Ranking the 8 biggest club rivalries in the EFL | OneFootball

Football League World have identified the EFL's most intense clashes

When the fixtures for the new EFL season are released, there are always specific games that supporters look out for immediately.

Rivalries are cemented within footballing legend, with certain teams declared natural enemies since their origins purely due to their geographical location. In other instances, bad blood between clubs can be manufactured due to external circumstances.

Clashes involving two enemies often produce drama and great entertainment, with iconic flashpoints over the years not in short supply.

With all this considered, Football League World have ranked the eight biggest club rivalries in the EFL.

8 Swindon Town vs Oxford United

Swindon Town vs Oxford United may not sound like the most intense rivalry immediately, given the fact that they are situated 30 miles apart.

However, when these two sides meet, the atmosphere can be cut with a knife. The fixture’s rarity was a major draw during the early days of its existence, with the first competitive game coming in 1965.

A major flashpoint occurred in 1982 at the County Ground, when a smoke bomb was thrown onto the pitch from the Swindon supporters.

The referee didn’t stop play and the Robins scored a late winner, which caused an outpouring of chaos.

The rivalry between MK Dons and AFC Wimbledon has been well-documented over the years, but that doesn’t reduce the intensity between the two sides.

It started in 2003, when Wimbledon FC relocated 56 miles away to Milton Keynes. They subsequently changed their name, badge and colours, with MK Dons replacing Wimbledon in the Football League.

Phoenix club AFC Wimbledon was formed by disenfranchised supporters who didn’t approve of the change and started in the ninth tier. Over the years, they climbed back up to the EFL and have done battle with MK Dons on multiple occasions.

When they do clash, you can feel the history, hatred and hostility immediately, making it one of the Football League’s best spectacles.

The West Lancashire derby is steeped in history, with Preston North End and Blackpool arch-enemies for over 120 years.

Over the years, the rivalry has embodied itself in some of the clubs’ star players, with the Seasider’s Sir Stanley Matthews and PNE’s Sir Tom Finney often debated over.

Supporters of both teams have a massive distaste for each other, with tensions often boiling over when these two meet. The derby has been put on hold during the past few years, with Blackpool failing to establish itself back in the Championship.

However, when it resumes, there will be no change in the ill-feeling between Preston North End and Blackpool.

Plymouth Argyle and Exeter City are Devon’s only two teams in the EFL, which naturally makes them sworn enemies.

Their disconnect from the rest of the country means that the tribalism between the two sides is amplified, leading to emotionally charged encounters when the derby is contested.

Violence has unfortunately followed the rivalry over the years, with the pure hatred from both fanbases sometimes too much for the police to contain on matchday.

4 Norwich City vs Ipswich Town

Norwich City and Ipswich Town have contested over East Anglia for over 120 years, with bad blood existing between Suffolk and Norfolk since the Romans first landed in the county.

The Tractor Boys have enjoyed more success in the past, running out top-flight victors in 1962, FA Cup champions in 1978 and UEFA Cup winners in 1981, with Norwich unable to match.

However, the Canaries have been the more competitive side in recent years, whilst Ipswich have struggled in the lower regions of the EFL. Now both back in the Championship, and with an extra twist added by Marcelino Núñez, the contests between these sides will no doubt be a joy to watch once more.

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The 2025/26 Championship campaign marked the first time in 14 years that the South Coast derby took place in the league. A cagey 0-0 draw was filled with tension and real hostility, which highlights how much these two sides dislike each other.

Portsmouth and Southampton have been enemies for an outstanding amount of time, with both port cities being natural rivals due to their similarity in trade and geographical location.

Harry Redknapp raised the animosity between the two clubs in 2004, after becoming Southampton manager just weeks after leaving Portsmouth, having previously vowed never to do so.

2 Sheffield United vs Sheffield Wednesday

One city, split into two sides. United and Wednesday have made up one of English Football’s fiercest rivalries for a number of years.

Although derby days may not produce the same violence these days as once upon a time, last season showed that there is still an intense hatred between the Blades and the Owls.

Footage was released of Sheffield United manager Chris Wilder mocking Wednesday after winning the Steel City derby, which enraged fans on the blue side of the city. Barry Bannan returned the favour when the Blades failed to secure promotion to the Premier League, further increasing tensions between the current crop of players.

A derby that brings a country to its knees. Cardiff City vs Swansea City is brutal, intense and a clash that always produces excellent entertainment.

David Giles played for both teams during his career and revealed to the BBC that before the game, “Players are being physically sick, hiding in corners, saying prayers.”

Violence has been a massive issue with this clash over the years, with the FA banning away fans from the fixture for four years after an FA Cup tie dubbed ‘The Battle of Ninian Park’ in December 1993.

Cardiff City’s relegation to League One unfortunately means that the South Wales derby won’t take place this season, but both sets of supporters will be eagerly awaiting their next meeting.