What constitutes a Derby game?

[Taunton Blue Genie]

The Germans have adopted the word 'derby' too.

[the other bob wilson]

Whatever Sky/BT decide is probably the modern method of defining a derby game.

I think that's probably as good a definition as any .

I just looked it up and the closest distance between any part of Australia and New Zealand is 926 miles, yet given the rivalry which there is between these countries in any sporting encounter between them, they satisfy a lot of people's criteria for what constitutes a derby - the answer to the question posed in the OP has to be "it's down to individual opinion" I suppose.

[J R Hartley]

The Derby is a term stolen from Horse Racing anyway. The Derbys sponsored a big race, which become a prestigious event and then other big races in other countries adopted the term, and then so did football it seems.
In terms of football I don’t think there’s any hard and fast rules to it. It’s not difficult to see why, in our geographical location, and lack of opponents close by, we have a South Wales Derby and a Severnside Derby.

Also given there were only 3 league clubs in the football league of another country at the time it’s not difficult to work out why Cardiff / Swansea v Wrexham was called a Welsh Derby.

[xsnaggle]

I always hear Barcelona vs Real Madrid referred to as the Classico

I think its called that becajuse, a bit like Celtic and rangers beofre the fall, its the only game in that league that is anywhere near a fair conest. the majority of the rest of the league games are dross by Championship standards