The City view
Goodison Park, St Andrew's, Bramall Lane, Leeds Road twice and Villa Park five times. This is our 11th FA Cup semi-final. We've won eight, including the big one in 1926, 3-0 over United at Bramall Lane, and have won the past six. So the omens are good. This one is, of course, at Wembley, built in the wrong place (north London) and fitted out, ridiculously, with red seats, even though it's the home of England who play in white shirts and, now, blue shorts.
I've not heard many City fans complaining about the venue – after all it means more than 30,000 tickets for each club, a figure that other grounds such as Anfield and Villa Park couldn't accommodate these days, though where the other 30,000 tickets go to is a mystery known only to the FA.
City fans will be travelling down by coach, car, train and plane plus I know of one bunch at least who'll be going by taxi at £70 a head. The joke is that United fans will be travelling by tube, but in reality the transport situation sounds like a logistical nightmare, and will need heavy policing, with no love lost between both sets of fans.
Derby match results have been close recently, despite United coming out on top in five of the last six league games, and winning the two-legged League Cup semi-final 4-3 on aggregate, with gut-wrenching late goals or an "it could go anywhere" Wayne Rooney overhead kick. United will be without Rooney after his latest indiscretion and City without Carlos Tevez who, inevitably, was injured at Liverpool. City haven't won away from Manchester all year, and United have hit form after a blip at the right time.
This match, however, means absolutely everything to City. It could wipe away 30 years of hurt in one fell swoop and it is, after all, some 35 years since the biggest Wembley upset of all time – a Second Division and ageing Southampton team beating Tommy Docherty's rampant Reds 1-0 in 1976. If that type of result is repeated, the Citizens will be partying home like never before and the bragging rights will be ours, and how, at least until the end of the season. Losing doesn't bear thinking about, and is not an option.
Dave Wallace is the editor of the King of the Kippax City fanzine
The United view
Though City are United's true enemy, they've never monopolised focus. The pursuit of glory has always been our central aim, its success nurturing similarly toxic rivalries with Liverpool and Leeds. We've also had more serious off-field issues to address – or at least we've taken them more seriously – making City but one of several receptacles for our disgust.
They, on the other hand, have nothing else; their identity is shaped, defined and characterised in opposition to us. We look at them with dismissive haughtiness, they regard us with bitterness and jealousy, and understandably so: there are things about United it's impossible for any sane person not to admire. I simply cannot begin to comprehend their burden in living with that every day.
Everything they do we do better. In 1967-68, City won the title, then United became the first English European champions; they beat us 5-1 in 89-90, but we finished higher, won the Cup, and eventually clattered them 5-0; on the final day of 95-96, they wasted time in the mistaken belief that a draw kept them up, while we clinched yet another title; in 98-99, United secured the treble, "overshadowed" by City's play‑off final win; their minuscule support wave inflatable bananas and toadying banners, United's throngs wield sport's deepest canon of songs and chants.
Their response encompasses falsehood, vitriol and delusion: call it bluemonia. Examples include claiming greater Mancunian support despite all statistical, anecdotal and evidential evidence, proclaiming Bell as "Better than Best", Munich chanting, and endless threats of imminent success (often immortalised in body art).
Though an affront to football's integrity, their wealth is a gift, rendering anything they win meaningless and everything they lose even more hilarious. And after some unacceptable derby efforts, the almost-competition has given Fergie and the players a necessary kick up the arse: priorities suitably recalibrated, United are dominant once again.
In a way, this semi is solely about making 35 years 35 seasons, though even if we lose, chances are they'll find a way of messing up the final. But that would deny us the collage of furious, scrunched, defeated faces that is the real reward for beating City.
Daniel Harris has been shortlisted for best new writer at the British Sports Book Awards. His book, On The Road, a journey through a season, is available now
