Britain’s top 10 football derbies from Dundee to the Den. Liverpool vs Everton ranks fourth but which fiery clash between rivals takes top spot?

‘Tis the season to be lazy. The festive menu traditionally offers the meaty derby dish.

The British game is liberally peppered with them. These derbies have aggression, resentment and a lot of energy. But they are imbued with the primordial element of defending one’s own territory.

When choosing the best British derbies, I’ve decided to put geography before rivalry. Liverpool-Manchester United and Rangers-Aberdeen, for example, are matches that have grown in power over the years and become intoxicating. But, for this list, I have opted for local beer. And a sample of what makes this meeting unmissable.

10. Dundee v Dundee United

How many cities can say they have produced two European Cup semi-finalists from the same street? Milan would intervene, but that is simply part of the terrain. The stretch of road linking Dens Park to Tannadice also emphasizes separation. These are two different clubs with different histories and cultures. Dundee, once the leaders, were overtaken by the upstarts in the late 20th century. Now there is something approaching parity. This matters little, of course. These teams share a street but divide a city.

Edited highlights: Dundee United won the title once: in 1983, away from their rivals, with a worldly Ralph Milne.

9. Cardiff v Swansea

THIS was one of the first matches to ban fans, giving an indication of the ferocity of the match. Neither team has reached the top

English football in terms of league titles (although Swansea once fluttered and flattered under John Toshack), but this is a game that needs no external importance. It is viscerally hostile, although some claim that this only came with hooliganism in the 1960s and that before that there was a certain gentleness to the rivalry.

Edited highlights: The last ever derby at Ninian Park in 2009. Started at 11am Enough said.

8. Arsenal-Tottenham

Slowly but surely, these teams began to swim in different waters in the second half of the 20th century. Tottenham basically became a joke after the double-winning season in 1961. Arsenal, under Bertie Mee, George Graham and Arsene Wenger, became kings not only of North London but of England. Both have endured in the top category, guaranteeing regular derbies of undoubted quality.

Edited highlights: Arsenal won the title at White Hart Lane in 1971, thanks to a Ray Kennedy goal. This was also a double-win season.

7. Hearts against Hibernian

This is a clash with a bit of history as both clubs were formed in the 1870s. The first match was played at the Meadows on Christmas Day 1875 and they have continued in disarray ever since. There are strong cultural, even political, differences between sectors of both parties. This adds flavor as does the setup at Easter Road and Tynecastle where the fans are on top of the players. It is a match that has produced strange results: 7-0 against Hibs in 1973, 6-2 against Hibs in 2000 and 4-4 in 2003.

Edited highlights: Having chronicled a couple of Hibs actions, Hearts’ 2012 Scottish Cup final victory (5-1) is still celebrated with a simple wave of the hand.

6. Sheffield United v Sheffield Wednesday

Another veteran. It’s the Blades against the Owls in the Steel City Derby. They first met in 1890 and have met 132 times since. Both teams have fallen on hard times since their early pre-eminence with a match played in the third division of English football. Despite this, the party has retained all its vital animosity.

Edited highlights: The 1993 FA Cup semi-final at Wembley, where the Owls won 2-1 after extra time.

5. Millwall vs West Ham

This is bitter, violent. It is known as the Dockers Derby, but it could also be called the Hooligan Hooly. It’s been a while since they played (2011, much to the delight of the police and football authorities), but both sets of supporters have clung to industrial doses of antipathy. The rivalry has gained notoriety through its on-screen depiction through The Firm and Green Street (which went to overtime in the imaginatively titled sequel, Green Street 2).

Edited highlights: I’d love to pick a football moment, but it’s the 2009 Upton Park riot.

4. Everton-Liverpool

This is often misinterpreted as a friendly derby where fans mingle inside the stadium and share candy and peace signs. However, it has more and more advantages, both on and off the field. However, it is tempered by the disparity between the quality of the teams in the decades since Everton last won a league in 1987. This title was not followed by European qualification because English clubs were banned due to the behavior of Liverpool fans in the stadium. Heysel Stadium in the European Cup final where 39 fans died.

Edited highlights: The 1989 FA Cup final between the teams after Hillsborough was incredibly moving. A city united in pain.

3. Birmingham City-Aston Villa

The Second City derby has a long history (contested since 1879) and has lost little of its luster. Both teams have had ups and downs over the years, with Villa being the most successful, particularly in winning a European Cup. This has been reflected in the

Comparative dominance in the match, winning 57 against City’s 38. He has retained his evil. Villa’s Jack Grealish will testify about this when he was hit by a pitch invader during a derby in 2019.

Edited highlights: Grealish scored the only goal in that game.

2. Newcastle-Sunderland

The Tyne-Wear derby has been heavily dominated by Newcastle over the years, but its heat warms up both sets of supporters. This is perhaps best illustrated by the case of a Newcastle fan who was jailed for a year in 2013 for hitting a police horse following his team’s defeat to Sunderland. It is not an urban derby, but rather a local battle.

Edited highlights: A fantastic match in 2006, when Newcastle came back from 1-0 down at half-time to win 4-1. One of the Toon’s goalscorers was Michael Chopra, who went on to play for Sunderland. And Alloa.

1. Celtic against Rangers

An obvious choice, but it has no equal in terms of passion, even becoming, for some, hatred. Master the landscape months in advance. Consume media coverage with an unsatiated appetite. He has also been known to dominate the airwaves and newspapers long after the final whistle…

Edited highlight: Journalistic prudence demands that we have to opt for a tie. The 4-4 at Ibrox in 1986 was simply extraordinary.