Miners strike derby

The Miners strike derby or Derbyshire–Nottinghamshire derby is an association football club rivalry between Chesterfield and Mansfield Town, first contested in 1933. Chesterfield play at the SMH Group Stadium in Chesterfield, Derbyshire, while Mansfield Town play at the Field Mill in Mansfield, Nottinghamshire; the two grounds are separated by 12 miles (19 km). The teams have played 78 matches in all competitions; Chesterfield winning 30, Mansfield Town winning 30 and the remaining 18 being drawn.

The first meeting between the two clubs occurred on 7 October 1933, when Mansfield Town hosted Chesterfield, a game Chesterfield won 3–0.

This fixture has always been fiercely contested owing to the close proximity of the clubs. At the height of early 1970s football hooliganism, the fixture led to scenes of mass street fighting in both town centres.

The 1984–1985 United Kingdom miners' strike intensified the rivalry further. Both the towns of Chesterfield and Mansfield were historically involved in coal mining. Margaret Thatcher's closure programme targeting every UK coal mine threatened job losses, leading to many mining towns and cities including Chesterfield going on strike. Miners in Mansfield however continued to work because there was no national strike ballot. This led to Chesterfield supporters using the nicknames "Scabs" and "Strike-Breakers" against Mansfield's. Mansfield Town supporters responded with nicknames for Chesterfield's such as "Arthur's Little Lemmings" and "Pet Eaters" (from the story of a striking miner's family eating a pet rabbit).

In Mansfield, The Union Of Democratic Mineworkers (UDM) was set up. They became known as "Maggie Thatcher's Miners" due to the organisation being set up in co-operation with Thatcher. She convinced the UDM that Mansfield miners could work in privatised coal mines, though, all mines around Mansfield eventually closed.

Stats since 1993–94 season.

Stats since 1993–94 season.

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