two of the most heralded Derbies in Football were played Saturday. They were:

Liverpool v. Everton (Merseyside Derby) - The rivalry goes back to the 1890s when Everton FC, in a dispute with the owners of their home stadium - Anfield - relocated less than a mile away to the new Goodison Park. Out of spite, Anfield's owners started Liverpool FC which proceeded to became one of the world's most legendary footballing powerhouses, eclipsing the stadium's former tenants (ok, so I'm a little biased). To add to this rivalry, Liverpool's notorious fans played a major role in English football clubs being banned from European competition - coincidentally during the same period in which Everton was at it's zenith, depriving the "Blues" a coveted Euro Championship. So how did this most recent Merseyside Derby turn out? Liverpool 2 Everton 1 on 2 Dirk Kuyt penalty goals.

Is there a rivalry that can surpass that which occurs in Liverpool twice per year in passion, intensity and animosity? Oh yeah. The world's most contentious Derby is:

Celtic v. Rangers (Old Firm Derby) - Played as many as four times every year since Celtic's inaugural game in 1888 (nearly 380 meetings), this match-up pits the two most storied sides in Scottish football. Both from Glasgow, these clubs each represent opposing social, ethnic, political and religious communities. Celtic's traditional support is Catholic, largely Irish and Republican (in reference to the Northern Ireland issue) while Rangers has ties in the Protestant, Scottish and Loyalist communities. In the not so distant past, the sectarian nature of the games led to frequent violence and deaths were not uncommon. Still, even with reduced "extracurricular" activities, the Old Firm displays a raw tribalism that is fairly rare in the western world. Also played this weekend, the result was a surprisingly one-side blowout - Rangers 3 Celtic 0.