Is It a Derby?

Ahead of a bumper weekend of proper local football derbies, we dug in on three rivalries that whilst not very local, all share an unusual amount of needle!

Find out why Peterborough United v Huddersfield Town, Gillingham Football Club v Swindon Town Football Club and Coventry City FC v Sunderland AFC all rank as real grudge matches for different reasons on the new IIAD blog...

3 Unusual English Football Rivalries — Not Derbies, but Plenty of Needle Coventry vs Sunderland, Gillingham vs Swindon, and Huddersfield vs Peterborough — three of English football's strangest grudge matches.

Brentford v Fulham, Saturday 12:30. The algorithm has thoughts 👇

🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩 Derby: 100/100
🟨🟨🟨🟨🟨🟨⬜⬜⬜⬜ Rivalry: 62/100
PROPER LOCAL DERBY 🔥

📍 3.1 miles apart
📊 68 meetings since 1903

Geographically it’s as derby as it gets - two grounds barely three miles apart along the Thames.

But the rivalry score tells the real story: decades spent in different divisions meant the needle never properly sharpened. A slow-burner that’s only really heated up since Brentford’s rise to the Premier League in 2021.

Try it with your own club, or settle an argument with a mate → isitaderby.co.uk/?a=fulham&b=brentford

What’s the most underrated derby in English football?

Is It A Derby? Settle the local derby debate once and for all. Pick two English football clubs and we'll score it.

This weekend is a huge one for local derbies across English football. Here's what's coming:

🏟️ Brentford vs Fulham (Sat): 3.1 miles apart. Score: 100/100. The oldest rivalry in West London, and they've somehow got even closer since Brentford's stadium move.

🏟️ Millwall vs QPR (Sat): 8 miles across London. Score: 76. East vs West!

🏟️ Oldham vs Salford City (Sat): 6.7 miles in Greater Manchester. Score: 91. Proper local, not played that often over the years.

🏟️ Everton vs Liverpool (Sun): 1.7 miles across Stanley Park. Score: 100/100 and one of the ultimates in English footie. Need we say more?

Look up any matchup 👉 isitaderby.co.uk

Manchester United vs Leeds United tonight at Old Trafford. A rivalry that predates football itself; Lancashire vs Yorkshire, the Wars of the Roses, centuries of one-upmanship.

In football terms, it was Don Revie's Leeds and Matt Busby's United that turned it toxic in the 1960s. Then in 1992, Eric Cantona left Elland Road for Old Trafford for just £1.2m — a transfer Leeds fans still haven't forgiven. Alex Ferguson later admitted Leeds were the team he most wanted to beat.

114 meetings and counting. Enjoy this one, derby or not!

Manchester United vs Leeds United kicks off at 8pm this evening - one of the most charged fixtures in English football, and a rivalry going back through history.

The Wars of the Roses, Revie vs Busby, Cantona's betrayal across the M62.

But at 36.6 miles apart, our algorithm quite rightly says this is not a derby, scoring the match at just 5 out of 100.

So, a fierce rivalry yes, but not a local derby and don't let anyone down the pub claim otherwise!

Look it up and check the video for highlights of one of the greatest footballing Wars of the 🌹 ever 👉 https://isitaderby.co.uk/?a=manchester-united&b=leeds-united

Is It A Derby? Settle the local derby debate once and for all. Pick two English football clubs and we'll score it.

Who else is excited for a double derby day across Sky Bet Championship and Sky Bet League One??

12:30 sees two proper regional rivalries back on the table 💥

Norwich City FC taking on Ipswich Town Football Club in the Tractor Derby 🚜:

🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩⬜⬜⬜⬜ Derby: 56/100
🟨🟨🟨🟨🟨🟨🟨🟨🟨⬜ Rivalry: 85/100
LOCAL DERBY ✅
📍 39.8 miles apart
📊 121 meetings since 1902

Plymouth Argyle Football Club against Exeter City Football Club in the Devon Derby 🌊:

🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩⬜⬜⬜ Derby: 71/100
🟨🟨🟨🟨🟨🟨🟨🟨🟨⬜ Rivalry: 86/100
LOCAL DERBY ✅
📍 36.4 miles apart
📊 130 meetings since 1908

NEW!

isitaderby.co.uk scores any English football matchup for "derby-ness" (is that even a word?!)

✅ 177 clubs, PL to NL North/South
✅ Distance, density & history factored in
✅ 489 rivalries scored
✅ Proper history & iconic clips embedded
✅ Fully shareable

We've done the hard work of adjusting for regionality, club density, and more to help you settle that argument once and for all 😏