West Yorkshire Derby

[redleader1]

Hi there

I am currently undergoing some research on football rivalry and football derbies, I myself live in West yorkshire therefore I have chosen the West Yorkshire teams, Leeds, Bradford and Huddersfield, of which I will undergo my research on. I have worked in the Bradford City and Huddersfield Town stadium and will hopefully be coming to Elland Road.

Whilst at Bradford and Huddersfield town, Bradford fans claimed Leeds united to be there main rivals and still chant about Leeds and Huddersfield town were 50/50 as some claim Bradford to be there main rivals other claim Leeds. I am aware that Leeds consider both Bradford and Town as "lesser" rivals. However what is the realistic answer here amongst Leeds fans. In my research so far I have found that, when Bradford and Leeds clash there is a large risk group amongst both supporters. In the past bricks being thrown at the Bradford buses as they came to Elland Rd a few years ago. There was also an incident a couple of weeks ago when Bradford were playing sheffield away and they clashed with some Leeds fans at Leeds station which eneded up in a punch up. I understand Leeds have bigger rivals such as Manchester United and Chelsea, but in terms of being in West Yorkshire, could you please answer the following questions ? Add in as much information as you like, the more the better. I dont support any West Yorkshire team, this is just my personal research. Thank you

So do you actualy Consider Bradford and Town as rivals, despite one team being in a different league ?

What was your experience for those who have travelled to Bradford and Town ?

Which teams out of West Yorkshire do you think you have the most "hatred" with and why ?

Which out of the two teams do you think the most trouble occured and why ?

[Sheepy]

Interesting discussion point, one quite close to my heart as someone who has supported Leeds United for almost 40 years now and has witnessed matches with both Bradford City and Huddersfield Town.

Ok, lets gets those questions answered:

So do you actualy Consider Bradford and Town as rivals, despite one team being in a different league ?
I would not say I consider them 'rivals', lets just refresh our memories what the term rival means - 'One who attempts to equal or surpass another, or who pursues the same object as another; a competitor'. For this reason, neither Huddersfield nor Bradford City can be considered rivals, we can't equal them as we are in my opinion a more successful club, its up to them to equal us. I suppose we persue the same object - getting into the Premier League, but what club does not persue this?

Additionally, in my lifetime I can only think of one season where any of the 3 clubs were pursuing the same goal, this was back in 1987 when both Bradford City and ourselves were pushing for the play-offs in the old second division.

So to summarise, the answer is no.

Which teams out of West Yorkshire do you think you have the most "hatred" with and why ?
I work in Bradford so I know how City fans view Leeds, they don't like us, yet they do acknowledge that at the moment we are in a higher division and have a much better past in terms of honours and history.
With regards to Huddersfield Town, this is a club, who's supporters have seemingly convinced themselves that despite rarely playing us until 2007, have a passionate hatred and rivalry with us. I for one have no idea how this has come about, but credit to them, they are sticking with the story and making it as authentic as possible.
So to answer, Huddersfield 'hate' Leeds probably more than any of the other combinations.

What was your experience for those who have travelled to Bradford and Town ?
I've been to both fixtures home and away and the atmosphere at Huddersfield is always more 'nasty' than at Bradford. Huddersfield have a tendency to sing songs of bad taste about our two supporters who died in Turkey. The atmosphere with matches against Bradford are indeed tense, but I find the banter of better taste and in some ways better humoured.

Which out of the two teams do you think the most trouble occured and why ?
I have never witnessed any violence in any match between the clubs. The nearest I have come was at Huddersfield when a Town fan on foot 'shouted' at the car myself and my friends were in. I am not sure if this was because the car was full of Leeds fans, or the person in question was simply amazed to see a 'metal horse with four cylindrical rubber hooves'.


I hope those answers help, I have tried to inject a little bit of humour into my last answer. Lets finish off with a definitive answer, Bradford City and Huddersfield Town have a long history of rivalry, however our plight in the last 10 years has been so bad that we have had to endure playing them, they may consider us as their rivals, but I would not consider them to be ours.

In all honesty I actually don't mind Bradford City these days, I have a few friends who support them and I was happy to see them go up last season. Huddersfield are annoying, they are just like their club crest, an annoying terrier dog trying to compete with bigger dogs in the kennels by jumping up and yipping, desperately trying to get attention.

No mention of Halifax Town, they are a WY club too.

[SCOTTISH LEEDS]

I emailed the questions to my pal in Heckmondwike and his answers are below:-

I am currently undergoing some research on football rivalry and football derbies, I myself live in West yorkshire therefore I have chosen the West Yorkshire teams, Leeds, Bradford and Huddersfield, of which I will undergo my research on. I have worked in the Bradford City and Huddersfield Town stadium and will hopefully be coming to Elland Road.

Whilst at Bradford and Huddersfield town, Bradford fans claimed Leeds united to be there main rivals and still chant about Leeds and Huddersfield town were 50/50 as some claim Bradford to be there main rivals other claim Leeds. I am aware that Leeds consider both Bradford and Town as "lesser" rivals. However what is the realistic answer here amongst Leeds fans. In my research so far I have found that, when Bradford and Leeds clash there is a large risk group amongst both supporters. In the past bricks being thrown at the Bradford buses as they came to Elland Rd a few years ago. There was also an incident a couple of weeks ago when Bradford were playing sheffield away and they clashed with some Leeds fans at Leeds station which eneded up in a punch up. I understand Leeds have bigger rivals such as Manchester United and Chelsea, but in terms of being in West Yorkshire, could you please answer the following questions ? Add in as much information as you like, the more the better. I dont support any West Yorkshire team, this is just my personal research. Thank you

So do you actualy Consider Bradford and Town as rivals, despite one team being in a different league ?
A). Town. BUT only due to it's close proximity to ER. Do I watch for their results? No. Don't care.
Bradford? Never considered them as rivals since the days of the West Riding Cup.

What was your experience for those who have travelled to Bradford and Town ?
A). Went to Bradford during their short stay in the higher leagues, and the hatred was only one sided...they don't like Leeds at all.
Been to Town in their stands as well as the away supporters end on numerous occasions going back to their Leeds Rd & Cow Shed days. Back then there was a real rivalry that played its part on both parties, but now they just sing how much they hate us and bang on a drum.

Which teams out of West Yorkshire do you think you have the most "hatred" with and why ?
A). None. Even though everyone hates Leeds (jealousy), I like to see as many Yorkshire clubs in higher leagues as possible.

Which out of the two teams do you think the most trouble occured and why ?
A). If this question was in the 70's and 80's then it would be Town. Nowadays however I don't even give it a thought. Neither are a real problem to us

[Aces]

I always look for the Yoekshire teams results on a Saturday I like them to do well, I don't consider any of them to be our rivals, TBH rivals in the Championship is a yearly situation, this year it was always likely to be QPR, Reading and Wigan, if ..... We had played well and been near the top, but we haven't, so we have no real rivals again this year. The likes of Huddersfield and Bradford are small clubs compared to us, I don't want to sound big headed, but that's just my opinion. Bradford have been in the premiership, but Huddersfield have spent a lot of years in the lower leagues. Rivals no, local team rivalry ..... Of course, but not in the sense of any of the teams vying for top spot in the league, or for honours. I can imagine it matters more to Huddersfield and Bradford fans though, because their goals and expectations are lower than ours and see us as the big neighbours they want and love to beat, maybe.

[Sheepy]

Just to add, slightly away from the topic, I think the 'hate' (maybe a strong word but I cant think of a better one) has changed over the years.

Bradford City was my first away game in the mid 80's, I was in the Bradford end and there was no problem at all, when I was about 14 when Leeds had an away game that we wasn't going to I would get the train with a mate to Huddersfield, walk down to Leeds Road to buy a programme bundle that they sold in their club shop (I was a programme geek), quite often Hudds were at home and I would walk amongst Town fans and quite often I was wearing my Leeds shirt (Had to get it off my back at that age) and never once had a comment or anything.

I really don't think I could repeat that these days... yet they say the 80's was worse for football violence. Strange init!

[Selby White]

Going back to the early 70's I always felt a bit of friction between us and Udders think it was to do with they were once the West Yorkshire top dogs but from the mid sixties we had knocked them off their perch.
Remember playing them in the top flight when i was a lad and it was a little nasty, of course they soon after dropped down the leagues as we became one of the best clubs in Europe so think there is definately a lot of jealosy. And of course we stole their heroes from them in Trevor Cherry and Frank Worthington (think Cantona & Smith going to Scum).

To be fair I always like to see Yorkshire teams do well with the exception of Sheffield utd, thats more to do with my school mate back in the day was a big fan and it was always about bragging rights, hatred as stuck with me.

I'm North Yorkshire and remember in the 70's lots of us Leeds fans would go watch York City when we didn't have a game and got on well with their fans yet nowadays in spite never playing us in anger now chant anti-leeds songs, think its similar to what happens at the likes of Bradford.

[Aces]

I used to love watching Frank Worthington play he was a classy player, if he hadn't chased the booze and the birds, he could have risen to the very top. I saw him in a pub in Halifax in the 80s and shook his hand, he had a super fit bird with him and I suppose it wasn't easy for him being a superstar and having anything he wanted.

[PockWhite]

I used to love watching Frank Worthington play he was a classy player, if he hadn't chased the booze and the birds, he could have risen to the very top. I saw him in a pub in Halifax in the 80s and shook his hand, he had a super fit bird with him and I suppose it wasn't easy for him being a superstar and having anything he wanted.

Big Frank was a great player, who spent some of his money on booze, gambling and girls, and the rest, well he just wasted that apparently?

[redleader1]

What about the Bradford whites ? Or the ointment ? Did they impact the rivalry on your behalf in anyway ?

[johnh]

In the 1950's the big local derby was Yorkshire Amateurs and Farsley Celtic.