Rivals

[Raw Dykes]

58 minutes ago, Mint23 said:

That doesn’t make them rivals, just opponents that we’re trying to beat in the league.  Being rivals is something much much more, it’s something that’s been there since before we were even born. I can’t wait to face Cov again or even Forest or Derby. The atmosphere for those games especially away is always so much better than anything else.

I do see what you mean, and I'm not saying our rivalry with clubs around us in the league is anything like a proper rivalry with a local club. I just don't think you can have a rivalry with someone you never even play.

 

Where would you draw the line? If we are challenging for Europe for years to come, while Cov, Forest and Derby slip down into the depths, fighting to stay in the Football League in front of 3000 fans each week, would you still see them as rivals then? And if Wolves are constantly around us in the league, with us and them being the only two midlands clubs in the PL, don't you think games against them could mean a bit more over time? I'm not saying any of that is at all likely - I'm just saying that things change.

 

Don't get me wrong, if Derby win the playoffs, I'll look forward to those 2 games maybe more than any others. However, I think most of us will expect us to win without breaking a sweat, so is that a real rivalry?

 

Us seeing Cov as rivals at the mo is like Mike Tyson in his prime seeing the frail, old woman who lives next door as his rival. It's a bit odd.

[David Guiza]

I cannot stand Forest, I still get pleasure seeing them struggle and hope they never get promoted again. I still can't see Robbie Earnshaw's name without wanting to crawl up into a ball after a certain game a few years ago. The Knockaert 3-2 remains one of my favourite games however, as does the 3-2 in the League Cup. 

 

I don't like Derby either, but not to the same level as Forest. They're more of a Ned Flanders type annoying neighbour. 

[lgfualol]

I enjoy forest and derby's struggles but our rival game is weak. 

[Koke]

7 hours ago, Dan LCFC said:

I think if Fosun had bought Coventry rather than Wolves, that rivalry would develop intensely. Both of us are lacking a proper rivalry but there's so much between us both as clubs that we're just not likely to be in any competition for years

 

It's a bit like Watford and Luton. Always several divisions between them in the last 20 years so their rivalry is a bit meh. 

 

Agree that had Fosun bought Coventry our rivalry would intensify ten fold. 

[Trav Le Bleu]

11 hours ago, coolhandfox said:

Man City, Liverpool, Chelsea, Spurs, Man U, Arsenal.  

That's the spirit!

 

For me, it's Barcelona, PSG, Bayern Munich, Real Madrid, Ajax and Juventus.

[Nick]

For me the last 5 years has just wiped away traditional rivalry associations with local teams - our current rivals are those teams threatening a potential 4th to 8th place which are teams like those below listed:

 

Everton 

West Ham

Wolves

 

Plus of course any struggling big fish flailing in the top 6 which might be any one of four after this summers window....

 

Forrest spent years claiming they don’t care about us and that we are not rivals. I now either agree with them, see their point or note the polarisation between the clubs means that quite frankly I kinda feel sorry for them more than anything else. I actually hope that Derby do win the play offs as I’d like to see them give the PL a go again.

[Koke]

Derby are a mild irritation. Nothing more than that. On par with how i feel about Palace. 

[Voll Blau]

11 hours ago, Stadt said:

“We’ve not played them in ages so it’s not really a rivalry”

 

That’s not how it works. Can’t wait to play Forest again.

If you look at the stats for derbies like Millwall-West Ham or Portsmouth-Southampton etc, they've actually played each other relatively rarely during their histories. Just makes it even spicier when they do play.

[RonnieTodger]

Traditionally speaking it's Forest, but I always felt more animosity towards Coventry. Coventry actually gave more of a shit about us and they even got crowds of over 20,000 when Leicester came to town.

 

Obviously Forest and Derby don't really give a shit about us but even our collective hatred towards them isn't as strong as most 'real' rivalries should have. Sure, we filled the 8,000 away end in the FA Cup but the replay saw thousands of empty seats.

 

I don't really feel pleased or pissed off when Forest or Derby win, lose or draw. I actually hope Derby come up, as it's another local game and one that we pretty much always win.

Edited 16 May 2019 by RonnieTodger

[Bluetintedspecs]

It WAS always Forest but not playing them due to their ineptitude coupled with the Derby love in/ hate has made it a non event.

If Derby come up then I will see it as a convenient trip and, recent history, 6 points incoming.

[Finnaldo]

Coventry for me, they're the closest out the lot for me so there may be bias but also:

1.  They're geographically the closest to Leicester, and at the same time it's also West Midlands vs East Midlands, in that respect I think it's the only one of its kind?
2.  The cities have taken total different journeys. Yeah Leicester isn't exactly a tourist hotspot, but what is does have is decent and has been slowly but surely improving over the years. Coventry resembles a concrete Mordor with no respite or hope for betterment. Makes Leicester look like Monaco.
3.  In much the same way, whilst Leicester City rose through the leagues to our fairytale Premier League win and European tour, Coventry were slinking to their lowest ebb as a club in the most embarrassing and humiliating way. I honestly believe that when Coventry bounce back, which they eventually will, they'll be all the more bitter for it. Living in the shadow as badly as Coventry has builds massive resentment.
4.  When we did play them regularly, there was much more animosity and bitterness then against Forest or Derby, and whilst we all know they're convincing themselves they don't care there's certainly less tension in the air than when we've played Coventry. The glee they had when we entered administration, the shirt burning, its our only rivalry with a real spitefulness to it.

[foxy boxing]

Derby County and Nottingham Forest are our regional rivals but have not been our playing rivals for a long time now as we are clearly so much better than they are and they have both been in different leagues for a while now. with Wolves we have a bit of history with regards to Mark McGhee. not really much of a rivalry playing wise with Coventry is it. at the moment it is us and Wolves competing for the term 'best team in the midlands'.  Geographically we don't have many rivals that can compete with us.

[murphy]

14 hours ago, HighPeakFox said:

Honestly, I don't care - I love LCFC much more than I can hate anyone else - life is too short.

 

Speaking for myself, disliking Forest and Derby doesn't really take up a whole lot of my time.

 

I think you're missing out on part of the whole football fan experience.  It's just pantomime anyway.

 

 

[Paninistickers]

Forest.

 

It's in my DNA as a City fan to despise them. A seething, bitter, foul, malevolent hatred of them, the ground, the colour, their ex players and of course their repugnant fans. 

 

Every time some forest cu nt tells me they don't hate us, and that they prefer their wa nkathon with Derby, I reply that I don't seek their vitriol back. It's all one way. It defines me to wish them nothing but ill. That they go bust, records expunged from history and we never ever have to play the red filth again.

 

I think that about sums my thoughts up.

[fazzyfox]

Traditionally I'd say Forest, Derby, Coventry but in recent times other than jeering their results and misfortunes from a distance it's pretty uneventful when you never get to meet. For a couple of years until their relegation I felt Villa had become a real rival, there was a lot of needle between the players and its fairly close so if they come back up maybe them or if not Wolves, particularly as we look set to go neck and neck with them with a very similar target and level of optimism so from a modern day perspective I've voted Wolves. Were they not using their own particular model / source for transfers they could also be rivals for potential new signings, this could change, which would make them even more significant and relevant to our progress and success. 

Edited 16 May 2019 by fazzyfox

[ThaiFox]

4 hours ago, spacemunky said:

Notts County 

I was actually gutted they were relegated.

[Guest Markyblue]

Are main rivals are forest. Yes i know they say they only care about derby but thats bullshit. Dont play them now but back in the day it was pure hatred believe me. 

[Dan LCFC]

3 hours ago, Koke said:

It's a bit like Watford and Luton. Always several divisions between them in the last 20 years so their rivalry is a bit meh. 

 

Agree that had Fosun bought Coventry our rivalry would intensify ten fold. 

The difference there is both of them still consider each other main rivals. From this list it's pretty clear Forest are ours amongst our fanbase.

 

I know a lot of South Leics say it's Coventry but I live in Narborough, there are hardly any Sky Blues, how many Sky Blues even are there around South Leics? How many are there in Hinckley?

 

Rivalries can develop. Liverpool and Man City used to be a bit of an enemy of an enemy is our friend kind of thing but they despise each other now. Couldn't grasp a Man City fan tweeting "Maybe Man Utd were doing us all a favour all along stopping this lot winning the league"  

[Dan LCFC]

I don't really feel like it's a slight on us either not having rivals. Birmingham and Villa fan mates of mine both take the piss out of us for it but I just don't get it - you're on each other's doorstep, we are literally nobodies most local game.

[Dan LCFC]

2 hours ago, RonnieTodger said:

Traditionally speaking it's Forest, but I always felt more animosity towards Coventry. Coventry actually gave more of a shit about us and they even got crowds of over 20,000 when Leicester came to town.

 

Obviously Forest and Derby don't really give a shit about us but even our collective hatred towards them isn't as strong as most 'real' rivalries should have. Sure, we filled the 8,000 away end in the FA Cup but the replay saw thousands of empty seats.

 

I don't really feel pleased or pissed off when Forest or Derby win, lose or draw. I actually hope Derby come up, as it's another local game and one that we pretty much always win.

I think I would if they were better than us. Truth is we've been on another level to both of them for years now. Neither have finished above us since 2011.

[BenTheFox]

I've always thought that Forest were a right bunch of arrogant twats, which is quite funny considering how shite they've been for most of my lifetime. However, the games against Cov always seemed to have more intensity and nastiness. 

[Stoopid]

In the 60s it was Forest, and very much reciprocal. But I think the whole Brian Clough saga shifted the hate axis to Forest-Derby. 

But to think Forest fans are indifferent to us is a mistake.I have a lot of friends/relatives up there, and believe me there's no love lost...

When we won the league, there was widespread dismay in Nottingham.

They hate us, whatever they say.

[stripeyfox]

Why are there nine teams on the list when only three of them could realistically be considered rivals?

 

Trouble is, that each of those three has a fiercer rivalry with another (or each other in the case of Forest and Derby). 

 

I'd go with Forest though. Growing up in Melton it was a 50/50 split in the town so that would be my pick.

And although Forest fans will tell you that they "don't care about us", they do really....

 

[Jakemoore]

I don’t think anyone hates us that much, and I don’t think that’s a bad thing - actually I think it’s quite nice telling other fans I support Leicester and not getting stick for it. Generally we’re quite well received. I thought the Ranieri sacking might have ended that but most people seem to have gotten over it! 

Edited 16 May 2019 by Jakemoore

[Stadt]

As much as Forest and Derby wank each other off Leicester vs Nottingham is a stronger city rivalry than Nottingham vs Derby. Mostly because Derby is like a big stoma bag.