Explain · Like I'm five version
The Wars of the Roses in terms of a Premier League rivalry
Did you know that the Wars of the Roses were just like a really long, very grumpy game of football between two big teams?
The Red Rose team from Lancaster and the White Rose team from York spent thirty years trying to win the shiny gold trophy called the crown. They kept passing the lead back and forth, just like two teams trading goals in a match that never seems to end. One team would score, take the lead, and then the other team would tackle them hard to take it back. It was not a very friendly game because everyone kept losing their favourite players to the penalty box or the bench.
The fans were very noisy, and they kept switching sides depending on who looked like they were winning that week. When the York team were doing well, people wore white badges and cheered loudly for their captain. When the Lancaster team took the ball back, those same fans quickly swapped to red badges to avoid getting in trouble. Nobody knew who would be lifting the trophy at the final whistle because the referee kept changing his mind and the rules were always shifting.
In the end, a new team called the Tudors ran onto the pitch from the sidelines to win the game for themselves. They grabbed the ball, mixed the red and white colours together, and declared the long, messy match over for everyone. They made sure nobody else could start a new game by keeping the trophy locked away in a cabinet forever.
Where the analogy breaks downReal football matches have a referee who actually follows the rules instead of just letting everyone fight until they get tired.