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A weekend of football passion, rivalry and animosity – photo essay

This article is more than 6 years old

The Guardian photographer Tom Jenkins takes in three emotionally charged football matches over three days and captures all the colour and passion as AFC Wimbledon take on MK Dons, Tottenham Hotspur visit West Ham and Sheffield Wednesday face Sheffield United in the Steel City derby

A small gaggle of away fans are escorted through a nearby park into the back entrance of the ground

AFC Wimbledon v Milton Keynes at Cherry Red Records Stadium

  • A small gaggle of away fans are escorted through a nearby park into the back entrance of the ground

The catalyst for the formation of both clubs was the 2002 decision by an independent commission appointed by the FA to allow Wimbledon FC to relocate to Milton Keynes, about 56 miles north of the club’s home. The large majority of Wimbledon supporters were strongly opposed the idea of moving the club so far away and felt it would no longer represent Wimbledon’s legacy and traditions – and viewed it as the “death of their club”. In May 2002, the idea was put forward in a Wimbledon Independent Supporters’ Association meeting to create a new community-based club dubbed AFC Wimbledon and an appeal for funds was launched. The following month a new manager, kit, crest and stadium were unveiled to fans and the media at the packed out Wimbledon Community Centre and in September the club debuted in the Combined Counties League.

The relocated team played home matches in Milton Keynes under the Wimbledon name during the 2003–04 season, towards the end of which Pete Winkelman’s Inter MK Group took Wimbledon FC out of administration, and concurrently announced changes to its name, badge and colours, and Milton Keynes Dons FC was born.

  • MK Dons club captain Dean Lewington, left, and Ousseynou Cissé are offered encouragement by the away fans as they disembark the team coach. Only a limited amount of tickets are made available to MK Dons fans and they have to travel in designated coaches to the ground. The MK Dons’ team coach is not allowed to enter the ground via the main entrance; the players have to arrive at the away end and make their way through the away stand and walk across the pitch to get to the changing rooms.

AFC do not consider MK rivals as they refuse to acknowledge the existence of the club, with the cover of the match programme not mentioning the name of the visiting side. Inside only the visitors’ geographical location is referred to, as was the case on the club’s Twitter feed. For these reasons the south London club face a probe by the Football League for failing to recognise their opponents by their full name for the second successive season and could face disciplinary action. Following the match the EFL issued a statement: “Prior to Friday evening’s Sky Bet League One fixture between AFC Wimbledon and Milton Keynes Dons, the EFL sought assurances from the home club that the game would be treated in a consistent and appropriate manner to any other taking place at the Cherry Red Records Stadium. The failure to recognise Milton Keynes Dons in the correct manner causes reputational issues for the EFL as well as creating the potential for unrest amongst MK Dons supporters and, as such, is of concern for the EFL. Under new EFL regulations 3.4 and 3.5 all clubs are required to behave towards one another with the ‘utmost good faith’ and not to ‘unfairly criticise, disparage, belittle or discredit’ any other club.”

The seats for the visiting MK Dons staff and directors are empty as they are not invited to the game. Any MK Dons directors, such as chairman Pete Winkelman, who choose to go to the game will watch the match with their supporters in the away end. Such is the anomosity held towards Winkelman by AFC fans, at the MK Dons’ first visit to AFC, in March 2017, the MK chairman was accompanied by a pair of security personnel.

Sections of MK Dons’ fans continue to relate to their club’s former identity as Wimbledon with some MK supporters sporting scarves bearing the Wimbledon name and Wimbledon FC shirts.

The happy faces of AFC fans drinking in the car park before kick-off are replaced by pensive ones once they take their place in the stands. The pensiveness is also felt by both sets of players as they wait in the tunnel before taking to the pitch. There are sad and angry faces amongst the AFC faithful after just seven minutes when Ryan Seager nudges home Osman Sow’s low cross from the left to give the visitors the lead. To make matters worse for the home side, Gboly Ariyibi doubles MK Dons’ advantage after 27 minutes, steering home into the far corner after a goalmouth scramble.

Just after the hour mark there is a way back into the game for the home side when Scott Golbourne handles the ball, which is spotted by the majority of AFC fans, and the referee points to the spot ...

However, MK Dons keeper Lee Nicholls guesses correctly and dives to his right to save Lyle Taylor’s penalty. Despite AFC having the lion’s share of possession and chances, Nicholls proves unbeatable between the MK sticks, prompting a range of reactions from the home fans.

There is despair on the home bench as the final whistle final approaches and then joy in the away end as it blows to signal a 2-0 win for the visitors, their fourth victory in the six meetings between the two clubs.

Three generations of West Ham fans arrive at the London Stadium for the West Ham United v Tottenham Hotspur match.

West Ham v Tottenham Hotspur at the London Stadium

Despite West Ham and Tottenham having longer-standing and more bitter rivalries with Millwall and Arsenal respectively, matches between the Hammers and Spurs have, in recent years, taken on an added piquancy with West Ham fans reserving a special amount of hatred for Spurs, whose own supporters enjoy taunting that the fixture is West Ham’s “Cup Final”. A number of recent clashes – such as West Ham’s victory in 2005-06 which denied Spurs the chance to pip Arsenal to the last Champions League spot, last season’s 1-0 win at home which dented Spurs’s title ambitions, and the two clubs’ battle for residency at the Olympic Stadium – have fuelled the animosity between the two London sides and intensified the fixture.

  • What a nice way to start the day – a serene journey to the game on the water before a bit of a sing-song ahead of kick-off.

The Hammers fans aren’t singing much towards the end of the first half as a header and then a low strike from Harry Kane in the 34th and 38th minutes give Spurs the advantage.

  • Spurs fans manage to celebrate a goal and goad the West Ham fans at the same time.

Just after the half-hour mark, West Ham’s Mark Noble ploughs through Moussa Sissoko, taking man and ball, and the players square up to each other. Referee Michael Oliver sorts it out with the minimum of fuss and the two players shake hands. There are shaking hands of a different type in the stands.

There is a five minute spell of differing emotions for the West Ham fans around the hour mark after Christian Eriksen fires home Spurs’s third before Javier Hernández nods in from close range to pull a goal back for the Hammers.

Cheikhou Kouyaté sets up a frantic finish when he heads home a magnificent cross from substitute Arthur Masuaku with three minutes left to make it 3-2.

A Hammers fan gives some advice to the Spurs fans as the home side attempt to grab a third goal and a share of the points. That nearly happens during injury time when a cross comes in but Andy Carroll heads the ball away from goal. Either he mistimed his run or he was pushed by Davinson Sánchez – Carroll thinks the latter.

The animosity that was seen in the stands moves onto the pitch in the dying moments when there is some pushing and shoving between the players. The final whistle brings some relief for the Spurs head coach Mauricio Pochettino when it comes seconds later. “Sometimes it is good to suffer a bit as it means you are alive,” he said after the game. “We suffered but we fought. We played well and deserved to win the game. It means more than three points. We played for our pride and the emotion of our fans and I’m happy for my players.”


Home fan in owl mask

Sheffield Wednesday v Sheffield United at Hillsborough

The Steel City derby is widely considered one of the most passionate and hotly contested derby matches in English football. The teams first met on 15 December 1890 at Wednesday’s Old Olive Grove ground, with Wednesday playing a friendly match against the newly formed Sheffield United which the home team won 2–1. The first competitive Steel City derby fixture took place on 16 October 1893, following United’s promotion the first Division the previous season; it ended 1–1. Before this weekend’s game, the teams have met competitively a total of 140 times, with both earning 48 wins. This is the first Sheffield derby in five and a half years, and the first to take place as high as the second tier in more than seven.

There are a number of angry faces outside the stadium ahead of the match, which contrasts with the previous Sunday when there would only have been happy and loving faces at Hillsborough.

Once the fans are in, the “banter” can begin as a home fan shouts towards the away support. In the lower Leppings Lane end, police keep a close guard on the home fans and the away fans above them. A cacophony of noise greets Blades captain Paul Coutts as he leads out United before kick-off.

  • Age is no barrier to disliking your neighbours and the passing years give time to amass a nice collection of anti-Blades badges.

A young Wednesday fan gets a better view of the action, though it is likely he wishes he hadn’t as some woeful Wednesday defending contributes to the visiting Blades getting off to a terrific start, with John Fleck smashing home a free-kick after three minutes and Leon Clarke making it 2-0 on the quarter-hour mark. On the stroke of half-time there is something for the home fans to cheer when Gary Hooper nets to get them back into the game, and when Lucas João lashes home an equaliser 20 minutes into the second half, Hillsborough is quite literally shaking with excitement.

  • Home fans gesture to the away fans after the first Wednesday goal and then cheer on the Owls.

However, parity lasts just one minute and 47 seconds as Mark Duffy’s thunderous finish gives United back the lead.

When former Wednesday player Leon Clarke taps in his second of the afternoon to give the visitors another two-goal cushion 12 minutes from time, the home fans know that another two-goal comeback is unlikely – and it is time to get out the inflatable pig (both sets of fans call the other pigs).

The Sheffield United manager Chris Wilder and their fans celebrate after their 4-2 win, United’s most comprehensive derby win in 25 years and the first time they have scored four at Hillsborough. The home fans have quickly taken their leave of the stadium as the victorious United players huddle on the pitch.

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