The Top 5 Biggest Rivalries in the EFL

There is no level of passion that can come close to Derby Day Football. A battle between both players and fans jam packed full of emotion and hatred that makes for brilliant entertainment.

You know the big ones from the Premier League; North London, Manchester, Merseyside, but the EFL rivalries are just as if not more fierce , with incredibly passionate fans who like to make their hatred well known.

We will dive into what we believe are the top 5 biggest rivalries across the EFL – What are your opinions?

5. Leeds United vs Derby County

This has always been a fixture that has maintained a certain level of animosity however in recent seasons, a huge incident in 2018 massively intensified this rivalry.

Leeds manager at the time Marcelo Bielsa was reported spying on a Derby County training session which evidently proved ineffective as Frank Lampards Deby County were victorious for the first time in the last four meetings between the two sides.

A guard of honour was given by Derby County to Leeds but the hatred between the fans is still prominent.

4. Bristol Rovers vs Bristol City

The rivalry in Bristol is a hugely intense rivalry in which both teams despise each other massively, however it gets the fourth spot as the two sides have not faced off against each other in over a decade. Bristol City are currently enjoying their tenth consecutive season in the Championship whilst Rovers have spent most of their time in League One with two visits to League Two.

The first competitive match dates all the way back to 1895 when they met in the Gloucestershire Cup in which it is documented that Rovers were victorious 4-0 in what was a very physical encounter. This has continued throughout history with some fans refusing to go to derby days due to violence fears.

2013 was the most recent meetings between the two sides that ended in catastrophe, with a huge scale pitch invasion orchestrated by Bristol City which led to the arrests of over 60 people and injuries to three police officers

3. Cheltenham vs Forest Green Rovers

What fans have humorously called ‘El Glosico’ has been a rivalry that stems back through history and while it has never reached massive heights, in the lower leagues it is distinguished rivalry.

While the area is one factor, another factor is the core differences between how the two clubs operate. Forest Green Rovers, like the name sake, are owned by a wind farm magnate who has promoted his club to be the first vegan football club as there are no animal products sold at the ground. Cheltenham fans adhere to this by inventing a chant to ridicule the owner as a “sad vegan b*****d”.

It was going off earlier in Cheltenham between Cheltenham and Forest Green fans…

😮 pic.twitter.com/72WHLyTwq4

— Football Away Days (@FBAwayDays) April 22, 2023

The rivalry became widely heated in the spring of 2023, where swarms of fans for both teams flocked to the streets and enjoyed a stand and scream off while masses of police gathered in between them. Both began their chants and lit their flares but no huge violence between the two fans.

2. Burnley vs Blackburn Rovers

𝙀𝙖𝙨𝙩 𝙇𝙖𝙣𝙘𝙖𝙨𝙝𝙞𝙧𝙚 𝘿𝙚𝙧𝙗𝙮 🌹

Two towns, with two stadiums separated by a 16-mile drive via the M65, will do battle. One of the most heated and intense rivalries in English football.

Where would you rank "𝙀𝙡 𝙇𝙖𝙣𝙘𝙡𝙖𝙨𝙞𝙘𝙤"?

🔵⚪ #Rovers || #Burnley 🟣🔵 pic.twitter.com/W6RhdSsAcA

— 𝖓𝖆𝖙𝖍𝖆𝖓 (@TheTattedRover) January 23, 2024

With Burnley dropping back down into the EFL after last seasons blunder in the Premier League, the East Lancashire derby has been rebooted for this season with both teams now sitting in the Championship.

A rivalry so rich in hatred in history that there is a book published with the sole intent of promoting how much the two sides have hated each other throughout history.

While it may seem obvious that it is due to being from the same area, the rivalry itself goes so much deeper. One big issue came back in the 1890’s when Blackburn complained to the FA that Burnley were fielding too many Scotts. The FA rules at the time dictated that to be paid to play you had to live within two miles of the club and Rovers noticed Burnley was not adhering to this rule.

The rivalry mellowed out slightly, still fierce on the pitch but the off the pitch was less so. That was until Hooliganism began to grow in British football and Burnley formed the ‘Suicide Squad’ while the ‘Mill Hill Mob’ formed in Blackburn which added fuel to a heated rivalry. Nowadays it continues to be an intense battle especially as both sides fight so close against each other in the Championship, with Burnley sat third and Rovers in fifth.

1. Cardiff City vs Swansea City

That’s right, you guessed it, the South Wales derby. A football match described The Independent as one of the fiercest rivalries in British football, these two sides have faced off against each other over 100 times and each game is just as passionate as the last.

“Cardiff City and Swansea City though, the rivalry is characterised by an animosity rarely seen in other aspects of Welsh culture”

Hooliganism was a big reason for the explosion of this rivalry, with younger men going to away days in their massive groups and consuming more and more alcohol leading to massive fights.

An incident in 1988 saw a number of Swansea fans chase the Cardiff fans after the game all the way to the point where they jumped into the sea. And still, after all this time you can hear Swans fans chant “Swim Away”. It would then get worse from their as 1993 hit and all of a sudden there was a ban on away fans in the stadium after a brawl spilled out onto the pitch causing a 40-minute delay.

CALLUM ROBINSON PUTS CARDIFF 2-0 UP IN THE SOUTH WALES DERBY 😳

Look at those limbs 😅 pic.twitter.com/cQaCKac9Jp

— The 44 ⚽️ (@The_Forty_Four) January 18, 2025

The passion was clearly on show in the most recent clash between the two sides after a Callum Robinson brace saw Cardiff city victorious for the third time in the last ten matches.