Rivalry or derby?

What constitutes one or the other? Geographical proximity? Faux loathing? Does it matter if you've never played each other?

Sep 13, 2024

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🏟️ Rivalries and derbies
⚽ Match of the weekend
📢 New Podcast + All the headlines from around Berkshire

When I were a lad, in Year 9 at school we studied ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’. The textbook helpfully published a ‘who loves who’ diagram to keep track of the ever-changing plot line surrounding the young lovers, Lysander, Demetrius, Hermia and Helena, with their fluctuating desires under influence of the love potion administered by that mischievous sprite, Puck. Conversely, if you were to plot footballing rivalry with a ‘who hates who’ chart you might have to draw up a Venn diagram that would stretch the width of the M4.

At FiB Towers recently we have been discussing footballing ‘rivalry’ over the watercooler during the rare 2-minute breaks Ebeneezer Canning allows us from churning out the most up-to-date county coverage it is possible to provide. The consensus? You cannot really define what makes a rivalry. Geographical proximity would seem to constitute much faux loathing – for me, a ‘local derby’ should not necessarily be confused with a ‘rivalry’ - but at the top of the Berkshire footballing tree Reading FC supporters would look towards Oxford United and Swindon Town to direct their animosity – those two however are rather more preoccupied with each, making Royal antipathy rather unrequited.

On a recent visit to Aldershot Town with Maidenhead United, the home crowd’s ‘interesting’ repertoire included anti-Reading ballads. The two clubs have technically never played each other in a competitive match! In reality, Reading supporters would probably have got most het up with matches played against former managers Mark McGhee and Alan Pardew, so grudges tend to be as much be personal as local.

Just north of the county border, Wycombe Wanderers have a long-standing mutual disdain for former Vauxhall Conference rivals Colchester United. Down the other end of the A404(M), Maidenhead supporter’s blood really gets pumping when they face off against Ebbsfleet United. Two less logical rivalries there, based on pure sporting conflict rather than geographical design. Just this week, Windsor & Eton faced off against Wokingham Town, a match which would have been huge locally during both club’s Isthmian League heyday.

I’d suggest that genuine rivalry only needs to be (a) fully reciprocated (b) enacted with regularity to develop that narrative and preferably (c) treated with good humour. Knowing football crowds, I’m probably living in a Midsummer Night’s Dreamland expecting the latter……

Match of the Weekend

Saturday 14th September / 3pm / Racecourse Ground

Ascot United vs Met Police

The Yellas are in Isthmian League action and both sides are tied on seven points just outside the play-off places. Both sides are scoring and conceding so this could be an entertaining affair.

All the weekend fixtures

Food Review: All the reviews so far

All The Wandering Tractor’s reviews so far.

All reviews here

NEW PODCAST EPISODE

Meet Jon Underwood, the new Bracknell Town manager

Tom Canning

Sep 12

Meet Jon Underwood, the new Bracknell Town manager

Bracknell Town have a new manager in Jon Underwood. The former Slough Town joint-manager knows expectations are high, but stability is required after what has been an unsettling time.

Read full story