Bristol derby
The two teams moments before kick-off of the 2007 goalless draw at Ashton Gate
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| Locale | Bristol, England |
|---|---|
| Teams | |
| First meeting |
25 January 1896 Eastville Rovers 4–0 Bristol South End 1895–96 Gloucestershire Cup |
| Latest meeting | 4 September 2013 City 2–1 Rovers 2013–14 Football League Trophy |
| Stadiums |
Ashton Gate Memorial Stadium |
| Statistics | |
| Meetings total | 232 |
| Most wins | Bristol City (105) |
| All-time record | Bristol City: 105 Drawn: 62 Bristol Rovers: 65 |
| Largest victory | Rovers 0–5 City (1926) Rovers 0–5 City (1945) Rovers 0–5 City (1969) |
| Largest goal scoring | Rovers 4–4 City (1940) City 5–3 Rovers (1956) |
| Longest win streak | City: 6 (1945) Rovers: 5 (1981–1983) |
| Longest unbeaten streak | City: 10 (1975–1981) Rovers: 8 (1988–1990) |
| Current win streak | 1 win (City) |
| Map | |
| Map showing the locations of the two teams within Bristol. | |
The Bristol derby is the name given to football matches played between Bristol City and Bristol Rovers (a "local derby"). The fans of each club both consider the other to be their main rivals, 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.
The first meeting of what would become a fierce rivalry took place on 22 September 1894, when newly formed Bristol South End (later to be renamed Bristol City) hosted a friendly match with Eastville Rovers (later Bristol Rovers) at their ground at St John's Lane in Bedminster. The Southerners, perhaps surprisingly, defeated their more established opponents 2–1. After a further number of friendly matches, the teams had their first competitive meeting when they were drawn together in the 1895–96 Gloucestershire Cup. This time Rovers, who had the home advantage at their Ridgeway ground, were the victors with an emphatic 4–0 defeat of South End, in what was reported to have been a very physical encounter:
It was a regular cup tie, and was characterised by very rough play, and an inclination on the part of a number of players to "have a few words" with their opponents–in fact on two or three occasions the referee had to remind the offenders that it was not a boxing contest.
The following season the teams met in league competition for the first time when South End joined the Western League, winning 2–0 away to Rovers on 26 September 1896. In 1897 South End renamed themselves Bristol City and played in both the Southern League and the now-professional Western League, but opted to leave the Western League a year later. Rovers meanwhile split their seasons between the Birmingham & District League and Western League, not joining the Southern League until 1899, meaning there were no league matches played between the clubs during the 1898–99 season.
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