London derbies
The term London Derbies refers to the various football local derbies between the teams in London, England. It specifically refers to individual matches between the teams, but can also be used to describe the general ongoing rivalry between the clubs and fans.
Clubs in London
As of 2015–16, there are fourteen clubs in the Premier League and Football League that play in the Greater London area, which are as follows:
Former Football League clubs based in London include Thames and Wimbledon.
Major London derbies
Some of the most heated rivalries are between clubs that are geographically close together, including:
- Millwall F.C.–West Ham United F.C. rivalry - is a South London vs East London derby between Millwall and West Ham United Also known as the Dockers derby due to the clubs' historical ties to the shipbuilding industry along the Thames. The fixture grew out of a rivalry between competing London dockers and remains fierce (matches have often been marred by violence and hooliganism) despite only being contested infrequently, due to the clubs most years being in separate divisions for much of their histories. It is perhaps the bitterest of the London rivalries and there have been a number of films portraying it, most notably Green Street and Green Street 2: Stand Your Ground.
- East London derby – between Leyton Orient and West Ham United, a fixture which, for the same reasons as the Dockers derby, rarely takes place: their last competitive meeting was in 1987. It is also a term for Dagenham & Redbridge v West Ham United or Leyton Orient.
- North London derby – between Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur. A rivalry has existed since Arsenal's move to the Highbury area of North London in 1913, and especially since Arsenal's promotion to the First Division in 1919. It is perhaps the most hotly contested of all London derbies, with the two clubs located just 4 miles (6.4 km) away from each other in neighbouring boroughs The two clubs are also the 2 most successful London clubs (based on trophies won) adding to the scale and bitterness of the derby. Previously, North London's 'second derby' was Barnet v Enfield, with the two large, non-league clubs sharing a bitter mutual hatred. However, Barnet won promotion to the league in 1991 and Enfield did not follow. They have since disbanded, and neither of Enfield's two new clubs, Enfield Town or Enfield 1893 has yet taken on "the bees" in a competitive fixture. Barnet's main rivalry now lies with Hertfordshire neighbours Stevenage, who over the last few years have been of a similar level to them.
- South London derby – any between Charlton Athletic, Millwall, Crystal Palace and AFC Wimbledon. Despite Millwall's fiercest rivalry being with East Londoners West Ham United, they also have a rivalry with their neighbours Crystal Palace, and to a lesser extent Charlton Athletic.
- West London derby – any between Brentford, Chelsea, Fulham and Queens Park Rangers. The clubs of Brentford, Fulham and Queens Park Rangers share longstanding rivalries with each other, although Queens Park Rangers and Fulham usually regard Chelsea as their major rivals. However, in more recent years and due to their success in the last 10–15 years, the West London rivalry has not been fully reciprocated by Chelsea fans, who typically regard Arsenal, Tottenham Hotspur, West Ham United, Manchester City and Manchester United as more significant rivals.
See also
References
- Harvey, Geoff & Vanessa Strowger Rivals: The Offbeat Guide to the 92 League Clubs, Aesculus Press Limited, 2004, ISBN 978-1904328131
- "Understanding London football rivalries" by Peter Watts, 8 February 2010
- "Brentford and Fulham briefly resume a rivalry", When Saturday Comes, July 2010
- "London: A Football Fan’s Heaven", SoccerWithoutLimits website, July 7, 2012
- "The English Fan", FussballinLondon website
- London football teams, Transfers-in-London website
External links
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