The tale of chant at heart of 'Sea Derby' rivalry | OneFootball

The introduction of Derby Week to the Roshn Saudi League calendar as a thrilling three-day experience featuring some of the biggest rivalries across Saudi Arabia sees three major derbies brought to the forefront, each endowed with new titles.

The "Sea Derby" will bring together Jeddah’s eternal rivals Al Ittihad and Al Ahli; the "Capital Derby" pits against one another Riyadh foes Al Nassr and Al Hilal, while in the Eastern Province, Al Ettifaq and Al Qadsiah lock horns in the "Eastern Derby".

While the Capital Derby and the Eastern Derby are very much self-explanatory, the Sea Derby takes its name from a dispute as old as the history of football in the coastal city of Jeddah.

An ancient trading port on the Red Sea, Jeddah has long been the gateway to the holy cities of Mecca and Medinah, turning it into a unique tapestry of cultures and influences from across the Muslim world, from West Africa to the Far East.

It was with this background that the beautiful game made its way to Saudi Arabia’s second largest city in the start of the 20th century. The early years of unofficial community clubs gave way to the birth of proper football entities, with Al Ittihad coming into existence in 1927 and Al Ahli following suit a decade later.

The rivalry developed over the years, with the first derby taking place in 1938, and with it, the growing popularity of the two clubs was reflected in a history of songs and colour. Prime among them was one particular chant that conveyed the essence of what it means to be a Jeddawi.

The origins of the chant, “Jeddah kida, Ahli/Itti wo Bahar” are unknown, having been heard for decades in the stands from Al Sabban Stadium, where the rivalry grew in the post World War II years, to Prince Abdullah Al Faisal, home to some iconic matches since the mid-1980s, to the modern cauldron of King Abdullah Sports City, the current home of the Sea Derby.

At its core, the chant asserts that Jeddah and Jeddawi identity is all about two eternal elements synonymous with the city itself: the Red Sea, or as is often referred to by its residents "Al Bahar" ("The Sea”), and love for your hometown club.

And while both sides have their rich traditions of chants, slogans and legendary players, that one phrase will forever remain a point of contention - along with supremacy over the city that has, during the course of 80 years, alternated between the Green and White of Al Ahli and the Yellow and Black of Al Ittihad.

We might never have a definitive answer to the question of whether it was the “Ahli” or “Itti” fans who came up with it first, but the song will always continue to fuel the "Sea Derby” rivalry.