Forget Barcelona or Manchester raw fury at Burnley derby shook Hughes
27 Nov 2009 - 12:12:04
When you have played more than 600 career games and represented clubs such asManchester United, Bayern Munich, Barcelona and Chelsea, few things in football surprise you.
For Mark Hughes, though, his introduction to the world of the Lancashire derby was still a shock.
'The famous derbies are the ones that people know about and look forward to,' reflected Manchester City manager Hughes this week.
'But for sheer intensity the one between Burnley and Blackburn stood out for me. I really wasn't expecting that and I was able to see both sides of it, as a manager and a player at Blackburn.
Take that: Hughes with Burnley keeper Nik Michopoulos
'It may not be as big as some in terms of the numbers of people involved but in terms of the percentage of population that have an emotional stake in it, its enormous.
'When we went to Burnley the security was very high. Police helicopters and everything. But someone still got on the pitch and tried to get at Robbie Savage. Maybemost people would have cheered the guy on to hit him!'
Hughes has played in derbies in Manchester, Liverpool, London, Blackburn and Barcelona. He has also sampled the hostilities stoked up by local rivalries during spells at Munich and Southampton, even if he didn't actually play in the fixture.
Intense: Hughes remonstrates after Michael Owen's winner deep in injury time
As City manager he has recently been involved in one of the best ever, his team's last-minute 4-3 defeat at Old Trafford.
'Wherever you go, derbies mean the same to people,' he said. 'The Spanish one is interesting because its about more than football. It's about culture and history and identity. So that's very special.
'When I played at the Bernabeu I turned round on the way out of the tunnel to look at all the people booing and screaming at me and tripped over some TV wires and fell in a heap. So that was a good start. But we drew the game. It was very special to play in a game that is watched all over the world.
'On the south coast of England, it means a lot, too. Southampton versus Portsmouth is a big game down there.
'In the old days perhaps there was a bigger build up to derbies whereas these days every single game in the Premier League is high-profile. So maybe the significance to the wider public has changed.
'But to the clubs and the supporters involved I don't think it has changed. If there is a high turnover of players at a club then some players can go in to a derby not really knowing or understanding what it means. But they find out, soon enough.'
Hughes scored one of the Manchester derby's greatest goals, a far post volley for United at Maine Road 20 years ago. Unfortunately for him, his team lost 5-1.
As a manager, he admits that things have to be viewed a little differently.
'You are involved in the build up and the hype,' said Hughes, who exchanged jibes with United boss Sir Alex Ferguson before the September meeting. 'You do the press conferences and everything and you feel everything the same.
'But when it starts you have to be more isolated from it and try and focus. You have to see it for what it is, a quest for three points.'
Speaking to Sportsmail this week, Hughes was understandably reticent about Manchester derbies.
He has, after all, represented both clubs. He did, however, have a firm answer when asked who can boast the keenest local rivalry.
'I think, having experienced the derby at Old Trafford this season and knowing what the one at Eastlands is going to be like, I would have to say that it's going to be the Manchester one,' he smiled.
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