Lanarkshire derby

The Lanarkshire Derby is a football rivalry that is based in Lanarkshire, Scotland, and matches are contested between any two from Motherwell, Airdrieonians, Hamilton Academical and Albion Rovers,

Motherwell vs Airdrie

Traditionally known as the 'north-south' derby (even though both towns now come under the North Lanarkshire Council area) The most recent meeting between the two teams was when they met in the Scottish Cup in 2007.

The pair memorably met in the semi-final of the 1975 Scottish Cup when Motherwell were going through a golden spell under then-Manager Willie McLean. Airdrie caused an upset by winning and going through to the final.

This match was always a regularity when the now-defunct Lanarkshire Cup was evident in Scottish football, and in some instances, this match would be the final. As of the close of the competition in 1996, Airdrie had 33 cup wins compared to Motherwell's 32 in the 127 years of the competition being in place, emphasising at the time how big the two clubs were in Lanarkshire.

After the original Airdrieonians were dissolved in 2002, and were then reborn as Airdrie United (now again referred to as Airdrieonians), the clubs have only met once in a competitive match, the Scottish Cup Third Round tie on 7 January 2007 at New Broomfield, with Motherwell winning 1-0 and Richie Foran the scorer. The crowd that day were 5,924, a current record-attendance for a match at New Broomfield involving the new Airdrieonians. However, many think that the attendance of this match would have been a lot higher had the original Airdrieonians not gone under.^[1]

Owen Coyle, Alan Gow, Lee Hollis and Kenny Black are examples of players that have played for both clubs. Coyle and Black are also part of only a handful of players to have played for both the original Airdrieonians as well as the new Airdrieonians.

Motherwell vs Hamilton

This match is sometimes referred to as the South Lanarkshire derby, due to both Motherwell and Hamilton both being the two most-southern clubs of the four although since the 1996 reorganisation of Scotlands Regional Councils only one, Hamilton, is in the South Lanarkshire Council area. This fixture was the most regular of the Lanarkshire derbies since Hamilton's promotion to the Scottish Premier League (SPL) in 2008, and relegation in 2011. In the 2013-14 season, Hamilton won promotion via the play-offs to the newly established Scottish Premiership, so the derby will be re-instated for the next season.

This is a modern derby which has definitely intensed and became more heated over the recent years as coins and flares have been thrown between rival supporters and policing being in large numbers and reports of police brutality have been often made with police using truncheons on some trouble making fans. Seats were ripped out seats and fireworks were thrown at police, in the Motherwell away section during Hamilton's 4-0 over Motherwell in the 14/15 season.

Also fan fights in local pubs and restaurants before and after causing police and horseback to patrol the Motherwell and Hamilton area and surround a one-mile perimeter round each host ground during and for 90 minutes after the match.

Before Hamiltons promotion in 2014 the clubs competed in the Lanarkshire cup, often the final and on one occasion 10 fans were taken to hospital after bottles were thrown and fights broke out in the turnstiles as policing was so light before Hamilton resurgence to the SPFL in 2014.

'/Since the 2008-09 season, Motherwell have enjoyed 5 wins to Hamilton's 2 with 3 draws(League fixtures)

Miodrag Krivokapic, Richard Offiong, Stuart Elliott and Simon Mensing are examples of players that have played for both clubs, with Mensing being transferred directly from Motherwell to Hamilton.

Hamilton vs Airdrie

This fixture is also referred as the North-South Lanarkshire derby. Up until 2007, this match had been a regularity, as both clubs competed in the same division. The divisions that both clubs played in were below the SPL, so this match is not as high-profile than the occasions when one of the team's is playing Motherwell. Hamilton have since been relegated from the SPL and Airdrie's enforced promotion has meant that the fixture will be re-instated for the 2012-13 First Division season. Ricky Waddell is an example of a player who played for both clubs.

Albion Rovers vs Airdrie

Traditionally this fixture is known as the North Lanarkshire derby due to the locality between Coatbridge and Airdrie (they are neighbouring towns barely two miles apart). This fixture is also sometimes referred to as the Monklands derby after the local Council area that covered both Towns between 1973 and 1994. Both clubs were located in the Monklands area until Airdrie moved into a new all-seater stadium in the Petersburn area in 1998.

Due to both Clubs usually being in different divisions, this derby has never been a regularity (and even more so since the demise of the Lanarkshire Cup). The teams competed on July 2010 at Cliftonhill stadium, with Airdrie winning 1-0 (the first competitive fixture between the two clubs since the formation of the new Airdrieonians, then referred to as Airdrie United) in front of around 1,000 fans.^[2]

Both teams competed in the Second Division in 2011-12, with Airdrie winning three times, but Albion Rovers winning the other game 7-2.^[3]

Paddy Connolly is an example of a player who has played for both clubs.

Albion Rovers vs Motherwell

Possibly the least celebrated of the Lanarkshire derbies, Rovers have only beaten Motherwell once in their existence. This was on the 30th of November 2013 where Albion would beat Mothewell 1-0 at New Douglas Park (The home football Stadium of Hamilton) in the Scottish cup 4th round. The record reads 27 wins to Motherwell,7 draws and 1 win for Albion.

Albion Rovers vs Hamilton

Again, due to Coatbridge and Hamilton being only seven miles apart, this match is also considered a derby. This match was played as recently as 2 September 2003, when both teams played each other in the league cup at New Douglas Park. Hamilton won the match 3-2. Hamilton also groundshared with Rovers for a brief period while they were homeless from 1994 to 2001. Since then there has been no competitive fixture between the two.

References

• Head-to-head Motherwell vs Airdrie
• Head-to-head Motherwell vs Hamilton
• Head-to-head Hamilton vs Airdrie
• Head-to-head Albion Rovers vs Airdrie
• Head-to-head Albion Rovers vs Motherwell
• Head-to-head Albion Rovers vs Hamilton

Additional References