The Roses Rivalry: Manchester United vs Leeds United
When it comes to the most heated rivalry in English Football, nothing compares with the iconic standoff between these two clubs from Northern England. The contention between the two clubs can be traced back to the time when there were Tudor kings and a particular William Shakespeare. Transcending the sport, the rivalry between the clubs is born out of the enmity between Lancashire and Yorkshire that took shape during the English civil war of the 15th century that also came to be known as the War of the Roses.
The War of the Roses was a power struggle between the counties of Lancashire and Yorkshire, who were constantly fighting with each other to lay claim to the English throne. The Lancashire House had a red rose as their emblem while the Yorkshire House was denoted by a white rose and fittingly so Manchester United’s home colors resemble the red rose of Lancashire while that of Leeds United draw parallel to the white rose of Yorkshire. The fierceness of the rivalry is such that even though the last meeting between the clubs was in 2011, the supporters of Leeds United consider Manchester United as their biggest rivals.
The hostilities between the geographical regions of Lancashire and Yorkshire intensified during the Industrial Revolution. The cities of Manchester and Leeds were at it again, becoming direct economic rivals. The city of Manchester was gaining a reputation for its cotton industry whilst Leeds were growing due to the woolen industry. The struggle to dominate the industrial scene during the time later rendered to the football ground with both the clubs looking to get one up on the other.
The torn jerseys and bruised heads made sure that the intensity of the rivalry never died down. The 1950s saw Manchester United emerge as one of the North English powerhouses of football. With Matt Busby at the helm of the Red Devils and Don Revie managing Leeds United, there were players of amazing pedigree present at both sides. At the time, Manchester United featured the United Trinity of Bobby Charlton, George Best, and Denis Law. The tough-tackling Leeds United had players such as Billy Bremmer, Norman Hunter, and Sir Bobby’s brother, Jack Charlton. The games were rough with players punching each other and tearing jerseys, signifying the spirit in which the games were played.
With the success on the pitch that followed Manchester United during the era of Sir Alex Ferguson, there have been a few players who traded the Peacocks to become Red Devils. In 1992, Leeds sold Eric Cantona to Manchester United after winning the league with him. King Eric became the backbone of Manchester United’s revival in the 1990s. The same trend was followed by Rio Ferdinand and Yorkshire-born, Alan Smith, who won the league with the Red Devils. It was Alan Smith who had famously stated that he would never play for Manchester United and went on to kiss the badge of his boyhood club after every goal celebration.
The fights and brawls during the matches between the two sides can reach a whole different level and can transcend into a personal rivalry. The rivalry between Roy Keane and Alf-Inge Haaland started when Haaland accused Keane of diving for a penalty even when the United stalwart legit snapped his ACL. Keane took his revenge three and a half years later when he was sent off for a foul on Haaland. Keane later explained the event and said, “I’d waited long enough. I fucking hit him hard. The ball was there (I think). Take that you cunt. And don’t ever stand over me sneering about fake injuries.” There have been a few other clashes between the players of both the clubs with the major ones being the Fabien Barthez vs Ian Harte and David Beckham vs Robbie Keane.
The rivalry between Manchester United and Leeds United has it all and with the start of 2020–21 football season, the most heated rivalry of them all would be renewed once again. Manchester United would try their best to do a double on one of their fiercest rivals but the road to those 6 points could be a tricky one since it would be Bielsa, who would be in charge of the newly promoted Whites. The fireworks will go off, passions will be ignited with Leeds United Service Crew and the Red Army having a go at it again to claim dominance over the other.
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