City History | Severnside Derby
Sunday afternoon’s Severnside derby between the Bluebirds and the Robins will spark recollections of memorable clashes, as well as some talented players to represent both clubs…
This weekend’s clash will mark the 103rd time in history that the two sides have faced off against one another. Of those meetings, the Bluebirds have claimed victory on 39 occasions.
The first ever Severnside derby was came in January 1915 in the FA Cup, with the Robins coming out victorious at Ashton Gate in a 2-0 victory thanks to a brace from Edwin Burton.
After another FA Cup tie in 1920, the first league meeting came on January 15th, 1921, with the contest at Ashton Gate ending goalless. But, just seven days later, City hosted Bristol City in front of approximately 42,000 fans, with the winning goal coming from Albert Barnett in a 1-0 victory for the Bluebirds.
Fast forward over a century and the recent meetings have gone the way of the Welsh capital club. This fixture provided plenty of positivity for the Bluebirds last season, claiming victories at both Cardiff City Stadium and Ashton Gate.
With a similar goal to midweek against Millwall, Perry Ng headed home the opener at CCS in October 2023.
Late in proceedings, Rubin Colwill produced a moment of brilliance to drive into the box and fire in the second goal in a 2-0 win.
In the reverse fixture, a second half header from Ng, turning home from David Turnbull’s corner, was enough to claim a fantastic victory.
In terms of memorable clashes, the Division Two Play-Off Semi-Final in 2003 certainly stands out. Peter Thorne’s goal at Ninian Park gave the Bluebirds a slender lead going into the second leg, but that lead was enough to claim a place in the Play-Off Final. We all know what followed.
City would go on to defeat Queens Park Rangers in the Welsh capital, with that goal from Andy Campbell securing promotion.
A clash seven years later would see the Bluebirds claim our biggest ever Severnside derby victory, coming at Ashton Gate.
A truly astonishing display resulted in an emphatic 6-0 win, in which Michael Chopra and Ross McCormack helped themselves to a brace apiece.
A 2017 meeting in Bristol saw the us produce an outstanding fightback in a pulsating derby. With the hosts leading 2-1, an 82nd minute leveller from Kadeem Harris set up a tense finish. The key moment came from Anthony Pilkington, whose fantastic strike from distance secured a 3-2 victory in dramatic fashion.
This fixture has also seen drama at the other end for the Bluebirds. Leading by two goals in March 2023 thanks to goals from Sory Kaba and Jaden Philogene, the final few minutes were played with Ng taking the goalkeeper gloves and keeping a clean sheet between the sticks to see out a memorable win.
Over the years, there have been many players to have represented both clubs during their careers.
To name a few, Jason Fowler began his career with the Robins, before going on to make over 150 appearances for the Bluebirds.
Striker Nicky Maynard represented Sunday’s opponents in over 100 matches and was part of our promotion to the Premier League during his spell in the Welsh capital between 2012 and 2015.
In more recent times, Bobby Reid, Marlon Pack and Aden Flint represented both clubs, while Callum O’Dowda has featured in the Severnside derby as a Bristol City and Cardiff City player.
Last season saw Famara Diédhiou join the Bluebirds on loan for the second half of the campaign, having previously played over 150 games for the Robins.
The Severnside derby has produced some memorable clashes since that first clash in 1920. 124 years later, City are searching for win number 40 this Sunday.