Bristol Rovers F.C.–Swindon Town F.C. rivalry

Bristol Rovers and Swindon Town rivalry
Other names M4 Derby
Locale South West England
Teams Bristol Rovers and Swindon Town
First meeting 15 January 1921
Latest meeting Swindon Town 0-0 Bristol Rovers
(31 March 2012)
Statistics
Most wins Swindon Town (43)
Largest victory Bristol Rovers 5-0 Swindon Town
(25 March 1939)

The fixture between Bristol Rovers and Swindon Town is a local football rivalry, sometimes referred to as a West Country derby or M4 Derby.[1][2] The distance between Bristol to Swindon is just under 35 miles,[3] and both clubs are situated in the South West region of England.

Both clubs will meet next season for the first time since the 2011-12 season, following Rovers' promotion to League One. The most recent meeting between Rovers and Swindon was a League Two match in the 2011-12 season which finished in an 0-0 draw.

History

The first meeting between the clubs came in 1921 with Swindon winning the inaugural match 2-1 in a Third Division match. Including this match, there have been 94 games with the most recent being a 0-0 draw at Swindon's County Ground on 31 March 2012.

Having been in the same division in only two seasons out of 13 between 1993 and 2006, the clubs would then be in the same division for the next six seasons in a row, even being promoted (League Two in 2007) and relegated (League One in 2011) at the same time. However, following Swindon's promotion back to League One the two sides are not set to meet for the first time since 2005.

Violence

Football matches between Bristol Rovers and Swindon usually contains a heavy police presence. Helicopters are also in place to scan the area for any violence or fights between the fans prior to, during and after the game. Matches between Bristol Rovers and Swindon Town can sometimes be moved to a 1pm kick-off to ensure trouble is prevented erupting between rival fans on Saturday.[4] Violence occurred between prior to a match between the sides on Saturday 28 April 2007. The incident occurred in the Inn on the green pub garden in Horefield, Bristol, just a 5-minute walk from the Bristol Rovers stadium. The Bristol Rovers yobs in question were armed with bats, glasses, bottles and bits of wood. Shortly after the incident riot police arrived but were too late to catch the perpetrators. Swindon Town fans were also reported to be injured during the incident.[5]

Head-to-head record

Results summary
From 82 competitive games:

Swindon Town 42 Wins
Bristol Rovers 34 Wins
14 Draws

Last Result
Bristol Rovers

3

Swindon Town

1

(Hoskins, 11')
(Kuffour, 48')
(McGovern, 66')
(Hughes, 74')

Saturday, 22 Jan 2011
Football League One,
Memorial Stadium, Bristol, England
Attendance: 6,972

Competition Played Bristol Rovers wins Draw Swindon Town wins
League 85 32 14 39
FA Cup 3 1 0 2
Football League Trophy 2 1 0 1
Totals 90 34 14 42

Current as of 6 April 2011. Statistics obtained from Soccerbase.[6]

Derby Double

For either team to beat the other in both league games in a season is seen as a great achievement and a sign of superiority. Swindon have achieved the double in 9 seasons, while Bristol Rovers have only managed 5 doubles.

Bristol R Doubles

SeasonHomeAway
1926–19273-15-3
1950–19511-02-1
1966–19873-01-0
1990–19912-02-1
2009–20103-04-0

Swindon Doubles

SeasonHomeAway
1923–19243-01-0
1924–19254-22-1
1928–19294-12-1
1937–19382-12-1
1965–19664-31-0
1967–19684-12-1`
1981–19824-15-2
1995–19964-12-1
2007–20081-01-0

Records

Crossing the divide

   

See also

References

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