Belfast's Big Two

Belfast's Big Two or the Big Two is the name given to the Northern Irish association football derby between Belfast clubs, Linfield and Glentoran. The derby is also referred to as the Belfast derby.^[1] They are the most successful and most supported clubs in Northern Irish Football. They traditionally face each other on Boxing day each year^[2] which attracts one of the biggest attendance of any Irish Premiership game.^[3] They regularly play each other in the league and have contested more cup finals together than any other two clubs.^[4]

Although both clubs are successful, Linfield currently lead Glentoran in terms of league titles won with Linfield's 51^[5] to Glentoran's 23.^[6]

The "original" Big Two

Belfast's big two didn't always refer to matches between Linfield and Glentoran. Up until 1949, the big two were considered to be Linfield and Belfast Celtic as they had traditionally been the most successful teams in Northern Irish football. Given the traditional political following of both clubs (Linfield, like Glentoran, with a mainly unionist following, and Belfast Celtic with a mainly nationalist following), sectarian violence between supporters of both clubs was common. This culminated with a riot on 26 December 1948 at Windsor Park that saw three Celtic players injured by Linfield supporters, including striker Jimmy Jones who sustained a broken leg.^[7] As a result, Belfast Celtic left the Irish League at the end of the season and Glentoran became Linfield's biggest rivals.^[8]

Supporters

The intensity of the Big Two rivalry since 1949 had been escalated due to the fact that since Belfast Celtic closed, Glentoran was the only club that could generate a support base that was similar to Linfield's.^[9] Both teams are predominantly Protestant however Glentoran fielded Catholic players and had Catholic fans compared to Linfield who only fielded Protestant players until the 1980s.^[10] Support is traditionally split geographically with Linfield based in the South of the city and Glentoran in the East. Although both based in Belfast they are sepearated by the River Lagan and are in two different counties with Linfield in County Antrim and Glentoran in County Down (although Glentoran and other County Down-based sides compete in the County Antrim Shield).

In the 1985 Irish Cup final at The Oval, Glentoran supporters released a cockerel (Glentoran's club emblem), and a pig that had been painted blue onto the pitch to insult fans of Linfield.^[2]

In 2005, Linfield fans broke through a gate in perimeter fencing onto the pitch of The Oval and threw missiles at Glentoran fans in the main stand.^[11] The BBC and Ulster Television were ordered to give police footage they had filmed of the game after 9 fans were charged with the violence. 9 police officers and 2 Glentoran fans were injured in the violence.^[12]

Both sides share rivalries with North Belfast clubs Cliftonville and Crusaders. The two however are less successful than the Big Two and see each other as their main rivals, contesting the North Belfast derby. They also both traditionally shared a rivalry with Lisburn Distillery, but since Distillery's relocation from Grosvenor Park to Lisburn, and their downturn in on-pitch fortunes, the rivalry has ebbed.

Boxing Day

Although Linfield and Glentoran traditionally play a derby game on Boxing Day, in 2009 the traditional fixture was removed from the fixture list until 2011 by the Irish Football Association due to crowd trouble at Windsor Park.^[13] This came after a constant history of hooliganism at Big Two matches which included fans breaking down security barriers.^[14]

Head-to-head

League results only (wartime results not included)

As of 26 December 2013

Win comparison by venue

Statistics apply to league matches only (wartime results not included)

History and results

The first game of which there is any record between Linfield and Glentoran took place on 1 October 1887. A friendly match played at King's Field, Westbourne in Ballymacarrett was won 3–1 by Linfield (then known as Linfield Athletic), with goalscorers Torrans (2) and Vance, and Glentoran's goalscorer unknown. The two teams played each other competitively for the first time in the inaugural Irish League season, with Linfield winning 7–0 at Musgrave Park on 18 October 1890, and 6–0 at Ulsterville Avenue on 21 March 1891. The first game at The Oval took place on 8 October 1892, and the first game at Windsor Park on 2 September 1905.

In 1941, during World War II, The Oval - including terraces, offices, kits and club records - was destroyed in a bombing raid on the nearby Harland & Wolff Shipyard. Glentoran approached Distillery to play at Grosvenor Park, which they did until The Oval was rebuilt in 1949, with help from other Irish League clubs, most notably Distillery and Cliftonville. Glentoran considered leaving senior football to become a junior club, but after being lent kits from Distillery and Crusaders they continued to compete at Grosvenor. Out of 14 league games at Grosvenor Park however, they were only victorious over Linfield on one occasion.^[15]

Linfield previously played at a ground in Ulsterville Avenue, Belfast, before playing their first game at Windsor Park (within walking distance of their old ground) on 2 September 1905 against Glentoran. Also the home of the Northern Ireland national football team, they have played there ever since.

League results

All time results taken from Irish Football Club Project and various other sources.^[16][17][18] Attendance figures from ifapremiership.com ^[19]

Cup results

• ¹ Match ended early after Glentoran players refused to continue claiming a Linfield player punched a shot clear from the goal-line and no penalty had been awarded

References

1. ↑ 14:20 GMT (2011-10-18). "Glens-Linfield clash rearranged". BBC Sport. Retrieved 2012-05-15. 
2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 "The world's deadliest derbies: Newcastle v Sunderland, Aston Villa v Birmingham, Ajax v Feyenoord, Partizan v Red Star Belgrade, Rangers v Celtic, Roma v Lazio and more". Daily Mirror. Retrieved 2012-05-15. 
3. ↑ "Ards are given the Blues". Belfast Telegraph. 2011-09-26. Retrieved 2012-05-15. 
4. ↑ "Belfast ‘Big Two’ drawn together in cross-border cup". 4ni.co.uk. 2005-01-28. Retrieved 2012-05-15. 
5. ↑ 19:02 GMT (2012-04-28). "Linfield lift trophy despite losing to Glentoran". BBC Sport. Retrieved 2012-05-15. 
6. ↑ "Glentoran secure Northern Irish title". UEFA. Retrieved 2012-05-15. 
7. ↑ "Sport and the British: Ireland, North of the Border". BBC. 2012-02-24. Retrieved 2012-05-15. 
8. ↑ "Glentoran vs. Linfield - a potted history of 'Belclasico!'". Kukri Sport. 1905-09-02. Retrieved 2012-05-15. 
9. ↑ Sugden, John (2001). Sport, Sectarianism and Society. Continuum International Publishing Group. p. 84. ISBN 0-7185-0018-0. 
10. ↑ Armstrong, Gary (1995). Fear and Loathing in World Football. Berg. p. 46. ISBN 1-85973-463-4. 
11. ↑ http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/irish/4477177.stm
12. ↑ http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/northern_ireland/4563397.stm
13. ↑ "Glentoran v Linfield festive tie canned". Belfast Telegraph. 2009-02-17. Retrieved 2012-05-15. 
14. ↑ http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/local-national/riot-police-deal-with-hooligan-fans-as-linfield-beat-glentoran-14121026.html
15. ↑ http://www.glentoran-fc.co.uk/oval%20history.htm
16. ↑ "RSSF". www.rssf.com. Retrieved 26 December 2012. 
17. ↑ http://nifootball.blogspot.co.uk/2010/09/pdf-downloads.html
18. ↑ author|Alexander Graham|publisher=4Edge Limited|work=Football in Northern Ireland - A Statistical Record 1881-2005
19. ↑ "IFA Premiership". www.ifapremiership.com. Retrieved 26 December 2012.