<div class="track"><img alt="" src="http://hits.guardian.co.uk/b/ss/guardiangu-feeds/1/H.22.4/27900?ns=guardian&pageName=The+Joy+of+Six%3A+big+derby+wins+%7C+Scott+Murray%3AArticle%3A1705251&ch=Sport&c3=GU.co.uk&c4=Football%2CSport&c5=&c6=Scott+Murray&c7=12-Feb-17&c8=1705251&c9=Article&c10=Blogpost&c11=Sport&c13=Joy+of+six+%28series%29&c25=Sport+blog&c30=content&c51=MVT+group+&h2=GU%2FSport%2F" width="1" height="1" /></div><p class="standfirst">Remembering occasions when teams have put the hurt on their biggest rivals, from the north-east to north London, via Glasgow</p><p><em>This week's Joy of Six also includes special 'Bizarro JoS' entries, in what is probably a futile attempt to stave off wild, hot-faced and tearful accusations of bias</em></p><p></p><h2>1) Manchester United 4–1 Manchester City (First Division, 16 February 1959)</h2><p></p><p>Manchester United's story in the wake of Munich is a tale well told: a team used to winning titles goes into meltdown after a juddering tragedy, struggling through a barren five-season spell before surprisingly winning the FA Cup in the otherwise relegation-haunted season of 1962-63, at which point the Law-Best-Charlton side emerges from the chrysalis. Cue championships and a European Cup. What's often forgotten, certainly by those outside the United family, is that this perfect narrative arc isn't <em>quite</em> so perfect. In fact, in the first full season after Munich decimated the Busby Babes side, United nearly won the title, finishing a clear second in the league, five points ahead of third-placed Arsenal, but six behind champions Wolves. A better-than-decent side, if not quite a brilliant one, but nevertheless unfairly forgotten in the desire to spin a coherent yarn; average teams do not score 103 goals in 42 matches.</p><p></p><p>A day after the first anniversary of Munich, United went to Tottenham Hotspur and won 3-1. It was their ninth win in 10 league games; they were two points from the top of the table. "Their eyes once more are on the European Cup," said the man from the Times, who praised United's "subtlety and fluid movement in attack … qualities of a higher intellect." Admittedly it was noted that United missed "the towering authority of an Edwards, the neat linking of a Colman", but "in the place of the majestic old order we now find a tremendous driving spirit"; fingered for special praise, incidentally, was tough-tackling 22-year-old wing-half Wilf McGuinness.</p><p></p><p>A week later, United played host to their neighbours City, and gave them a proper whipping. Despite dominating the first half, they trailed to a Bobby Johnstone lob. Within 16 second-half minutes, they had put the game to bed. Freddie Goodwin equalised after being set up by Dennis Viollet. Albert Scanlon rattled the post, allowing Warren Bradley to slot home the rebound. Scanlon got his reward, dribbling round Bert Trautmann for the third. Goodwin sashayed past two City defenders to twang the post, allowing Bradley to opportunistically snaffle his second. The Guardian described United's display as "one of their most inspired demonstrations of craft, skill and understanding".</p><p></p><p>The following weekend saw United beat league leaders and reigning champions Wolves 2-1 at Old Trafford. By the end of March, they were clear at the top of the table. There would be no subsequent collapse, but Wolves had games in hand and finished too strongly for United, losing only one game in the last three months (at a time when such a run actually meant something).</p><p></p><p><strong>Bizarro JoS:</strong> <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BGNgS-DPJcY" title="">Manchester City 4–0 Manchester United (League Cup, 12 November 1975)</a>, when United were, according to the Guardian, "torn apart by a City side playing football of classical dimensions – fluent, imaginative, decisive, at times breathtaking – and it will need some expert psychology on Tommy Docherty's part to convince his men that the end of the world has still not arrived". Dennis Tueart rifled home after 35 seconds, and City never looked back. After 14 minutes, Asa Hartford whacked home a Joe Royle knockdown. After 28, Tueart added his second and City's third. Royle added a fourth on 78 minutes. One terrible low point for City: Martin Buchan broke Colin Bell's leg. The up side: they went on to win the trophy.</p><p></p><h2>2) Liverpool 0–4 Everton (First Division, 19 September, 1964)</h2><p></p><p>Everton enjoyed the 1960s immensely, even if they were always destined to play Billy J Kramer and the Dakotas to Liverpool FC's Beatles. It was mainly down to the front men, of course – the reserved Harry Catterick was no match in the modern TV age for Bill Shankly's showmanship – but Liverpool also had a habit of matching, and arguably (by dint of timing) bettering, their neighbour's achievements. Everton win a first title in 24 years? Liverpool snatch it off them the season after, then follow it up with their first FA Cup. Everton win their first FA Cup in 33 years? Liverpool end the season as champions of England again.</p><p></p><p>Still, Catterick's side would have their moment. The 1963-64 season saw them lose their title to Liverpool, but the season at least gave Everton their first victory in a Merseyside derby for 13 years; a 3-1 win at Goodison. Better was to come at the start of the next campaign, as newly crowned champions Liverpool played host to their near neighbours in September – and were kicked around Anfield like the white socks they were to jettison when going all red a couple of months later.</p><p></p><p>Everton were seriously under strength – they had to make do without Alex Young, Roy Vernon and Sandy Brown, as well as shamed match-fixer Tony Kay – but were a goal up within a minute Ron Yeats miskicked to set up Derek Temple. Fred Pickering thrashed in a long-distance second on 34 minutes. On 42, Colin Harvey lobbed Tommy Lawrence to make it 3-0. Johnny Morrissey made Liverpool's misery complete with a fourth in the second half. What a way to respond to the loss of status, and to put the new champions in their place. And it was Everton's biggest win in a derby since a 5-0 shellacking just before the first world war. Everton went on to complete the season double over their rivals the following April, their first since just before the second world war.</p><p></p><p>Liverpool, it is almost needless to add, responded by winning the first derby of the 1965-66 season 5-0, on their way to the title.</p><p></p><p><strong>Bizarro JoS:</strong> Everton 0–5 Liverpool (First Division, 6 November 1982), <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dwyN9__not4" title="">when Rush scored one, Rush scored two, Rush scored three, and Rush scored four</a>. Arguably more influential on the result was Everton debutant Glenn Keeley, a central defender on loan from Blackburn Rovers. Keeley was red-carded on 37 minutes for hindering the progress of a goalbound Kenny Dalglish; he never played for the club again. For the record, Mark Lawrenson scored the other.</p><p></p><h2>3) Newcastle United 1–9 Sunderland (First Division, 5 December 1908)</h2><p></p><p>"A remarkable game at Newcastle," trumpeted the headline of the Manchester Guardian's regular column The Football Field. "The most astonishing result of the day occurred at Newcastle, where in the presence of 50,000 spectators, the United were beaten 9-1 by Sunderland. This forms the record score of the season, and it is a remarkable fact that Sunderland, who scored eight times in the second half, have won eight of eleven league games played at Newcastle."</p><p></p><p>The Observer was even more perplexed in its Notes On Yesterday's Play section. "Among many surprising results in the First League competition during the past three months, the present season has yielded nothing in any way to compare with the astounding defeat of Newcastle United by Sunderland yesterday. Newcastle not only enjoyed the advantage of playing at home, but placed in the field the team that only a week previously had gained a brilliant victory over Notts (sic) Forest at Nottingham. Thus everything pointed to the probability of a win for Newcastle, and though Sunderland had rather the best of the opening half, the interval found the game standing at one goal all.</p><p></p><p>"To the amazement of a crowd of 50,000 people, Sunderland on crossing over carried all before them, Holley and Hogg each putting on three goals and Bridgett two, with the result that Newcastle found themselves compelled to admit defeat by 9 to 1. The extraordinary nature of the breakdown on the part of the home club can to some extent be understood when it is mentioned that in 15 previous matches this season Newcastle had only 13 goals registered against them. Until yesterday, indeed, fewer goals had been scored against Newcastle than any other team in League 1. Now that distinction has, of course, entirely disappeared, and on the other hand, the team have lost more goals in one match than any of their rivals."</p><p></p><p>At the time of this humiliation – a record home defeat in English football that still stands – Newcastle were second in the table. Rather deliciously, Newcastle responded by winning nine of their next 10, and avoiding defeat until 10 April, when – you'd script it like this, too – they lost 3-1 at Sunderland. Newcastle went on to lose three of their last five games, but by the time of the second Sunderland defeat, they had a six-point lead over second-placed Everton, and two games in hand. They ended the season as champions, seven clear of the Toffees and nine clear of their Mackem conquerors. Football only works like this in the north-east.</p><p></p><p><strong>Bizarro JoS:</strong> Sunderland 1–6 Newcastle United (First Division, 26 December 1955), a thrashing which saw Sunderland enter the transfer market for, not a defender as you might imagine, but a new striker. New boy Bill Holden, landed from Burnley, scored within five minutes of his debut – in the Xmas-holiday return match against Newcastle. Much good it did Sunderland, who went on to lose 3-1. Newcastle had enjoyed their Christmas; as well as a double over Sunderland, they had beaten Huddersfield 5-0 on Christmas Eve. They had scored 14 goals in three games, Vic Keeble and Jackie Milburn claiming five of them each.</p><p></p><h2>4) Tottenham Hotspur 5–0 Arsenal (First Division, 4 April 1983)</h2><p></p><p>This was Tottenham's biggest win over their old enemy since 1912, and provided payback for a 5-0 thrashing Arsenal had given them on their own turf just over four years previously. This was about as far from old-school Arsenal as it was possible to get; they were all over the place defensively, with Stewart Robson and David O'Leary having seemingly never met before, and post-Jennings-goalkeeper-everyone-forgets-about George Wood all thumbs and no fingers.</p><p></p><p>Spurs were three up within 18 minutes. <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PbjGkneGRPI" title="">Chris Hughton opened the scoring</a> with a farcical miskick on 10 minutes, before <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bRVxw9mfZR4" title="">Mark Falco smashed a volley home</a> from 20 yards three minutes later. Another five had passed <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lYnhd8Cv3J8" title="">when Hughton drove home his second</a>, and Tottenham's third. <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CnbVLmKz8Cc" title="">Falco added another</a> in the second half, as did new Spurs signing <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vtZIYjhNCCU" title="">Alan Brazil</a>. "I was particularly pleased about the result," explained Spurs boss Keith Burkinshaw, "because they did us 5-0 in my first season as a first division manager. That hurt a bit." His opposite number Terry Neill was gone by the end of the year.</p><p></p><p><strong>Bizarro JoS:</strong> Tottenham Hotspur 0–5 Arsenal (First Division 23 December 1978) was the 5-0 that hurt Burkinshaw so. The result is famous for <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u--2vzQP6KQ" title="">the swerving silliness of Liam Brady</a>; the greatest goal in Arsenal history.</p><p></p><h2><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CnbVLmKz8Cc" title="">5) Rangers 5–1 Celtic (SPL, 27 August 1988)</a></h2><p></p><p>Celtic had responded to Rangers' first league title of the Graeme Souness era – the club's first in nine years – by going one better the year after. In their centenary year of 1987-88, the Parkhead club brought back manager Billy McNeill, bought Frank McAvennie from West Ham, and romped to the league and cup double. It looked like the Old Firm would duke it out for years, but behind the scenes an imbalance was developing: Rangers were in rude financial health, one of the most profitable clubs in Britain – how times change – while Celtic's parsimonious board were keeping their bawbees safely stashed away in their infamous Biscuit Tin of legend.</p><p></p><p>It soon became clear that a chasm was opening up. Three games into the new season, the reigning champions went to Ibrox and took an early lead through McAvennie. But Ally McCoist quickly equalised, Ray Wilkins added a second before half-time, and after the break McCoist, Kevin Drinkell and Mark Walters made it 5-1 after 63 minutes. The scoring ended there and then as Rangers did the professional thing and saw out the result. It was only the third time in 100 years that Rangers had won by such a large margin, but some fans remained unhappy – with nearly half an hour to go, it was a chance to right the wrongs of <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/blog/2011/dec/30/joy-of-six-new-year-fixtures" title="">the infamous Hampden in the Sun cup final of 1957</a>. On the touchline, assistant manager Walter Smith had attempted to gee the players on, but Souness and the large English contingent remained in blissful ignorance of any historical context.</p><p></p><p>Still, it would send Rangers on their way to the title, their first of nine in a row. Celtic wouldn't win another league derby for nearly three years. How could anything possibly go wrong from here?</p><p></p><p><strong>Bizarro JoS:</strong> <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5rQ96X9ekag" title="">Celtic 6–2 Rangers</a> (SPL, 27 August 2000). Celtic had drafted Martin O'Neill in to sort out the mess left by John Barnes and Kenny Dalglish, and before August was out the new man had delivered this rout, Chris Sutton and Henrik Larsson both scoring twice. Celtic wouldn't lose until November, when they were routed themselves 5-1 at Ibrox – £12m Tore Andre Flo scoring one, folks – but the result had no effect on the outcome of the title, Celtic only losing their second and third games of the league campaign when the title was long in the bag.</p><p></p><h2>6) Wolverhampton Wanderers 7-0 West Bromwich Albion (First Division, 16 March 1963)</h2><p></p><p>The big freeze of 1962-63 really didn't do West Bromwich Albion any favours. On Boxing Day, the Baggies quickly fell two goals behind at Molineux, the home of arch-rivals Wolverhampton Wanderers, Chris Crowe and Alan Hinton doing the damage. But the snow started to fall in industrial quantities, and by half-time, most of the 18,000 could barely see the person standing in front of them, never mind the players on the pitch. The referee had no option but to call the game off. It was one of 19 matches postponed that day.</p><p></p><p>An abandonment, and yet a result for West Brom, who no doubt went home relieved at dodging a bullet that was coming their way. Ah but. The game was replayed in March, and under very curious circumstances indeed. The day before the match, West Brom sold their leading goalscorer, Derek Kevan, to Chelsea. Kevan – who had scored 16 in 28 games up to his transfer, and had been the First Division's leading goalscorer the season before – was stunned at the development, and was reportedly unwilling to move, but leave for Stamford Bridge he did.</p><p></p><p>His West Brom team-mates, somewhat perplexed at events, ran out at Molineux in the most directionless of fashions, and slumped to their record defeat in a Black Country derby: a seven-goal tonking, Barry Stobart and Alan Hinton grabbing two apiece, but both men upstaged by winger Terry Wharton, who notched a hat-trick. As far as self-harming before a big derby goes, this takes some beating.</p><p></p><p><strong>Bizarro JoS:</strong> must we riff on <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2012/feb/12/wolverhampton-west-bromwich-albion-mbm" title="">Mick McCarthy's pain</a> any more than is strictly necessary?</p><div class="author"><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/profile/scottmurray">Scott Murray</a></div><br/><div class="terms"><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk">guardian.co.uk</a> © 2012 Guardian News and Media Limited or its affiliated companies. All rights reserved. | Use of this content is subject to our <a href="http://users.guardian.co.uk/help/article/0,,933909,00.html">Terms & Conditions</a> | <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/help/feeds">More Feeds</a></div><p style="clear:both" />
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