Liverpool Rivalry

Lore & Background

Since the Industrial Revolution, there has been a consistent rivalry between the cities of Liverpool and Manchester based on economic and industrial competition. The rivalry is generally agreed to have ignited after the construction of the Manchester Ship Canal in 1894 by Manchester merchants, which was opposed by Liverpool politicians. Tensions between working-class Liverpool dockers and labourers in Manchester were heightened after its completion, just three months before the first meeting between Liverpool and Newton Heath (which would later become Manchester United) in a play-off match that saw Newton Heath relegated to the Second Division.

Did You Know?

• The Manchester Ship Canal, opened in 1894, was the largest ship canal in the world upon opening and was a direct response to Liverpool’s monopoly on trade.
• During the American Civil War, Mancunian workers supported an embargo on slave-picked cotton, while in Liverpool more Confederate flags flew along the Mersey than in Virginia.
• The crests of both Manchester City and Manchester United include stylised ships representing the Manchester Ship Canal and Manchester's trade roots.
• In 2001, an agreement was signed between representatives of Liverpool and Manchester to not compete with each other for funding, in which Manchester was referenced as the regional capital city.