Bristol derby
 Bristol City and Bristol Rovers prepare for their derby at Ashton Gate in February 2007 | |
| City or region | Bristol |
|---|---|
| Teams involved | Bristol City, Bristol Rovers |
| First contested | 13 October 1897 |
| Most wins | Bristol City (44) |
| Most recent meeting |
Bristol City 2–1 Bristol Rovers (4 September 2013) |
| Next meeting | N/A |
| Largest victory |
Bristol Rovers 0–5 Bristol City (9 October 1926) |
The Bristol derby is the name given to football matches played between Bristol Rovers and Bristol City (a "local derby"). The fans of each club both consider the other to be their main rivals,[1] leading to a heated atmosphere at these matches. The majority of the meetings between the teams have been in the Football League, and they used to meet annually in the Gloucestershire Cup.
The Bristol Derby was deemed 8th fiercest rivalry in English football in an in-depth report by the Football Pools in 2008.[2]
History
The first meeting between Bristol City and Bristol Rovers took place on 22 September 1894 when the two teams, then called Bristol South End and Eastville Rovers, met at St John's Lane in Bedminster. The game finished 3–1 to Eastville Rovers, the team that went on to become Bristol Rovers.[3]
The most recent match between the two sides came on 4 September 2013 in the Johnstone's Paint Trophy first round at City's Ashton Gate Stadium. The game finished 2–1 to City.[4] The match, which was broadcast live on Sky Sports, was overshadowed by a post match pitch invasion by a number of Bristol City supporters, leading to 19 arrests being made and three police officers injured.[5]
Statistics
Below is a summary of the results of matches played between Bristol City and Bristol Rovers in the Football League, FA Cup, Football League Cup and Football League Trophy.
Bristol City have traditionally been the stronger of the two sides winning 43 of the derbies compared to 29 for Bristol Rovers. Moreover Bristol City have, in recent years, been in a higher league than Bristol Rovers, this has meant that the two sides have not met in a league match since the 2000–01 season.
As at 23:28, 4 September 2013 (UTC)[6]
| City wins | Draws | Rovers wins | City goals | Rovers goals | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| At Bristol City | 25 | 18 | 11 | 88 | 56 |
| At Bristol Rovers | 19 | 15 | 18 | 68 | 68 |
| Total | 44 | 33 | 29 | 156 | 124 |
Records
- Highest aggregate score: 8 (Bristol City 5–3 Bristol Rovers, 1956–57)
- Highest Bristol City score: 5 (Bristol Rovers 0–5 Bristol City, 1926–27)
- Highest Bristol Rovers score: 5 (Bristol Rovers 5–1 Bristol City, 1933–34)
- Most Recent Result: Bristol City 2–1 Bristol Rovers, 2013–14
Players for both sides
A number of players have played for both Rovers and City in Bristol derbies. These include:
- Peter Beadle
- Steve Phillips
- Brian Williams
- David Clarkson
References
- ↑ "Rivalry uncovered" (PDF). Football fans census. Retrieved 2007-09-10.
- ↑ http://www.footballpools.com/football-fever/rivalries-league.html
- ↑ Byrne, Stephen; Jay, Mike (2003). Bristol Rovers Football Club – The Definitive History 1883–2003. Stroud: Tempus. ISBN 0-7524-2717-2.
- ↑ "Bristol City 2–1 Bristol Rovers". bbc.co.uk. 2013-09-04. Retrieved 2013-09-05.
- ↑ "Bristol police injured in City v Rovers pitch invasion". bbc.co.uk. 2013-09-05. Retrieved 2013-09-05.
- ↑ "Head-to-head". Bristol Rovers Mad. Retrieved 2007-09-10.
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