Rivalry

A popular British idiom referring to a ball that has been booted far out of play, kicking the ball to Row Z in the stands. This could refer to a defender booting the ball to Row Z instead of finding a pass up field or a poor shot from a striker, completely missing the goal and shanking the ball into the stands.

Refers to a big match in Europe between two teams from Britain. Classically this would be between one of the Old Firm Scottish giants (Celtic and Rangers) against a traditional big team from England (Liverpool and Manchester United), but it can refer to teams from the same country playing each other in European competition too. There’s familiarity, a big atmosphere from both sets of fans, and even greater bragging rights.

The temporary entitlement of fans of a winning team over the opposing set of fans after a victory in a big match. Often associated with derby matches and historical rivalries, a win for one team gives their fans bragging rights over their rivals until the next time they meet. It gives fans the chance to 'banter' through chants such as 'this city is ours' or 'can we play you every week'?.

When two rival teams, typically from the same town, city, or geographical region play each other. It is usually the biggest match of the season for both sets of fans, with 'banter' expected between fans who may have friends, family members, or colleagues that support the rival side.

Barcelona versus Real Madrid. The biggest club match in football, loaded with political and cultural baggage between Catalonia and the rest of Spain. It pulls in over 400 million viewers globally. The Messi-Ronaldo years (2009-2018) turned it into a personal duel between the two best players on the planet, and they faced each other 34 times. The history is full of wild games, controversy, and individual brilliance.