Colours are an intrinsic part of footballing rivalries
I know Tottenham fans who don’t own any red clothes due to the colour’s connotations with Arsenal. It sounds excessive and childish, and to be fair, it is. But this sort of loyalty for and against certain colours is a large part of sporting rivalries.
The same logic is evidently applied in Leeds, where the club’s rivalry with Manchester United means wearing – or driving – anything red is very much frowned upon.
Speaking on BBC Radio 5 Live ahead of the clash between these two historic rivals on Sunday afternoon, former Leeds and Liverpool left-back told an anecdote that perfectly encapsulates this sort of thinking among fans.
“Jack Butland turned up in a red car, [when he signed] on loan from Stoke,” Warnock recalled.
“He got out the car, and the Leeds fans said, No’.
“You don’t drive a red car, you don’t wear red boots.”
Warnock went on to acknowledge that this aspect of the rivalry has “changed ever so slightly.”
“You weren’t allowed to wear red boots, but the players now, they almost wear a pink, but they won’t go completely red.
“So there is a real, strong rivalry between the two clubs, especially from Leeds’ side.”
The rivalry is of course rooted in the two clubs’ historic success and their relative proximity in the north of England. In 1992, the same summer the Premier League was born, the rivalry was intensified by the transfer of Eric Cantona from Leeds to Man United, a move that would help United transform from challengers into the dominant force in English football throughout the 90s.
