DERBY DAYS RULE THE ROOST

Fans and players are desperate to beat rivals to secure bragging rights of local area

Story by RAY KING

As I sat in comfort like thousands of television football enthusiasts watching Liverpool and Everton last Saturday, it was fascinating to witness the sheer intensity portrayed by both teams. This is a fixture like no other. Winning the championship, promotion and relegation issues are thrown aside when teams from the same city or town are pitched against each other in a local derby. I have been involved in such games when Newcastle Utd took on Sunderland and Port Vale faced Stoke City.

Even today I still feel the emotion between players and the intense hatred of opposing supporters.

The big ones are Manchester Utd v City, Arsenal v Spurs, Villa v Birmingham and Sheffield Utd v Wednesday but there are plenty more across the divisions.

Players only have one target in mind _ to knock hell out of the opposition, then shake hands at the end!

A few years ago when Newcastle lost to Sunderland at St James Park, United supporters wept in the streets!

Even in lower leagues these issues also prevail. In 1964 I was trainer-coach with Oxford Utd where I was fortunate enough to enjoy a great deal of success. When I took over the team were hovering near the bottom of the old Fourth Division but we went 13 games without defeat and reached the 6th round of the FA Cup, beating Blackburn Rovers 3-0 who were top of the old First Division (now the Premiership).

In the 6th round we lost 2-1 to Preston North End (who went on to win the Cup) because we were badly prepared.

Fifteen minutes before kick-off, team captain Ron Atkinson was still outside the ground 'flogging' tickets.

The manager Arthur Turner ignored my request to get Ron stripped ready to take the field, saying: ''Don't worry, Ray, he'll be out in time!''

How right he was, clutching the ball in his hands, boot laces undone as the ref's whistle sounded. What a way to approach such an important Cup tie.

Because of Oxford's success, several league clubs asked about my availability and I received a direct offer from Cambridge City, arguably the richest non-league club in the country at that time.

The chairman and vice chairman were multi-millionaire brothers and their astounding offer remains entrenched in my memory. It was a three-year contract, treble the salary I was receiving at Oxford, a beautiful four-bedroom house plus the latest range in luxury cars.

Of course there are always hidden agendas to such financial inducements.

They weren't concerned whether the team won the league or had a good run in the FA Cup. My main project as manager was to beat Cambridge Utd in the local derby game!

When I reporting back to Oxford to inform them of the offer, the chairman and manager almost went on their hands and knees to beg me to stay.

They said I had a great future with Oxford and my salary would be substantially increased.

In hindsight, I made the wrong decision to bow to their wishes.

The crunch came some weeks later when Cardiff City of the First Division invited me to interview for the manager's position. When Oxford heard of this they sacked me forthwith. From being a sought after figure I was out of a job thank goodness I had a sense of humour.

* Ray King is a former Newcastle United, Port Vale and England 'B' goalkeeper.

Bangkok Post
Sunday February 11, 2007