Belfast's Big Two

Big Two Derby

Linfield play Glentoran at The Oval in 2014
Locale	Belfast, Northern Ireland
Teams	Glentoran Linfield
First meeting	1 October 1887 Linfield Athletic 3–1 Glentoran King's Field, Ballymacarrett Friendly
Latest meeting	26 December 2015 Glentoran 1–2 Linfield The Oval NIFL Premiership
Next meeting	12 March 2016 Linfield v Glentoran Windsor Park NIFL Premiership
Statistics
Meetings total	430 (competitive)
Most wins	Linfield (206)
All-time series	Linfield – 206 Glentoran – 122 Draws – 102
Largest victory	Linfield 8–0 Glentoran Ulsterville Avenue Irish League (21 November 1891)

Belfast's Big Two, also referred to simply as the Big Two, is the name given to the Northern Irish association football derby between Belfast clubs, Linfield and Glentoran. The derby is also sometimes referred to as the Belfast derby.^[1] They are the two most successful and most supported clubs in Northern Irish Football. They traditionally face each other on Boxing Day each year^[2] which usually attracts the largest Irish Premiership attendance of the season.^[3] They regularly play each other in the league and have contested more cup finals together than any other two clubs.^[4] They also make up two of the three clubs that have appeared in every season of the Irish League since its inception in 1890 - the other club being Cliftonville.

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

History

The term "Belfast's Big Two" did not always refer to 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]

Both teams are predominantly Protestant; however, Glentoran has fielded Catholic players and had Catholic fans for much of its history. Linfield fielded relatively few Catholic players prior to the 1980s,^[9] which led to an accusation that the club held a policy of not signing Catholic players – similar to Scottish team, Rangers.^[10] However, the existence of such a policy has been disputed by some, including well-known local journalist Malcolm Brodie.^[11] 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 separated by the River Lagan and are in two different counties. Linfield is based in County Antrim and Glentoran is based in County Down, although Glentoran and other County Down-based sides compete in the County Antrim Shield.

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. Linfield previously played at a ground in Ulsterville Avenue, Belfast, before moving to Windsor Park, which is situated within walking distance of their old ground. Also the home of the Northern Ireland national football team, they have played at Windsor Park ever since.

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.^[12]

Since Belfast Celtic folded in 1949, the intensity of the Big Two rivalry has increased due to the fact that Glentoran has been the only club that has generated a support base similar in size to Linfield's, and because a number of Belfast Celtic fans started to support Glentoran due to the dissolution of their club.^[13] 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.^[14] 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.^[15]

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.

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.^[16] This came after a constant history of hooliganism at Big Two matches which included fans breaking down security barriers.^[17]

Trophy dominance

The rivals have been the two most successful clubs in Northern Irish football. They have won more league titles, Irish Cups, League Cups and County Antrim Shields than any other clubs. Linfield lead the way in all four tallies, with Glentoran coming second. Almost half of the 135 Irish Cup competitions to date have been won by one of the two clubs, with at least one of the clubs reaching the final in 88 of them, being victorious 64 times. The two clubs have met in 15 of those finals – making it the most common final. Linfield have won eight of the meetings to Glentoran's seven. The most recent meeting between the two clubs in the final occurred in 2006, when Linfield won 2–1 to lift the Cup for the 37th time. Together, the two clubs have also won over half of the League Cup competitions to date. Roughly two thirds of all Irish League titles have been won by one of the Big Two. Of the 114 league seasons completed to date, the title has been won by one of the two clubs on 74 occasions.

Statistics

As of the end of the 2014–15 season

Head-to-head record

Overall

Statistics apply to competitive games in all competitions (wartime league results not included). Wins include those after extra time and/or penalty shoot-outs.

As of 26 December 2015

League only

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

As of 26 December 2015

Results

League results

All time results taken from Irish Football Club Project and various other sources.^[18][19] Attendance figures from nifootballleague.com.^[20]

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