Following on from a chat at work, just wondering what the biggest five derbies are that don't involve teams from the same town or city? Obviously if you have a city like Sheffield, with two teams in it, then that makes for a derby rivalry. Liverpool, Manc, Brum, shed-load of London etc. But summat between areas that are close (ish) enough to genuinely classify it as a "local" derby and not just a long term rivalry between good teams.

So obvious contenders Newcastle v Sunderland, Norwich v Ipswich, left-field choice Chesterfield v Mansfield (two towns who hate each other post miners strike)  etc etc

Top 5 suggestions? For me, first might be Pompey v Southampton. I lived in Soton for a while and remember a football conversation in a boozer with a Soton fan. Really pleasant, so when I brought up the Barry Horne goal he admitted they were lucky. Happy to give credit where credit was due to all sorts and admit their limitations as a club/history etc etc. Epitome of a mild mannered, thoughtful and knowledgably fair minded football fan who could keep perspective on everything. But then I made the mistake of mentioning Pompey. In a trice he transformed into rage, quite literally foaming at the mouth with spittle flecking his chops.

I say that Pompey v Soton "might" be first, though someone could convince me otherwise. If we make if EFL then Cardiff v Swansea comes into it.

Thoughts for a top five?

Newcastle v Sun'lun - no contest.

How are we defining biggest?

Numbers through the gate or depth of hatred?

5 minutes ago, Lt. Aldo Raine said:

How are we defining biggest?

Numbers through the gate or depth of hatred?

Raw hatred I think

Bolton v Wigan....

Blackburn Burnley

Palace Brighton

Would United v Liverpool count?

2 minutes ago, frank_spencer said:

Blackburn Burnley

Palace Brighton

Would United v Liverpool count?

Yes, or the Filth v Leeds

Blackburn Burnley I get.

Palace Brighton seems a bit soft/contrived? But I don't know the history.

Read about the Crystal Palace vs Brighton (Eagles vs Seagulls) "derby", seems to be sort of a joke but it made me chuckle and as the are both Premier League it must rank currently.

Think the Palace Brighton thing was about Alan Mullery being a bit of a twat and him and Venables having a row during a game?

Original post should have been the end.

We have a grudging respect with Pompey in Dockyard Derby. They hate Southampton every day not just for football.

A miners dispute clash would be similar but there’s no specific teams.

Think they always mean more when it's more than just football.

Southampton Pompey sticks out as its way more than just football. The two towns as a whole just don't get on.

Same with Sunderland Newcastle.

There's more to Blackpool and Preston than just football too. 

 

 

1 minute ago, green genie said:

miners dispute clash would be similar but there’s no specific teams.

Mansfield and chesterfield is over the miners strike 

Strangest one for me  (and its very volatile) is QPR v Pompey

Leeds - Stretford

Leeds - Liverpool 

But top 2 are definitely  Newcastle v Sunderland and Leeds v Man U

25 minutes ago, MancWanderer said:

Think the Palace Brighton thing was about Alan Mullery being a bit of a twat and him and Venables having a row during a game?

Yeah I think it's the same as us V Tranmere and Wolves a rivalry born from a few moments. Heightened by playing each other more frequently in recent years.

Palace Brighton & Ipswich Norwich aren't derbies 

Southampton Pompey for me

14 minutes ago, RONNIE PHILLIPS said:

But top 2 are definitely  Newcastle v Sunderland and Leeds v Man U

Surely it can only be a big derby for a team if its their main one?

Man U would put Liverpool and City well above Leeds for big games.

 

Didn't realise how visceral the Forest/Derby hatred is until I moved here. Forest and Sheff United have a pretty lively history too.

 

Forest v Derby.  

Also unusual in that Forest's big rival isn't against the other team from the same city.

Surely unique, 2 teams in same city that don't have a rivalry but hate the team from 15 miles away.

Not sure if its all coz of Brian Clough winning the league at Derby then going to Forest and doing even better.

Edited February 20Feb 20 by Johnnyrotten

30 minutes ago, Johnnyrotten said:

Surely it can only be a big derby for a team if its their main one?

Man U would put Liverpool and City well above Leeds for big games.

 

Correct. Man Utd is Man City, Liverpool is Everton, Leeds is, er, Bradford?

You can only have one derby rival. Anybody else is a just an ordinary rival. If it’s not cross town, it’s your nearest rival.

Much as we would like to say Blackburn or Man Utd, ours always was Bury, but since our move it has morphed to be Wigan.

1 hour ago, gonzo said:

Southampton Pompey sticks out as its way more than just football. The two towns as a whole just don't get on

 

Aye. Best mate’s Mrs is a ST holder at Southampton. It’s a dockers rivalry that goes back years a bit like West Ham/Millwall but more commercial vs naval. They really don’t like each other outside of football

Pompey fans are “skates” as the sailors used to fuck the fish. Apparently….. 

19 minutes ago, Rival Son said:

Correct. Man Utd is Man City, Liverpool is Everton, Leeds is, er, Bradford?

You can only have one derby rival. Anybody else is a just an ordinary rival. If it’s not cross town, it’s your nearest rival.

Much as we would like to say Blackburn or Man Utd, ours always was Bury, but since our move it has morphed to be Wigan.

Leeds are the Manyoo of Yorkshire every one of the smaller teams hates them but Leeds fans don't give a shit about most of them.

My time in Coventry I realised that all the West Midlands teams hate Villa and the rivalry amongst the rest of them is about who hates villa the most.

Obviously a lot is contrived and forced with derbies and rivalry.

Who do Bolton folk actually dislike the most?

Mancs? Surely it's got to be Mancs.

 

There's Derby's and there's Derby's! You get derbys were the rivalry is pure - Newcastle/Sunderland. Ipswich/ Norwich. Southampton/Portsmouth. Villa/ Brum etc... There's an argument to be had that some same city Derby's aren't  pure. The Mersey and Manchester derbys for example.

Bolton do not have a rival, fact! Over the years our biggest rivalry has changed with the wind. Man U. Blackburn. Bury. Wigan. Even bloody Stockport. None of these rivalries had ever been a two way "love-in".

I like this rival neutrality.

1 hour ago, Johnnyrotten said:

Surely it can only be a big derby for a team if its their main one?

Man U would put Liverpool and City well above Leeds for big games.

 

No they wouldnt.......Leeds is a more intimidating place for them to go to