London derbies

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The term London Derbies refers to the various football local derbies between the teams in London, England. It specifically refers to individual matches between the teams, but can also be used to describe the general ongoing rivalry between the clubs and fans.

Teams in London[edit]

As of 2013–14, there are thirteen clubs in the Premier League and Football League that play in the Greater London area, which are as follows:

Division Team(s)
Premier League Arsenal; Chelsea; Crystal Palace; Fulham; Tottenham; West Ham.
Football League Championship Charlton; Queens Park Rangers; Millwall.
Football League One Brentford; Leyton Orient.
Football League Two AFC Wimbledon; Dagenham & Redbridge.

Former Football League clubs based in London include Barnet, Thames and Wimbledon.

Major London derbies[edit]

Some of the most heated rivalries are between clubs that are geographically close together, including:

  • North London derby – between Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur. A rivalry has existed since Arsenal's move to the Highbury area of North London in 1913, and especially since Arsenal's promotion to the First Division in 1919. It is perhaps the most hotly contested of all London derbies. Previously, North London's 'second derby' was Barnet v Enfield, with the two large, non-league clubs sharing a bitter mutual hatred. However, Barnet won promotion to the league in 1991 and Enfield did not follow. They have since disbanded, and neither of Enfield's two new clubs, Enfield Town or Enfield 1893 has yet taken on "the bees" in a competitive fixture. Barnet's main rivalry now lies with Hertfordshire neighbours Stevenage, who over the last few years have been of a similar level to them.
  • West London derby – any between Brentford, Chelsea, Fulham and Queens Park Rangers. The clubs of Brentford, Fulham and Queens Park Rangers share longstanding rivalries with each other, although Queens Park Rangers and Fulham usually regard Chelsea as their major rivals. However, due to being a bigger and more successful club, the West London rivalry has never been reciprocated by Chelsea fans, who typically regard Arsenal, Tottenham Hotspur, West Ham United and Yorkshire's Leeds United as historically more significant rivals.

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