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Most major cities around the world have their particular sporting rivalries.

In New York it's always a big deal when the Yankees take on the Mets; in London, there are few bigger games that can draw a crowd than Arsenal against Chelsea, let's not even look north to Manchester where Utd versus City is a contest that's hot enough to cause divisions within the same family; in Milan, Inter against AC is a sporting rivalry that goes back generations; whilst in Buenos Aires, Boca Juniors against River Plate has a city of millions glued to their seats.

Now, Jerusalem can be added to the list of great weekend sporting rivalries with the newly evolved regular weekend clash between the Israeli police and the ultra-Orthodox Haredi community.

If you don't know who the Haredim are, well they're the cute little chaps in black coats and hats, sporting bushy beards and ringlets by the side of their face. Curious little fellows, often the subject of whimsical caricatures or souvenir silver ornaments that visitors to the Holy Land take home with pride to adorn their mantelpiece or collection of holiday paraphernalia.

Jerusalem's big match has only recently evolved. It's evolution seems contrary to the regular run of play as Saturday, the Sabbath, the holiest day of the week for the religious community, (especially the ultra-religious community), is a day of rest, prayer, quiet reflection and contemplation. It's against the rulebook to do anything strenuous or requiring effort (like switching on a light, cooking, digging the garden or even driving a car) so, it comes as something of a surprise to the neutral supporter that permission appears to have been given by their team management (the Rabbis) for the beating up of policemen, innocent passers-by or members of the media.

It all started during the summer when a new car park was opened on a Saturday to allow those visiting the Old City of Jerusalem to leave their vehicles outside of the city walls in a purpose built facility. This meant drivers no longer had need to abandon their cars in the adjacent narrow streets, where for decades they have caused mayhem and disturbance to the flow of traffic and the many tourist buses, and the like.

It seems that this most sensible traffic calming solution offended the Haredim and they decided to take it upon themselves to leave their prayer books and go down the Old City 'ground' to get stuck in to motorists, police and anyone else that didn't take their fancy.

The sight of a mob of grown men wearing full-length black silk coats, fur hats the size of a Chinese wok, and boots that went out of fashion when Napoleon headed east towards Russia, doing their best to harass and injure law abiding citizens, was greeted as something of a new local phenomenom. After the first contest, there were more than a few red cards handed out and a number on the Haredi team were sent for a 'night in the chokey' - a local version of the 'sin bin'.

The contest was replayed with surprising regularity (and more contestants on both sides) in subsequent weeks, until the game was moved to a new venue - the new Intel software factory, to the uninformed observer a strange location. But their is a method in the Haredi madness.

The 'Men in Black' object to the factory being open on a Saturday and wish it to be closed on their day of rest (a day that some might argue adds up to seven days a week). The fact that they are seeking to deprive fellow citizens in this democratic country the right to choose when they can and can't work, seems to have evaded the logic of the 'Black' team. Faced by the 'Blues' the local plods, the big Saturday game has been turning ever more violent, even though the Intel bosses have been seeking to find a reasonable solution.

In the end, Intel's offer to only employ Arabs and Christians (as Saturday is not their Sabbath) seemed to those with even half a brain to be an excellent solution - we'll call it a score draw. However, after initially seeming to accept the draw from the opposing team, the Haredim have decided that they can't bear the thought of missing out on their weekend pugilistic exercise and have decided to return to the pitch until they score a victory for their team of not-so-merry men.

Is it being churlish to suggest that they should be dealt with the same way football hooligans around the world are dealt with i.e. lock 'em up,  give them a lifetime ban and treat them with the full weight of the law? Is it unreasonable to wonder that if they possibly thought about doing a day's work for a change (let's say five days a week instead of the current 'zero' performed, or should I say not performed by many) they might not have the energy to stand around in scorching temperatures on Saturday afternoons looking like an army of penguins on crystal meths. They might instead prefer being at home in the bosom of their families and have a well earned kip?

This is one match I hope to see forcibly stopped by the authorities, and one team that shouldn't ever be offered a place on any pitch near me!