The rivalry shared between Manchester United and Liverpool has become one of the most intense in the country, eclipsing their cross-city derbies with City and Everton respectively.
One could argue that the North West rivalry stems from a wider sense of industrial growth and competition between the two cities throughout the nineteenth century, with the creation of the Manchester Ship Canal a cause for consternation on the banks of the Mersey.
Liverpool Football Club was formed in 1892, making its debut in the Second Division the following year. They would cruise to the championship in their first season, going an entire season undefeated and qualifying for a “test match”: essentially a promotion play-off against the bottom-placed First Division side.
That team happened to be Newton Heath, later to be known as Manchester United. Liverpool would win 2-0 at Ewood Park, courtesy of first-half goals from Patrick Gordon and Harry Bradshaw, taking the Manchester club’s place in the top flight.
By the turn of the century, Liverpool were competing for top silverware, lifting their first top-tier title in 1901 and doing so again in 1906 (albeit after dipping back into the Second Division for one season). The rebranded Manchester United remained in the second tier until 1906, but made up for lost time with their first title the following season. One year later, they also clinched their first FA Cup – a competition Liverpool would not win until 1965.
By the 1909-10 campaign, both teams had proven themselves capable of challenging – and winning – major honours. Liverpool were based at Anfield, as they had been since 1892 (and have been ever since). United, however, were in the final months of their time at Clayton’s Bank Street. The club’s ambitious new owners had deep pockets, and developed a new stadium in Trafford with a capacity of approximately 80,000, compared to the 50,000 at the Bank Street, which had itself been extended considerably over the years.
Old Trafford was designed by none other than famed architect Archibald Leitch, the man behind many of the country’s most iconic stadiums – not least Anfield. Construction was completed towards the back end of 1909, but teething problems pushed back United’s expected debut at the ground. Instead, around 5,000 spectators watched United trounce Spurs 5-0 in one last game at Bank Street.
Manchester United would play their first game at Old Trafford the following month. The visitors for this February fixture were Tom Watson’s Liverpool. Approximately 50,000 football fans turned out for the occasion, no doubt eager to see what United hoped would be “the finest stadium in the north”.
With fourteen games left to play, Liverpool were just four points off the summit, with United a further four points back. The hosts fielded a number of their star players – not least Hall of Famers Charlie Roberts and Billy Meredith, who both featured on the programme cover – and looked to have put a dent in their visitors’ title aspirations.
Goals from George Wall, Sandy Turnbull and Thomas Horner gave United a 3-1 lead, maintaining that two-goal advantage until the final twenty minutes. However, a second goal of the game from skipper Arthur Goddard and a brace from Scottish forward Jimmy Stewart turned the game on its head, party-pooping the occasion for their Manchester rivals.
Liverpool would go on to finish as runners-up that season, five points adrift of championship winners Aston Villa. After their opening day blip, United bedded into their home perfectly, going unbeaten at home for almost a year and clinching the title themselves in 1911.
Since that day, the Merseysiders have come away from Old Trafford with victory on 19 more occasions, the most recent of which was a 5-0 drubbing in 2021. Are there more surprises to come this weekend?