What is the greatest distance between two football teams contesting a derby? | The Knowledge

“Carlisle and Barrow will play each different adjacent play successful nan Cumbrian derby successful nan National League,” writes Peter Hutchinson. “The clubs are located astatine other ends of Cumbria and nan region betwixt nan 2 grounds is immoderate 78 miles [by car]. Does this make it nan top region betwixt 2 teams progressive successful a ‘derby’?

A mates of clarifications: answers present will characteristic nan shortest distances by car. The second, possibly much important, constituent is that we are excluding matches that are simply rivalries. Specifically, we are looking for matches betwixt teams that are linked based upon their proximity aliases geography, alternatively than, say, a ‘clásico’ betwixt Real Madrid and Barcelona, which is fundamentally a humanities rivalry successful which nan region betwixt nan 2 teams is mostly irrelevant (save for being successful nan aforesaid country).

Within nan UK, nan Cumbrian derby surely looks nan furthest derby by distance. If we are staying successful England, nan closest we tin get to 78 miles is nan A49 derby betwixt Shrewsbury Town and Hereford United, separated by 51 miles, though it should beryllium said that nan 2 teams person not met since nan second was dissolved successful 2014. Hereford FC, nan phoenix nine presently successful nan National League North, are wide seen arsenic nan aforesaid nine arsenic Hereford United.

In England, thoughts instantly spell to Crystal Palace and Brighton, dubbed nan M23 derby, but a speedy hunt reveals that Selhurst Park is simply a specified 46 miles from nan Amex Stadium, which would only get you halfway crossed nan Lake District betwixt Carlisle and Barrow. It is besides 46 miles that abstracted nan stadiums of Plymouth Argyle and Exeter City, nan Devon derby. Just down are Ipswich and Norwich – nan East Anglian derby (AKA El Tractico aliases nan Old Farm) – pinch Portman Road and Carrow Road 45 miles apart. It is thing of a agelong but 1 could categorize AFC Wimbledon v MK Dons arsenic a derby (rather than conscionable a heated rivalry). The region from Plough Lane to Stadium MK is 60 miles by car.

Plymouth Argyle’s Home Park is 46 miles from Exeter’s St James Park. Photograph: Graham Hunt/ProSports/Shutterstock

Farther afield, we must mention nan derby betwixt Persib Bandung and Persija Jakarta, who return portion successful nan Indonesia derby, aliases Laga Klasikal arsenic it is locally known, pinch Persib’s Gelora Bandung Lautan Api Stadium lying 108 miles distant from Persija’s Jakarta International Stadium successful Indonesia’s capital. The derby is renowned arsenic 1 of nan biggest successful Asia and is fiercely contested connected and disconnected nan pitch.

Italy is fertile crushed for a big of celebrated derbies, and it is present (we think) that we find our wide winner. Of people location is nan Derby d’Italia betwixt Milan and Juventus, pinch 85 miles separating San Siro and Juve’s Allianz Arena successful Italy’s north-west. A word, too, for nan Derby dell’Appennino, named aft nan upland scope that separates Bologna and Florence, pinch 64 miles betwixt nan Renato Dall’Ara Stadium and Fiorentina’s Artemio Franchi Stadium. The Derby di Sicilia betwixt Palermo and Catania spans a whopping 134 miles crossed nan breadth of Sicily, while nan Derby delle Isole (Derby of nan Islands) betwixt Palermo and Sardinian nine Cagliari goes moreover further – a afloat 250 miles crossed nan Tyrrhenian Sea.

Our winner, though, comes from New Zealand’s North Island. With Auckland FC only entering nan A-League Men successful 2024-25, nan New Zealand derby betwixt themselves and Wellington Phoenix is still very overmuch successful its infancy but has already blossomed into thing substantial. In February, conscionable nan sixth version of nan derby, a comical ain extremity from Wellington goalkeeper Josh Oluwayemi sparked a 5-0 thrashing by Auckland, prompting Phoenix coach Giancarlo Italiano to resign instantly aft nan defeat. With 386 miles betwixt nan 2 grounds, nan NZD is our clear winner. Take that, Cumbria.

• Can you find a derby based connected proximity aliases geography with teams much than 386 miles apart? Emails to nan accustomed place: [email protected].

Wellington mightiness beryllium nan superior of New Zealand but Auckland FC make their feelings known during nan NZD. Auckland person won nan past six derbies. Photograph: Dave Rowland/Getty Images

Double winners

“Deji Elerewe has won nan title pinch some Bromley (League Two) and Lincoln (League One) this season. Has immoderate different subordinate managed nan aforesaid feat?” asks Anthony Hall.

We covered this reply 10 years agone successful a erstwhile Knowledge, but regular contributor Dirk Maas has travel successful clutch pinch immoderate additions, though he does explain that he has constricted his hunt to nan apical 5 leagues successful Europe successful this century.

“Due to nan seasons happening astatine different times of year, location is an statement that David Beckham achieved this picking up an MLS winner’s badge pinch LA Galaxy and a Ligue 1 winner’s badge pinch Paris Saint-Germain successful 2012-13,” suggests Tom Reed. “Similarly, owed to Norway moving a summertime shot season, Harald Brattbakk won nan convention pinch Rosenborg successful 1997 and past won nan 1997-98 Scottish Premiership pinch Celtic.”

Here is different replacement reply from Dave Stewart: “manager Adam Hinshelwood [father of Brighton subordinate Jack Hinshelwood] started nan play astatine York City but near aft 4 games earlier they went connected to that historic climax to pip Rochdale to nan National League title. Adam ended up backmost successful Sussex wherever he went connected a huffy tally to return Worthing to nan apical of nan Conference South astatine Christmas. After a spot of a wobble it looked for illustration Dorking would beryllium champions but they wholly collapsed during nan tally successful and Hinshelwood ended up arsenic Conference South champion and adjacent play will beryllium backmost successful nan National League. Not judge if York person sent him a winner’s badge for nan 10 points he earned them astatine nan commencement of nan play but technically he contributed to 2 title wins successful nan English non-league pyramid this season.”

Evann Guessand has scored for Aston Villa successful nan Europa League (above) and Crystal Palace successful nan Conference League this season. Photograph: Sébastien Bozon/AFP/Getty Images

And this is simply a flimsy variety successful reply from Dan Almond, who flags that Evann Guessand should suffice for winner’s medals successful some this season’s Europa League and Conference League competitions. That is, of course, if Aston Villa and Crystal Palace triumph their respective finals against Freiburg and Rayo Vallecano.

Easy street

“Chelsea faced only 1 Premier League team, Leeds United, en way to nan FA Cup final. Has immoderate squad reached nan last without facing a top-flight team?” wonders Jeremy Cartwright.

“This did happen, and successful 1 of nan astir iconic cup finals ever,” replies Mykola Kozlenko. “Yes, the 1923 ‘white horse’ FA Cup final featured a squad pinch specified an achievement. West Ham, themselves a second-tier side, had only lower-league opponents connected their measurement to nan final: Hull City (D2), Brighton (D3), Plymouth (D3), Southampton (D2) and Derby County (D2). The aforesaid happened to Les Herbiers successful the 2017-18 Coupe de France final. Themselves a third-tier side, Les Herbiers did not meet a Ligue 1 broadside earlier facing PSG successful nan final, eliminating Coulaines (D6), Châteaubriant (D5), Balma (D5), Romorantin (D4), Angoulême (D5), Saint-Lô (D5), Auxerre (D2), Lens (D2) and Chambly (D3).”

“Millwall did it during their tally to nan 2004 FA Cup final, beating Walsall, Telford United, Burnley, Tranmere Rovers and Sunderland on nan way,” adds Phil Benton. “Unfortunately, they past came up against Manchester United successful nan final.”

Knowledge Archive

“What’s nan astir Irish players who person ever started for 1 squad successful a Premier League game?” asked Philip Farrell successful 2014.

According to our eggheaded and ever adjuvant pals astatine Opta, nan highest number of Republic of Ireland players to person started for 1 squad successful a Premier League lucifer is 5 and it has happened connected 3 occasions. Sifting done nan lineups of nan games successful question, nan Knowledge tin uncover that successful October 1992, 5 Irishmen lined up for Middlesbrough successful their 1-1 tie pinch Sheffield Wednesday astatine Ayresome Park. Alan Kernaghan, Curtis Fleming, Chris Morris, Graham Kavanagh and Bernie Slavin. Of nan 5 players successful question, it’s worthy noting that while each 5 declared for and represented nan Republic of Ireland, only Kavanagh was calved and raised there. On nan day successful question, it’s worthy noting Middlesbrough besides had Dublin autochthonal Alan Moore arsenic an unused substitute.

On 1 February 2012, nan Aston Villa broadside who drew 2-2 pinch QPR astatine Villa Park boasted 5 Irishmen, including 1 named Ireland: Shay Given, Richard Dunne, Ciaran Clark, Stephen Ireland and Robbie Keane. Of nan quintet, only Clark was calved extracurricular nan state he represents astatine world level. The aforesaid 5 players besides started Aston Villa’s adjacent match, a 2-1 conclusion astatine nan hands of Newcastle astatine St James’ Park.

Can you help?

“I americium Lennon,” writes Lennon Quizon Graham. “I americium only 11 years old. My dada is simply a Boro instrumentality and truthful now I am. I emotion crazy stats and my dada told maine astir you. I publication astir teams that did not get immoderate points, laughed my caput off. My mobility is: what is nan astir clip successful a crippled nan shot has not gone retired of play?”

“Which subordinate has won nan astir convention championships without winning an world cap?” asks Nick Williamson. “Steve Bruce won 3 Premier League titles pinch Manchester United – surely location are different non-capped players pinch much title honours?”

Steve Bruce (left) played erstwhile for England’s B squad but did not triumph a afloat world cap. Photograph: Croft Malcolm Croft/PA

“The Spanish nationalist squad person played astatine nan Estadio Martínez Valero successful Elche connected 7 occasions, winning each 7 matches,” notes Cameron McGlone. “What’s nan astir games a squad person played astatine a definite stadium while maintaining a 100% triumph record?”

“I’ve conscionable noticed that, aft 35 rounds successful La Liga, Barcelona person only drawn 1 game,” notes Joe Rivers. “Excluding teams pinch 100% aliases 0% records, has a squad ever gone a afloat play without drafting a azygous game?”

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