East Lancashire derby

East Lancashire derby
Other namesCotton Mills derby, El Lanclasico
LocationEast Lancashire
Teams
First meetingBurnley 2–4 Blackburn Rovers
(27 September 1884)
Latest meetingBurnley 1–1 Blackburn Rovers
2024–25 EFL Championship
(31 August 2024)
Next meetingTBD
StadiumsEwood Park (Blackburn Rovers)
Turf Moor (Burnley)
Statistics
Meetings total107
Most winsBurnley (44)
Most player appearancesJerry Dawson (Burnley), Ronnie Clayton (Blackburn Rovers) (19 each)
All-time seriesBlackburn: 41
Draws: 22
Burnley: 44
Largest victoryBurnley 1–7 Blackburn
1888–89 Football League
(3 November 1888)
Burnley 6–0 Blackburn
1895–96 Football League
(18 April 1896)
Blackburn 6–0 Burnley
1914–15 Football League
(28 November 1914)
East Lancashire derby is located in Lancashire
Blackburn Rovers
Blackburn Rovers
Burnley
Burnley
Turf Moor – home of Burnley since 1883.
Ewood Park – home of Blackburn Rovers since 1890.

The East Lancashire derby, also known as the Cotton Mills derby[1] and El Lanclasico,[2] is an association football rivalry between Blackburn Rovers and Burnley. The nickname originates from the fact that both Blackburn and Burnley are former mill towns. From a town standpoint there is a geographical reason for the rivalry as the two Lancashire towns only lie 11 miles (18 km) apart. Accrington Stanley F.C. is based in the middle, but is not regarded as a rival by either.

Following the founding of Turton F.C. in Edgworth in 1871,[3] several football clubs were formed in East Lancashire in the next years, such as Blackburn Rovers in 1875, Accrington in 1876 and Burnley in 1882. Rovers and Burnley played each other for the first time in September 1884 in a friendly match, with Blackburn winning 4–2. Between 1884 and 1888, the clubs met thirteen times, with Burnley winning seven matches and Rovers four. The first competitive league game between these two founder members of the Football League and former English football champions, took place at Turf Moor in November 1888, with Blackburn winning 7–1, their biggest win in the derby. Burnley's largest derby victory is a 6–0 win recorded in April 1896.

Burnley hold the better head-to-head record, as the side have won 44 games to Blackburn's 41 in major competitions. Including matches played in regional competitions such as the Lancashire Cup, Burnley have won 70 games to Blackburn's 65.

  1. ^ Hunter, Andy (18 October 2009). "Blackburn grab bragging rights over Burnley with cotton mill derby win". The Guardian. Retrieved 1 May 2010.
  2. ^ "England - East Lancashire Derby - Blackburn Rovers v Burnley". My Footy Grounds. 20 November 2022. Retrieved 20 November 2022.
  3. ^ Robertson, Neil (19 February 2014). "Turton FC may not be oldest football club in north west, new research suggests". The Bolton News. Retrieved 6 November 2022.