What is a derby in sports?
In sports, a derby is a match between two local rival teams, usually from the same city or region. Famous examples include the Manchester derby and Istanbul's Galatasaray versus Fenerbahçe.
Derbies are often the most passionate and anticipated matches of the season, because bragging rights within a community are at stake. Fans may support rival clubs within the same family or workplace. Famous derbies include the Milan derby between Inter and AC Milan, the North London derby between Arsenal and Tottenham and the Merseyside derby between Liverpool and Everton.
The term may come from the English town of Derby, where a rough Shrovetide football game was once played between two parts of the town. Another theory links it to the Epsom Derby horse race, named after the Earl of Derby in 1780, which became a big event that drew huge crowds.
Beyond football
The word derby is also used in horse racing, such as the Kentucky Derby, and in other sports for rivalry matches. Some rivalries between big clubs from different cities, like Real Madrid and Barcelona, have their own names, like El Clásico.
Did You Know?
In American English, a derby is also a type of round, hard felt hat, which in Britain is called a bowler hat.