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?

2 minutes ago, DirtySanchez said:

Apparently Peterborough v Cambridge is one 

Think the biggie is Peterborough v Northampton, incredibly

https://www.terraceedition.com/home-haute/the-nene-derby-old-wounds-northampton-peterborough-tom-reed-football-photography-groundhopping

3 minutes ago, Leyther_Matt said:

Think the biggie is Peterborough v Northampton, incredibly

https://www.terraceedition.com/home-haute/the-nene-derby-old-wounds-northampton-peterborough-tom-reed-football-photography-groundhopping

Maybe Cambridge are trying to muscle in on a rivalry 

I know Stevenage are trying it this season with Luton, who aren't really bothered as they have Watford 

Hull like to think they have a derby with Leeds even though Leeds couldn't give a shit about them and Bolton is closer to Leeds than Hull is 

Bet Wigan v Chorley was tasty back in the day

22 minutes ago, RoadRunnerFan said:

Bet Wigan v Chorley was tasty back in the day

I'd like that to become a regular fixture again, without Chorley gaining League status.

6 hours ago, Not in Crawley said:

Folk forget though that train line going through Croydon goes to Redhill, Three Bridges, Crawley, Lewes etc 

Folk forget?

5 hours ago, Leyther_Matt said:

Think the biggie is Peterborough v Northampton, incredibly

https://www.terraceedition.com/home-haute/the-nene-derby-old-wounds-northampton-peterborough-tom-reed-football-photography-groundhopping

I lived down that way for a year and it's definitely Peterborough V Cambridge

even went to the derby in the away end with some Cambridge lads I knew, they lost, and got to see Barry Fry do his customary celebratory run up the touchline when Posh scored the winner

4 hours ago, Zico said:

I lived down that way for a year and it's definitely Peterborough V Cambridge

even went to the derby in the away end with some Cambridge lads I knew, they lost, and got to see Barry Fry do his customary celebratory run up the touchline when Posh scored the winner

I was at college in Peterborough in the early 90’s and went to a fair few games at the time. They hated Cambridge with a passion. Northampton never got mentioned so maybe a recent thing.

8 hours ago, Zico said:

Folk forget?

I mean when they wang on about it in the media about how odd a derby it is, rather than how geographically it sort of makes sense.

Spurs v Arsenal less than 5 miles apart.

8 hours ago, Zico said:

I lived down that way for a year and it's definitely Peterborough V Cambridge

even went to the derby in the away end with some Cambridge lads I knew, they lost, and got to see Barry Fry do his customary celebratory run up the touchline when Posh scored the winner

3 hours ago, bolton in bedford said:

I was at college in Peterborough in the early 90’s and went to a fair few games at the time. They hated Cambridge with a passion. Northampton never got mentioned so maybe a recent thing.

Doesn’t seem a recent thing according to the article, but it may be more on Northampton’s side than Peterborough.

Think Peterborough and Cambridge have/had the same sponsor, that building firm? Could be like when CR Smith and Carling sponsored both Celtic and Rangers so they didn’t piss off either side 🤣

1 hour ago, Not in Crawley said:

I mean when they wang on about it in the media about how odd a derby it is, rather than how geographically it sort of makes sense.

I don't think people forget, they don't know, but it's irrelevant really in a geographical sense

they are 45 miles apart

it's a rivalry because both teams want a rivalry and there's no one else to have one with, like Ipswich and Norwich

it stems from an FA cup tie and not public transport connections or that it's easy to do on the A23

7 minutes ago, Leyther_Matt said:

Doesn’t seem a recent thing according to the article, but it may be more on Northampton’s side than Peterborough.

Think Peterborough and Cambridge have/had the same sponsor, that building firm? Could be like when CR Smith and Carling sponsored both Celtic and Rangers so they didn’t piss off either side 🤣

I think it's just that it's the "Cambridgeshire" derby

dunno about Northampton but when I was there could see the lads looking forward to it for weeks, local tv and radio all over it in the week before building it up like it was the el classico

still 30 miles apart, but that's how it is in that part of the world

4 hours ago, bolton in bedford said:

I was at college in Peterborough in the early 90’s and went to a fair few games at the time. They hated Cambridge with a passion. Northampton never got mentioned so maybe a recent thing.

Cambridge & Peterborough definitely hate each other.

We put the new stand up along the length of the pitch (with the big banana roof truss) 1994 or 95 (I think)... I remember having our Christmas piss up in Peterborough

1 hour ago, Zico said:

I don't think people forget, they don't know, but it's irrelevant really in a geographical sense

they are 45 miles apart

it's a rivalry because both teams want a rivalry and there's no one else to have one with, like Ipswich and Norwich

it stems from an FA cup tie and not public transport connections or that it's easy to do on the A23

Its a mix of the two, actually.

14 hours ago, RoadRunnerFan said:

Bet Wigan v Chorley was tasty back in the day

Chorley v Horwich RMI (RIP) was tasty.

Not read the thread fully but I’d say Cardiff Swansea is pure hate 

Arbroath vs Montrose up in that there Scotchland can get a bit tasty

Need to do a Montrose game. Always followed their results 

Colls v LR had bloodshed last year… admittedly it was me vs a broken ring pull on the way home

On 21/02/2026 at 07:16, MancWanderer said:

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….. 

There was a suggestion some years back that female skates have genitals very closely resembling those of the human female  "Only eat the wings!" even though the theory has been rubbished.

The meaning of the scummers jibe is well known.

Now then, the 'Derby d'Italia'. Inter and Juventus. No love lost.

Anyone mentioned Hull v Leeds and Hull v Middlesbrough? These has both be pretty bad over the years