The Life of a Mancunian on Derby Day

I would like to start off by apologising for my sudden disappearance from Bleacher Report. Personal and health issues meant I had to take a little time out from my beloved writing.

However, I'm back now, and I can't see any reason why I won't be here again. I was asked by a good friend to write an article detailing what it is like to be a football fan on Derby day, and this is my first piece since returning so please, be gentle !

Imagine life without pairings: salt without pepper, cannon without ball or how about football without derbies?

Being Mancunian, it is the Manchester derby I'm going to be focusing on in this piece. I would like to point out that in Manchester, every day is derby day for both Reds and Blues all over the city.

From the day the new season fixture list is printed, there is only one event on the calendar that a Mancunian's eye looks for, and that is the home and away ties at Old Trafford and Eastlands. 

Forget the big rivalry matches against Liverpool, Arsenal, and Chelsea. This is the biggest game of the year for any Mancunian football fan.

The atmosphere of the Manchester derby is created some months before the actual fixture. Workplaces become verbal battlegrounds, with the sounds of blue and red workmates winding each other up and chanting their teams songs, all in good nature of course!

As the big day draws closer, public houses advertise the big game on banners and chalk boards deepen the hunger to see your team stick one to your local rivals and of course your friends.

The shirts and scarves are out ready; you come home from work and touch the badge, hoping it is your derby day the coming weekend.

It is like being a child again, as you cannot sleep the night before the game. A bit like waiting for Christmas is how I would describe the feeling: you know your going to be tired the next day but you can't get it out of your head.

Saturday morning arrives , you see daylight through your curtains and you bounce out of bed as if you have scooped the lottery.

You receive tons of messages from friends on both sides of the city, your blue friends having a bit of banter to set the mood, your fellow red devils asking where you are watching the game.

You're so engrossed in the upcoming game you skip breakfast and head straight for the front door and to the nearest pub or the ground.

Cars pass you in the street, beeping their horns with their teams colours hanging from the windows. It's almost like a carnival without the fancy costumes and carriages. Families are divided into three: Red, Blue, and Neutral.

The city centre, pubs and bars are awash with blue, white, black, and red as kickoff draws nearer, best mates become enemies for the next three hours as bragging rights are up for grabs.

It feels so good to be able to wind family and friends up who are from the opposing side when and if you win.

I will tell you an instance of the highs and lows of Derby Day madness from experience. In 2004, Manchester City beat Man United 4-1 at the City of Manchester stadium.

I was in the pub that day with all my mates, some blue and the rest red devils. I was heartbroken. Robbie Fowler crushed us with a stunner, followed by Wright-Phillips and the rest was history.

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