"We're obviously the bigger club" - Claim made on Bristol City and Bristol Rovers rivalry | OneFootball

The two Bristolian clubs have not met since 2013 in the EFL Trophy.

This article is part of Football League World's 'Terrace Talk' series, which provides personal opinions from our FLW Fan Pundits regarding the latest breaking news, teams, players, managers, potential signings and more...

Bristol City have been a mainstay in the Championship for the last 17 years, despite a two-season spell in League One in the mid-2010s.

While consistency has not been difficult to come by for the Robins throughout their years in the second tier, supporters might have been hoping for more success throughout it, with an 8th place finish in 2018/19 their best since the 2007/08 campaign when they finished 4th, losing in the play-off final to Hull City.

However, this season is filled with a lot more positivity, and supporters are looking at a top six as a realistic target after an extremely successful summer window, in which Liam Manning bolstered his young, talented squad with more firepower.

But, while promotion may still be a dream, it is not the only one that Bristol City supporters will be looking towards the FA Cup in January as a chance of bragging rights if the draw for the third round at the start of December goes the way that some may want it to go.

Bristol Rovers named as City's biggest rivals

In recent years, Cardiff City have been the Robins' greatest rivals in the Championship, and their games have produced vitriol throughout.

Nevertheless, while they may have a huge dislike for each other, most would love to set up a date with their city rivals, Bristol Rovers, who are currently stuck in mid-table in League One.

Football League World's Bristol City Fan Pundit, Tom Sandy, was asked which club he believes are the Robins' biggest rivals, and which club is the bigger at the moment.

He told FLW: "I think by far and away our biggest rivals are Bristol Rovers. There’s something special about having a sort of inter-city derby. We do not like them, they do not like us.

"We haven't played each other in a long time, so if we did have a game, it would be a really fiesty affair. We wanted to have a friendly a few years ago, but the police said we couldn't, which is pretty understandable to be fair.

"But every year in the cup, I hope we draw them because we're obviously the bigger club. We've won more than them. They haven't been above us in the league in my lifetime, so I don't think it's even a question who the bigger club is. You’ve got the stadiums as well."

Tom continued: "I'm not trying to say it in a rival way either, I know some Bristol Rovers fans, and they would admit the same thing that we're the bigger club, but there’s only a league between us, and we haven't achieved much more than them.

"We’re the bigger team in Bristol for sure. It'd be interesting if we played each other because, obviously, everything goes out the window on a derby day. But. I'd be disappointed if we didn't win if we did play them."

The Bristol derby has not been played for over a decade

It's been an extremely long time since the two sides last faced off, and that lack of activity with each other has only increased the tension between the Bristol clubs as they await their next fixture.

Bristol City welcomed Bristol Rovers to Ashton Gate in the EFL Trophy, then known as the Johnstone's Paint Trophy, and it was a game marred by off-the-pitch incidents.

The Robins won the game 2-1 thanks to goals from Jay Emmanuel-Thomas and Joe Bryan, with the Gas' Mark McChrystal equalising on the hour mark. However, at the final whistle, unrest that had built up throughout the match boiled over and led to police action on the pitch.

It has been 11 years since the two last came to blows, with Bristol City keeping hold of those bragging rights in that decade, but supporters will be welcome to another derby game to help add more history to the inter-city rivalry.

Nonetheless, with the two clubs a league apart, and with it looking incredibly unlikely that Manning's team will be relegated and Rovers will be promoted, they will have to sit and hope that an FA Cup or Carabao Cup brings the two together soon.