Britain is home to some of the most fierce rivalries in the world. Some of these matches are so intense that they are not just played on the pitch but also off it, which sometimes results in violent clashes. Let us have a look at some of the biggest football rivalries in Britain.

Here are the Top 25 Biggest Football Rivalries In Britain –

25. Dundee FC vs Dundee United FC

Embed from Getty Images

The Dundee derby is a football match between Dundee and Dundee United. The clubs are based yards apart in the city of Dundee, the fourth-largest city in Scotland.

Dundee is the older of the two, having been founded in 1893, compared to Dundee United which was founded in 1909 as Dundee Hibernian following the demise of Dundee Harp, a club founded by Irish immigrants in 1879.

In domestic head-to-head matches, United are quite far in front; the teams have played each other 167 times, Dundee United winning 78 compared to Dundee’s 48.

24. Chelsea vs Leeds

Embed from Getty Images

Given that around 200 miles separate Elland Road from Stamford Bridge, this is no local derby. Yet it carries that intensity and has done for decades. This is an accepted fact in English football, yet why?

The rivalry first emerged in the 1960s after a series of fiercely contested and controversial matches. The two clubs were frequently involved in the pursuit of domestic and European honours culminating in the 1970 FA Cup Final, which is regarded as one of the most physical matches in English football history.

In the Official Chelsea Biography, Leeds were cited as one of Chelsea’s major rivalries. It is unarguably, one of the biggest football rivalries in Britain.

23. Hearts vs Hibernian (The Edinburgh derby)

Embed from Getty Images

Edinburgh is the home of two of Scotland biggest clubs in Heart of Midlothian and Hibernian. The two football clubs were founded in the late 1800’s with Hearts being founded in 1874 and Hibs a few years later in 1875, that year was to mark the pairs first meeting which Hearts won 1-0 but it was the starting of a rivalry that was to last in the years to come and the pair were to meet more frequently.

Hearts have the better record in derbies, with 141 wins to 85 wins by Hibs in 322 competitive matches. There have been 638 Edinburgh derbies to date, meaning that almost half of all derbies have been played in local competitions and friendlies. Hearts hold a lead of 283 wins to 205 wins by Hibs overall.

22. Chester vs Wrexham (Cross-border Derby)

Embed from Getty Images

The derby is called cross-border because Chester is from England while Wrexham is a Welsh club.The clubs are 12 miles apart, though Chester’s Deva Stadium straddles the England–Wales border, and its pitch lies entirely in Wales.

The Cross-border derby is often considered to be one of the biggest rivalries in the lower leagues of English football, due to the close proximity of Wrexham and Chester as they are the largest settlements in the area and the only clubs in that area to have played in The Football League.

The Welsh-English divide also makes it unique to other football derbies in Britain, as national identity is a large part of the two teams.Wrexham edged the English-Welsh derby with 70 victories against Chester’s 54.

21. Leeds vs Man United (Roses rivalry)

Embed from Getty Images

It is among one of the oldest and biggest football rivalries In Britain. The rivalry originates from the strong enmity between the historic counties of Lancashire and Yorkshire, which is popularly believed to have its origins in the Wars of the Roses of the 15th century. Although the cities of Leeds and Manchester lie over 40 miles apart, the tradition is upheld and this strong feeling can still be seen between the two clubs.

Manchester United has won 47 of these matches compared to Leeds’ 27.

20. Derby County vs Nottingham Forest (East Midlands derby)

Embed from Getty Images

Football matches held between Derby County and Nottingham Forest are often called the East Midlands derby, and there is a fierce rivalry between the two East Midlands clubs.

Since 2007 the winner of this fixture has won The Brian Clough Trophy, named after the legendary football boss who managed both sides. According to a survey on football rivalries it is the 11th fiercest rivalry in English football, with 9 out of 10 fans from both clubs pointing to the other as their fiercest rival.

Out of the 101 meetings in major competitions between these teams so far, Nottingham Forest has won 40 matches compared to Derby’s 38.

19. Oxford United vs Swindon Town

Embed from Getty Images

Swindon versus Oxford is one of those intense derby games that is rarely appreciated and understood outside of these parts. Here is a match full of passion and with its fair share of violence on and off the pitch over the years.

Lying 30 miles apart, they share a sporting rivalry that has thrived through the years, and is displayed at its most volatile when the two teams meet on the football field. Swindon has won 23 meetings between these two, compared to Oxford’s 17.

18. Bristol City vs Bristol Rovers (Bristol derby)

Embed from Getty Images

The fans of each club both consider the other to be their main rivals, leading to a heated atmosphere at these matches. The majority of the meetings between the teams have been in the Football League, and they used to meet annually in the Gloucestershire Cup.

Bristol City has won 105 matches played between these two, while Bristol Rovers has won 65.

17. Sheffield United vs Sheffield Wednesday (Steel City derby)

Embed from Getty Images

Steel City derby is widely considered one of the most passionate and hotly contested derby matches in English football. The teams have met competitively a total of 127 times, with United having won 46 matches which is 4 more than Wednesday.

The teams first met on 15 December 1890 at Wednesday’s Old Olive Grove ground. With Sheffield Wednesday playing a friendly match against the newly formed Sheffield United and the home team won 2–1.

The first competitive Steel City Derby fixture took place on 16 October 1893 during the 1893–94 English Division 1 season, it ended 1–1.

Share this: Twitter

Facebook

Tumblr

Email

Print

Reddit

WhatsApp

LinkedIn



Related

1 2 3 Pages: