Severnside derby
| Locale | South Wales and West Country (England) |
|---|---|
| Teams | Bristol City and Cardiff City |
| First meeting | 9 January 1915 |
| Latest meeting | Bristol City 2-3 Cardiff City (14 January 2017) |
| Next meeting | TBA |
| Statistics | |
| Meetings total | 90 |
| Most wins | Bristol City (36 wins) |
| Most player appearances | Louis Carey (Bristol City) (36) |
| Largest victory | Bristol City 0-6 Cardiff City (26 January 2010) |
The Severnside derby is a local derby in football in the United Kingdom between Welsh club Cardiff City and English club Bristol City. The term Severnside derby can also be given to a match between Cardiff City and Bristol Rovers, or between Newport County and either of the Bristol-based clubs.
Although it is a traditional local rivalry, it is different in that it also crosses the Wales–England border, increasing somewhat the hostility between the two teams. As well as bragging rights the matches are seen as an "international contest". Both sets of fans use this to taunt each other with patriotic songs.
In the Football Fans census in 2003 about football rivalries, Bristol City and Cardiff were listed as 10th and 13th in the UK respectively in a list of teams.
Both teams' fans have a history of hooliganism and have their own hooligan firm: Cardiff's being the Soul Crew and Bristol City with the City Service Firm. Due to the fierce rivalry and the history of the two teams the encounters can end up with some sort of conflict, commonly pre-organised.
In an attempt to discourage the violence, games between the two are usually kept "all coach", meaning that everyone travelling to an away game must travel using the club's official transport and therefore no one can travel to the game of their own accord. The coaches are usually accompanied by a heavy police presence and away fans tend to be kept in the ground after the game until the home fans have all left. While this has been mildly successful in stopping organised fights fans still attempt to attack each other by throwing objects such as bottles and coins during the game.
The violence involved with this derby was featured in a BBC documentary in 2001, Hooligans. In the programme a reporter wearing a hidden camera infiltrated the Soul Crew, exposing the use of racist chanting and abuse as well as a lack of control by stewards and police.
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