Nene derby
| Location | East of England East Midlands |
|---|---|
| Teams | Northampton Town Peterborough United |
| First meeting | Peterborough 1–1 Northampton 1946–47 FA Cup (14 December 1946) |
| Latest meeting | Peterborough 5–1 Northampton League One (5 March 2024) |
| Stadiums | Sixfields Stadium (Northampton) London Road Stadium (Peterborough) |
| Statistics | |
| Most wins | Peterborough (35) |
| All-time series | Peterborough: 35 Drawn: 19 Northampton: 22 |
| Largest victory | Northampton 8–1 Peterborough 1946–47 FA Cup (23 December 1946) |
The Nene derby is the name of the association football local rivalry in England between Northampton Town and Peterborough United, both of which are based along the River Nene. Fans of both clubs consider the other to be one of their main rivals. The first competitive match between the two clubs took place in 1946 but the first professional derby took place in 1960. As of 5 March 2024, there has been 76 competitive matches between the two teams, with 36 wins for Peterborough, 22 wins for Northampton and 19 draws.[1]
The derby has never been played higher than the third tier of English football with 57 league matches, 7 FA Cup matches, 5 League Cup matches and 6 EFL Trophy matches. The most recent game took place in League One and resulted in a 5–1 win for Peterborough.
Northampton play their home games at Sixfields Stadium, while Peterborough play at London Road Stadium. The two stadiums are approximately 37 miles (60 km) apart.
History[edit]
Early matches[edit]
The first competitive game between the two clubs took place in the second round of the 1946-47 FA Cup. The match took place at Peterborough's London Road Stadium and ended in a 1–1 draw, forcing a replay. The replay ended in another 1-1, forcing a second replay which Northampton won 8–1. This victory still stands as the largest victory in the Nene derby.
Peterborough United won the Midland League five times in a row between 1956 and 1960 before being accepted into the Football League ahead of the 1960–61 season. That season, the Nene derby was played in the league for the first time with the first game ending in a 3–3 draw and the return fixture ending in a 0–3 win for Peterborough. Both teams were promoted to the Third Division as Peterborough won the league and Northampton finished third. Both teams played in the Third Division for the next two seasons before Northampton were promoted as champions in 1963.
The two teams did not play each other in the league again until the 1967-68 Third Division season after Northampton's run in the second and first tier.
1980s[edit]
Peterborough were relegated into the Fourth Division ahead of the 1979–80 season. Both teams played in the Fourth Division for eight consecutive seasons until Northampton were promoted as champions in the 1986–87 season. The derby was also played twice in the FA Cup and twice in the League Cup during this period, bringing the total to twenty matches in eight years. The biggest victory over this period was a 6–0 home victory for Peterborough on 24 April 1984. Northampton recorded a 0–5 away victory on 12 October 1985.
Recent years[edit]
In the 2019–20 season, Peterborough finished seventh in League One whilst Northampton won the League Two play-offs, meaning that the Nene derby returned for the 2020-21 League One season. Following Northampton's promotion, Peterborough United chairman, Darragh MacAnthony congratulated them and referred to the derby as "The one real 'local' rivalry I've experienced in 15 years at Posh."[2] The first derby of the season was played two days after the death of Tommy Robson, Peterborough's record appearance maker who started his career with Northampton, and was played behind closed doors due to COVID-19 restrictions. Peterborough won the match 0–2 with goals scored by Nathan Thompson and Reece Brown.[3] The second league derby of the season was originally scheduled to take place on Saturday 17 April 2021, however, all English football matches on that day were rescheduled as a mark of respect for the funeral of Prince Philip.[4][5]
Rivalry[edit]
While the proximity of the clubs was the main root of the rivalry between Northampton Town and Peterborough United, other events have fueled the division. Most notable among these are the violent confrontations between fans, famously the "Battle of Abington Park" in April 1974 when approximately 500 fans clashed before, during and after a derby. An eyewitness was quoted as saying "It was like a battle scene from a film where everyone converged to carry out personal duels. I have never seen anything like it." Some of the evidence presented in the court case that followed included "Sticks with nails embedded in the end, part of a brick, broken bottles, a large beer can and a pint mug."[6]
Aside from fan violence, animosity has arisen over transfers between the clubs with Northampton fans accusing Peterborough of poaching players. It has been said that "Northampton fans have never forgiven Peterborough for taking star strikers Tony Adcock and Bobby Barnes when the Cobblers were cash strapped."[7] This, however, has not stopped players from crossing the divide. Gabriel Zakuani, for example, signed for Northampton in 2016 after making 252 appearances for Peterborough.[8]
List of derbies[edit]
| # | Season | Date | Competition | Stadium | Home Team | Result | Away Team | Attendance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1946–47 | 14 December 1946 | FA Cup | London Road | Peterborough United | 1–1 | Northampton Town | |
| 2 | 19 December 1946 | County Ground | Northampton Town | 1–1 | Peterborough United | |||
| 3 | 23 December 1946 | County Ground | Northampton Town | 8–1 | Peterborough United | |||
| 4 | 1960–61 | 8 October 1960 | Fourth Division | London Road | Peterborough United | 3–3 | Northampton Town | 22,959 |
| 5 | 25 February 1961 | County Ground | Northampton Town | 0–3 | Peterborough United | 21,000 | ||
| 6 | 1961–62 | 28 October 1961 | Third Division | County Ground | Northampton Town | 2–2 | Peterborough United | 17,324 |
| 7 | 17 March 1962 | London Road | Peterborough United | 0–2 | Northampton Town | 17,009 | ||
| 8 | 1962–63 | 1 September 1962 | County Ground | Northampton Town | 2–3 | Peterborough United | 16,064 | |
| 9 | 11 May 1963 | London Road | Peterborough United | 0–4 | Northampton Town | 17,518 | ||
| 10 | 1966–67 | 14 September 1966 | League Cup | County Ground | Northampton Town | 2–2 | Peterborough United | 5,778 |
| 11 | 26 September 1966 | London Road | Peterborough United | 0–2 | Northampton Town | 9,484 | ||
| 12 | 1967–68 | 23 August 1967 | County Ground | Northampton Town | 3–2 | Peterborough United | 8,157 | |
| 13 | 23 April 1968 | Third Division | County Ground | Northampton Town | 3–1 | Peterborough United | 8,934 | |
| 14 | 4 May 1968 | London Road | Peterborough United | 4–0 | Northampton Town | 6,658 | ||
| 15 | 1969–70 | 17 September 1969 | Fourth Division | London Road | Peterborough United | 1–0 | Northampton Town | 8,557 |
| 16 | 14 April 1970 | County Ground | Northampton Town | 2–2 | Peterborough United | 6,732 | ||
| 17 | 1970–71 | 10 November 1970 | County Ground | Northampton Town | 2–0 | Peterborough United | 8,190 | |
| 18 | 20 February 1971 | London Road | Peterborough United | 1–0 | Northampton Town | 8,066 | ||
| 19 | 1971–72 | 5 February 1972 | County Ground | Northampton Town | 1–1 | Peterborough United | 5,186 | |
| 20 | 8 April 1972 | London Road | Peterborough United | 1–0 | Northampton Town | 5,484 | ||
| 21 | 1972–73 | 28 August 1972 | London Road | Peterborough United | 1–2 | Northampton Town | 3,628 | |
| 22 | 18 November 1972 | FA Cup | London Road | Peterborough United | 1–0 | Northampton Town | ||
| 23 | 28 April 1973 | Fourth Division | County Ground | Northampton Town | 1–3 | Peterborough United | 2,411 | |
| 24 | 1973–74 | 17 November 1973 | London Road | Peterborough United | 3–0 | Northampton Town | 10,351 | |
| 25 | 13 April 1974 | County Ground | Northampton Town | 0–1 | Peterborough United | 11,378 | ||
| 26 | 1976–77 | 2 November 1976 | Third Division | County Ground | Northampton Town | 2–2 | Peterborough United | 7,483 |
| 27 | 12 April 1977 | London Road | Peterborough United | 3–1 | Northampton Town | 8,944 | ||
| 28 | 1979–80 | 22 September 1979 | Fourth Division | County Ground | Northampton Town | 1–0 | Peterborough United | 3,680 |
| 29 | 9 February 1980 | London Road | Peterborough United | 0–0 | Northampton Town | 4,960 | ||
| 30 | 1980–81 | 22 November 1980 | FA Cup | County Ground | Northampton Town | 1–4 | Peterborough United | |
| 31 | 26 December 1980 | Fourth Division | London Road | Peterborough United | 3–0 | Northampton Town | 6,265 | |
| 32 | 21 April 1981 | County Ground | Northampton Town | 2–2 | Peterborough United | 3,800 | ||
| 33 | 1981–82 | 28 November 1981 | London Road | Peterborough United | 1–0 | Northampton Town | 5,293 | |
| 34 | 24 April 1982 | County Ground | Northampton Town | 1–0 | Peterborough United | 4,975 | ||
| 35 | 1982–83 | 30 October 1982 | County Ground | Northampton Town | 0–0 | Peterborough United | 3,284 | |
| 36 | 12 March 1983 | London Road | Peterborough United | 2–0 | Northampton Town | 3,778 | ||
| 37 | 1983–84 | 27 December 1983 | County Ground | Northampton Town | 2–1 | Peterborough United | 6,464 | |
| 38 | 24 April 1984 | London Road | Peterborough United | 6–0 | Northampton Town | 3,481 | ||
| 39 | 1984–85 | 26 December 1984 | County Ground | Northampton Town | 0–3 | Peterborough United | 4,350 | |
| 40 | 2 April 1985 | London Road | Peterborough United | 0–0 | Northampton Town | 2,482 | ||
| 41 | 1985–86 | 21 August 1985 | League Cup | London Road | Peterborough United | 0–0 | Northampton Town | 3,117 |
| 42 | 3 September 1985 | County Ground | Northampton Town | 2–0 | Peterborough United | 2,464 | ||
| 43 | 12 October 1985 | Fourth Division | London Road | Peterborough United | 0–5 | Northampton Town | 3,901 | |
| 44 | 15 March 1986 | County Ground | Northampton Town | 2–2 | Peterborough United | 3,332 | ||
| 45 | 1986–87 | 14 September 1986 | County Ground | Northampton Town | 2–1 | Peterborough United | 5,517 | |
| 46 | 16 November 1986 | FA Cup | County Ground | Northampton Town | 3–0 | Peterborough United | 9,114 | |
| 47 | 31 January 1987 | Fourth Division | London Road | Peterborough United | 0–1 | Northampton Town | 7,911 | |
| 48 | 1988–89 | 21 December 1988 | League Trophy | London Road | Peterborough United | 0–2 | Northampton Town | 1,754 |
| 49 | 1990–91 | 22 September 1990 | Fourth Division | County Ground | Northampton Town | 1–2 | Peterborough United | 5,549 |
| 50 | 5 February 1991 | London Road | Peterborough United | 1–0 | Northampton Town | 5,952 | ||
| 51 | 1994–95 | 12 November 1994 | FA Cup | London Road | Peterborough United | 4–0 | Northampton Town | 8,739 |
| 52 | 1995–96 | 16 October 1995 | League Trophy | London Road | Peterborough United | 0–0 | Northampton Town | 3,045 |
| 53 | 1997–98 | 27 January 1998 | London Road | Peterborough United | 2–1 | Northampton Town | 5,516 | |
| 54 | 1999–00 | 14 August 1999 | Division Three | Sixfields | Northampton Town | 0–1 | Peterborough United | 6,253 |
| 55 | 15 January 2000 | London Road | Peterborough United | 1–0 | Northampton Town | 9,104 | ||
| 56 | 2000–01 | 23 December 2000 | Division Two | London Road | Peterborough United | 1–2 | Northampton Town | 9,868 |
| 57 | 27 January 2001 | Sixfields | Northampton Town | 0–0 | Peterborough United | 7,079 | ||
| 58 | 2001–02 | 7 October 2001 | London Road | Peterborough United | 2–0 | Northampton Town | 8,101 | |
| 59 | 19 February 2002 | Sixfields | Northampton Town | 2–1 | Peterborough United | 6,064 | ||
| 60 | 2002–03 | 28 December 2002 | London Road | Peterborough United | 0–0 | Northampton Town | 7,767 | |
| 61 | 25 January 2003 | Sixfields | Northampton Town | 0–1 | Peterborough United | 5,906 | ||
| 62 | 2003–04 | 9 December 2003 | League Trophy | Sixfields | Northampton Town | 2–1 | Peterborough United | 4,290 |
| 63 | 2005–06 | 31 December 2005 | League Two | Sixfields | Northampton Town | 0–1 | Peterborough United | 7,023 |
| 64 | 1 April 2006 | London Road | Peterborough United | 0–1 | Northampton Town | 8,637 | ||
| 65 | 2008–09 | 13 September 2008 | League One | Sixfields | Northampton Town | 1–1 | Peterborough United | 6,520 |
| 66 | 14 March 2009 | London Road | Peterborough United | 1–0 | Northampton Town | 8,881 | ||
| 67 | 2016–17 | 18 October 2016 | London Road | Peterborough United | 3–0 | Northampton Town | 9,157 | |
| 68 | 19 November 2016 | Sixfields | Northampton Town | 0–1 | Peterborough United | 7,675 | ||
| 69 | 2017–18 | 26 August 2017 | Sixfields | Northampton Town | 1–4 | Peterborough United | 6,685 | |
| 70 | 3 October 2017 | League Trophy | London Road | Peterborough United | 1–1 | Northampton Town | 2,745 | |
| 71 | 2 April 2018 | League One | London Road | Peterborough United | 2–0 | Northampton Town | 8,613 | |
| 72 | 2019–20 | 3 September 2019 | League Trophy | Sixfields | Northampton Town | 0–2 | Peterborough United | 2,234 |
| 73 | 2020–21 | 10 October 2020 | League One | Sixfields | Northampton Town | 0–2 | Peterborough United | 0[a] |
| 74 | 16 April 2021 | London Road | Peterborough United | 3–1 | Northampton Town | 0[b] | ||
| 75 | 2023–24 | 19 August 2023 | Sixfields | Northampton Town | 1–0 | Peterborough United | 7,684 | |
| 76 | 5 March 2024 | London Road | Peterborough United | 5–1 | Northampton Town | 9,028 |
- ^ Due to the COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom, only a few games were played in front of a reduced crowd, the rest were played behind closed doors.
- ^ Due to the COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom, only a few games were played in front of a reduced crowd, the rest were played behind closed doors.
Statistics[edit]
As of 19 August 2023
Below are the overall statistics for games between Northampton Town and Peterborough United in official matches.
| Competition | Played | Northampton wins | Draws | Peterborough wins |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| League | 57 | 15 | 13 | 29 |
| FA Cup | 7 | 2 | 2 | 3 |
| EFL League Cup | 5 | 3 | 2 | 0 |
| EFL Trophy | 6 | 2 | 2 | 2 |
| Total | 75 | 22 | 19 | 34 |
References[edit]
- ^ "Peterborough United football club: record v Northampton Town". www.11v11.com. Retrieved 14 July 2020.
- ^ "Peterborough United congratulate Cobblers on promotion (and not just because Posh usually beat them)!". www.peterboroughtoday.co.uk. Retrieved 14 July 2020.
- ^ "Northampton 0-2 Peterborough: Posh see off Cobblers". Sky Sports. Retrieved 22 January 2021.
- ^ "Local Derby Clash With Cobblers Moved". www.theposh.com. Retrieved 11 April 2021.
- ^ "PETERBOROUGH GAME TO TAKE PLACE ON FRIDAY EVENING". www.ntfc.co.uk. Retrieved 11 April 2021.
- ^ Nicholls, Andy; Lowles, Nick (12 June 2007). Hooligans 2: The M-Z of Britain's Football Hooligan Gangs. Milo Books Ltd.
- ^ "Gripped by the Cobblers: MK match is no local derby – you need history for a derby". The NeneQuirer. 18 October 2018. Retrieved 14 July 2020.
- ^ "Gabriel Zakuani: Northampton Town close to signing ex-Peterborough defender". BBC Sport. 23 June 2016. Retrieved 24 July 2020.