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Opinion

Rivalry or Non-Rivalry? The M69 Derby

No one is bothered about Leicester City - those are the words that often come from away fans of local teams like Nottingham Forest, Derby County and sometimes Coventry City. But do the Sky Blues secretly think more about us? We explore whether the M69 clash has any meaning from either end.

16.01.26, 14:00 Updated 14.01.26, 16:11 3 Minute Read

Andy Moore

Andy Moore

If you were to sit 100 Foxes fans in a room and ask them who our biggest rivals are, you'd probably get a small handful of teams, likely depending on where you live in the county, or because of a bygone historical clash that lives long in the memory.

If you take the geographical element, for example, and you live in the north of Leicestershire, your rivalry is likely going to be either the East Midlands duo of Nottingham Forest or Derby County. If you live in the south of the county, many will point towards Coventry City as rivals.

For myself personally, I have a foot in both camps. I'm originally from the South of Leicester and if you asked me this question pre-2010, there would be no doubt that the fixture that meant more to me was the M69 Derby.

Since 2010 onwards, I've migrated into the north of the county, and it's safe to say the village I live in is definitely split three ways. I have plenty of allies but also, there are many of 'them' Rams and Trees lurking around, some I've even started to like...

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