Dundee derby

The Dundee derby is the title given to any football match contested between Dundee F.C. and Dundee United F.C., the two professional football clubs in the city of Dundee, Scotland. The first competitive fixture between the sides was held at Dens Park in the 1917-18 season.

Due to Dundee's smaller population and size, especially in comparison to the Edinburgh derby and Glasgow's Old Firm, it is considered a friendlier rivalry; families are split in terms of the club they support, and both groups of fans are known to socialise on match days. It is also a notable derby geographically, as both clubs are located just 183 metres apart, making them the closest city rivals in Britain and the second-closest city rivals in world football after IFK Malmö and Malmö FF in Sweden.

Dundee is the older of the two, having been founded in 1893, compared to Dundee United which was founded in 1909 as Dundee Hibernian following the demise of Dundee Harp, a club founded by Irish immigrants in 1879. While United's origins stem from Irish immigration, the rivalry is not sectarian in the manner of the Old Firm.

Dundee had long been the more successful club, playing more seasons in the top flight than their rivals and winning one League title, one Scottish Cup and three League Cups before United lifted a major trophy. However, from the 1970s under Jim McLean the tide turned in the city's footballing rivalry. United would go on to be a major force in Scottish football in the 1980s, winning their first three major honours at Dens Park including a League Cup win against Dundee in 1980; the 1983 league title was also won there. Their rivalry with Aberdeen, who also lifted several trophies during the period, was entitled the New Firm. In 1994 United won their first Scottish Cup, and their second in 2010, in doing so drawing level with Dundee on five major trophies won.

The two grounds are the closest football grounds in Britain (holding the world record until 2009) and with it a unique rivalry has developed, though it is one often deemed more amicable than most; similar to the Merseyside derby, Derby della Madonnina in Milan, and the Derby della Lanterna of Genoa with many families split down the middle in support.^{[citation needed]}

The two clubs even had a combined hooligan 'firm', known as the Dundee Utility, which was formed to stand up to the larger firms of the Glasgow and Edinburgh clubs.

In domestic head-to-head matches, United are quite far in front; the teams have played each other 179 times, Dundee United winning 83 compared to Dundee's 51. A total of 45 matches have ended in a stalemate. Dundee United have won more league, Scottish Cup and League Cup matches.

Dundee have competed in more seasons of top flight football with 99 in total to United's 62, but United have maintained a slightly better points-per-game average in the top tier. Both clubs have won the Scottish league championship once, Dundee in 1962 and United in 1983. The clubs also sometimes meet in league games outside the top tier, as in 1995–96 and 2019–20.