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Football rivalries in the UK represent far more than just fixtures on the sporting calendar. They are special occasions where a blend of tribal traditions, pride, passion and resentment creates events of major emotional significance.
These rivalries have been forged over decades through periods of local antagonism, industrial struggle, class divide, differing political ideologies and for the sheer love of the game.
Rivalries in football stir emotions on the pitch and in the stands in equal measure, captivating both native and worldwide supporters on matchday.
Frequent visitors to online football betting sites know that the unpredictability of derby day, where form and logic often go out the window, can have a massive impact on markets, odds and outcomes.
Below, we’ve explored some of the most iconic and oldest UK football rivalries.
Nottingham Forest vs Notts County – 150 Years of History
While encounters between neighbours Nottingham Forest and Notts County in the modern era are thin on the ground, their rivalry remains a historically significant event.
Founded in 1862, Notts County is recognised as the world’s oldest professional football club and was established three years before Forest followed along down the road in 1865. Indeed, the clubs’ stadiums at Meadow Lane and the City Ground are separated by just 300 metres in Nottingham.
The 1860s hosted the first meetings between Forest and County, though the sides have operated in different divisions for much of their respective histories, meeting competitive fixtures between the pair have been rare.
Nottingham Forest and Notts County last met for a competitive clash in the 2011/12 edition of the English League Cup. Forest triumphed on penalties on that occasion following an exciting 3-3 draw between the teams.
Aston Villa vs West Bromwich Albion – The Original Midlands Derby
The English Midlands is a hotbed of football fanaticism and deeply entrenched local feuds, though Aston Villa’s rivalry with West Brom is arguably the region’s oldest and most bitterly contested.
Villa and Albion first locked horns all the way back in December 1882 (303) making this rivalry a century and a half old.
The animosity between the clubs was cemented through some early skirmishes in the FA Cup, including the competition’s Final in 1887, when Villa claimed the spoils and local bragging rights with a 2-0 win.
The clubs are separated by just four miles on the map and while they share other similarities as institutions borne out of working-class communities, the ill-feeling between them burns bright.
Aston Villa and WBA last played each other in April 2021 (2-2) when both clubs competed in the Premier League. Albion were relegated to the Championship that year and the rivals haven’t met since.
Sheffield Wednesday vs Sheffield United – A Derby Forged in Steel
Few UK football rivalries are as intense as the Steel City Derby, a lengthy conflict contested by Sheffield Wednesday and Sheffield United.
Sheffield is one of the birthplaces of club football and while Notts County (mentioned above) are considered the planet’s oldest professional outfit, a club called Sheffield FC, which was founded in 1857, is often named as the world’s oldest football club overall.
Wednesday was established in 1867 with United formed more than 20 years later in 1889, with the first meeting between the clubs coming just 12 months later in the first-ever Steel City Derby in 1890.
That so-called “friendly” fixture finished 2-1 in Wednesday’s favour, though United have the better overall record since, clocking 51 wins in the clubs’ 146 competitive encounters with the Owls winning 48 times during the same period.
The Steel City Derby remains one of the most emotionally charged fixtures in the English game to this day.
Sheffield United and Wednesday were both in the English Championship during the recent 2024/25 campaign. The Blades beat Wednesday home and away last term to power their successful promotion push, though ten players picked up yellow cards in both meetings combined.
Blackburn Rovers vs Burnley – The East Lancashire Derby
Arguably one of the most bitter and enduring rivalries in English football, the East Lancashire Derby between old enemies Blackburn Rovers and Burnley is often cited as the oldest rivalry in league football.
Both Rovers and the Clarets were among the original founding members of the English Football League in 1888, though they first collided on the pitch four years before that in 1884.
Alongside their proximity (the clubs sit just 10 miles apart), Rovers and Burnley’s rivalry was sparked by the towns’ economic and social friction, and violent clashes between supporters through the years have been common.
Rovers and Burnley met twice during the 2024/25 English Championship campaign and an incredible 12 cards were brandished in one of those hate-filled encounters.
Rangers vs Celtic – The Old Firm Derby
No list of historic UK football rivalries could be complete without mentioning the Old Firm Derby between Glasgow Rangers and Celtic, the infamous Scottish rivalry that regularly ranks among the fiercest and emotionally charged derbies in world football.
Known as the “Old Firm”, the Glasgow derby has been contested an incredible 466 times since its first iteration in 1988.
The Old Firm rivalry transcends ordinary sporting and geographical dimensions. It’s deeply intertwined with relegation, politics, sectarianism and even national identity.
Celtic was founded to support the Irish Catholic immigrant community while Rangers has traditionally drawn backing from the Protestant unionist population, and the institutions’ values differ in virtually every way from brick to blade of grass.
Derby days in Glasgow are regularly high-stakes affairs and usually have a massive influence on the Scottish Premiership title race each year. Atmospheres at Ibrox and Celtic Park during Old Firm fixtures are raw, visceral and incredibly hostile, while the games are annual meccas for punters looking to make bank on the back of online bookmakers’ card markets.
