Traditionally known as the 'north-south' derby. The most recent meeting between the two teams was when they met in the NL Cup in 2023, with Airdrie running out 4-0 victors.
The pair memorably met in the semi-final of the 1974–75 Scottish Cup, when Motherwell were going through a golden spell under then-manager Willie McLean. Airdrie caused an upset by winning and going through to the cup final.
This match was always a regularity when the now-defunct Lanarkshire Cup was evident in Scottish football, and in some instances, this match would be the final. As of the close of the competition in 1996, Airdrie had 33 cup wins compared to Motherwell's 32 in the 127 years of the competition being in place, emphasising at the time how big the two clubs were in Lanarkshire.
Since the original Airdrieonians were dissolved in 2002 and reborn as Airdrie United (now again referred to as Airdrieonians), the clubs have only met once in a competitive match, the Scottish Cup Third Round tie on 7 January 2007 at New Broomfield, with Motherwell winning 1–0 and Richie Foran the scorer. The crowd that day were 5,924, a current record-attendance for a match at New Broomfield involving the new Airdrieonians.[1]
Owen Coyle, Alan Gow, Lee Hollis and Kenny Black are examples of players that have played for both clubs. Coyle and Black are also part of only a handful of players to have played for both the original Airdrieonians as well as the new Airdrieonians.
The two teams were drawn into the same group in the 2020–21 Scottish League Cup, ensuring their first meeting in 14 years. Despite being two divisions below their rivals, Airdrieonians would walk away with the 3 points in an excellent 2–0 win.[2]
This match is sometimes referred to as the South Lanarkshire derby, due to both Motherwell and Hamilton both being the two most-southern clubs of the four although since the 1996 reorganisation of Scotland's Regional Councils, only Hamilton is in the South Lanarkshire Council area. This fixture was the most regular of the Lanarkshire derbies since Hamilton's promotion to the Scottish Premier League (SPL) in 2008, and relegation in 2011. In the 2013–14 season, Hamilton won promotion via the play-offs to the newly established Scottish Premiership, so the derby would be re-instated for the next season.
This is a modern derby which has definitely intensified and became more heated over the recent years as coins and flares have been thrown between rival supporters and policing being in large numbers and reports of police brutality have been often made with police using truncheons on some trouble making fans. Seats were ripped out seats and fireworks were thrown at police, in the Motherwell away section during Hamilton's 4–0 over Motherwell in the 2014–15 season.[citation needed]
Fan fights in local pubs and restaurants before and after cause police on horseback to patrol the Motherwell and Hamilton area and surround a one-mile perimeter round each host ground during and for 90 minutes after the match.
Before Hamilton's promotion in 2014, the clubs competed in the Lanarkshire Cup, often the final, and on one occasion 10 fans were taken to hospital after bottles were thrown and fights broke out in the turnstiles as policing was so light before Hamilton resurgence to the SPFL in 2014.
Since the 2008–09 season, Motherwell have enjoyed eleven wins to Hamilton's eight, with six draws (25 league fixtures).[5]
This fixture is also referred as the North-South Lanarkshire derby. Up until 2007, this match had been a regularity, as both clubs competed in the same division. The divisions that both clubs played in were below the SPL, so this match is not as high-profile than the occasions when one of the teams is playing Motherwell. Hamilton were relegated from the SPL and Airdrie's promotion meant that the fixture was re-instated for the 2012–13 First Division season. Ricky Waddell is an example of a player who played for both clubs.
Traditionally this fixture is known as the North Lanarkshire derby due to the locality between Coatbridge and Airdrie (they are neighbouring towns barely two miles apart). This fixture is also sometimes referred to as the Monklands derby after the local Council area that covered both Towns between 1973 and 1994.
Due to both clubs usually being in different divisions, this derby has never been a regularity (and even more so since the demise of the Lanarkshire Cup). The teams competed in July 2010 at Cliftonhill stadium, with Airdrie winning 1–0 (the first competitive fixture between the two clubs since the formation of the new Airdrieonians, then referred to as Airdrie United) in front of around 1,000 fans.[12]
Both teams competed in the Second Division in 2011–12, with Airdrie winning three times, but Albion Rovers winning the other game 7–2.[13]
The two teams drew each other in the Third Round of the 2019–20 Scottish Cup, where Airdrie won 1–4 in Coatbridge.[14]
The last meeting between the two sides was in 2024/25 pre-season, with Airdrie defeating Albion Rovers 4-0, thanks to goals from Dylan MacDonald, Lewis McGregor, Mason Hancock and Cammy Cooper.
Paddy Connolly is an example of a player who has played for both clubs.
Possibly the least celebrated of the Lanarkshire derbies, Rovers have beaten Motherwell several times in Lanarkshire Cup matches, but their most famous victory was on 30 November 2013 when they won 1–0 at New Douglas Park (The home stadium of Hamilton) in the 2013–14 Scottish Cup 4th round.[17]
Again, due to Coatbridge and Hamilton being only seven miles apart, this match is also considered a derby. The most recent match was a league cup group match at Cliftonhill on 25 July 2017. The match finished 4-4 and Rovers won the bonus point penalty shoot-out. Hamilton also groundshared with Rovers for a brief period while they were homeless from 1994 to 2001. Since then, there has been no competitive fixture between the two. The two teams were drawn together in the 2020–21 Scottish League Cup group stages, marking the first match between the two since 2003.[19] Unfortunately, Rovers were unable to fulfil the tie due to complications stemming from the COVID-19 pandemic, and Hamilton were awarded a 3–0 win.[20]
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Includes matches in different divisions, and from the different eras: SFL, SPL, SPFL
1 2 Includes 1 penalty shootout victory for Hamilton in 2014 following a draw after Extra Time, counted as a win in the source but usually considered a draw
1 2 Includes matches in the 2023 playoffs (Airdrie 1–0 Hamilton, Hamilton 2–1 Airdrie). Airdrie would win the tie 6–5 on penalties.
1 2 Includes 1 penalty shootout victory for Albion Rovers in 2014 following a draw after Extra time, counted as a win in the source but usually considered a draw
↑ Includes a 3–0 awarded win for Hamilton in 2020, due to a COVID-19 outbreak in the Albion Rovers squad
1 2 Includes 1 penalty shootout victory for Albion Rovers in 2017 following a draw and 1 penalty shootout for Hamilton Academical in 2021 following a draw, counted as wins in the source but usually considered a draw.
↑ Motherwell have never played in the Challenge Cup as they have always played in the top division since its inception
Clyde left Shawfield Stadium in 1986,[26] playing as tenants for five seasons at Partick's Firhill Stadium followed by three at Douglas Park, home of Hamilton Academical (who themselves became homeless thereafter, also sharing with Thistle) before settling at the new Broadwood Stadium in Cumbernauld in 1994 – the town (about 5 miles north of Coatbridge and Airdrie) was assigned to the North Lanarkshire council area two years later.[27] After several Bully Wee backroom figures including main investor Ronnie MacDonald, coach Allan Maitland and Billy Reid, as well as several players, made the switch from Clyde to Accies in the early 2000s, leading to considerable bad feeling among the fans.[28]
For their part, one of Partick Thistle's biggest rivals are Airdrieonians.[29]
Albion Rovers Football Club is a semi-professional football team from Coatbridge, North Lanarkshire, Scotland. They play in the Lowland Football League, the fifth tier of the Scottish football league system.
The Excelsior Stadium is a football stadium in Airdrie, North Lanarkshire, Scotland. It is the home ground of Airdrieonians of the Scottish Professional Football League (SPFL). Since the 2021–22 season it has also been used by Celtic for the home matches of their women's team in the Scottish Women's Premier League (SWPL) and B team in the Scottish Lowland Football League, as well as by Glasgow University F.C. of the West of Scotland Football League. It is an all-seater stadium with a capacity of 10,101, and has a 3G artificial surface.
Wishaw Football Club is a Scottish football club based in the town of Wishaw, North Lanarkshire. The club currently competes in the West of Scotland League Third Division.
The Lanarkshire Football League was a short-lived local football league in Scotland.
Monklands was, between 1975 and 1996, one of nineteen local government districts in the Strathclyde region of Scotland.
Jonathan Edward Page is an English professional footballer who plays as a defender for Broxburn Athletic.
The 1888–89 season was the 16th Scottish football season in which Dumbarton competed at a national level.
The 1919–20 season was the 43rd Scottish football season in which Dumbarton competed at national level, entering the Scottish Football League and the Scottish Cup. In addition Dumbarton entered the Dumbartonshire Cup and the Dumbartonshire Charity Cup.
The 1920–21 season was the 44th Scottish football season in which Dumbarton competed at national level, entering the Scottish Football League and the Scottish Cup. In addition Dumbarton entered the Dumbartonshire Cup and the Dumbartonshire Charity Cup.
The 1921–22 season was the 45th Scottish football season in which Dumbarton competed at national level, entering the Scottish Football League and the Scottish Cup. In addition Dumbarton entered the Dumbartonshire Cup and the Dumbartonshire Charity Cup.
The 1940–41 season was the second Scottish football season in which Dumbarton competed in regional football during World War II.
The 1941–42 season was the third Scottish football season in which Dumbarton competed in regional football during World War II.
The 1942–43 season was the fourth Scottish football season in which Dumbarton competed in regional football during World War II.
The 1944–45 season was the sixth Scottish football season in which Dumbarton competed in regional football during World War II.
The Broadwood Cup is an annual pre season football tournament in Cumbernauld, North Lanarkshire, Scotland. The tournament is hosted by Cumbernauld Colts at Broadwood Stadium.
Drumpellier Football Club was a Scottish football team located in the town of Coatbridge, Lanarkshire, Scotland.
Carfin Shamrock F.C. was a Scottish football team, from the village of Carfin in Lanarkshire. Although the club only existed from 1885 to 1895, it reached the last 16 of the Scottish Cup, and provided a number of footballers who played for clubs in the Football League and Scottish League.
Airdriehill Football Club was a Scottish association football club based in the town of Airdrie, Lanarkshire.
Longriggend Football Club was an association football club from Longriggend in Lanarkshire, active at the turn of the 20th century.
Carfin Emmet F.C., sometimes spelt Carfin Emmett, was an association football club from the village of Carfin in Lanarkshire.
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