A420 derby
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(21 August 1965)
(1965–66 Third Division)
(9 March 2021)
(2020–21 League One)
| Location | Southern England |
|---|---|
| Teams | Oxford United Swindon Town |
| First meeting | Swindon Town 0–0 Oxford United (21 August 1965) (1965–66 Third Division) |
| Latest meeting | Swindon Town 1–2 Oxford United (9 March 2021) (2020–21 League One) |
| Stadiums | Kassam Stadium (Oxford United) County Ground (Swindon Town) |
| Statistics | |
| Meetings total | 62 |
| Most wins | Swindon Town (25) |
| Most player appearances | John Trollope (25) |
| Top scorer | Steve White (6) |
| All-time record | Swindon Town: 25 Draw: 20 Oxford United: 17 |
  Oxford United  Swindon Town | |
The A420 derby is a football match played between Oxford United and Swindon Town. It takes its name from A420 road, a primary road between both cities, which are only 30 miles (48 km) apart.[1]
Although the clubs played friendly matches throughout the 1950s,[2] the rivalry began when Oxford United replaced the bankrupt Accrington Stanley in the Football League.[3] The rivalry was at its peak in the 1970s since both the teams were in the same divisions for the majority of the decade.[1][4]
Occasionally, the derby has been marred by violence, especially during the 1970s,[2] when football hooliganism was at its peak.[1] The most notable incident occurred on 4 May 1982, when a smoke bomb was thrown onto the pitch by a Swindon Town fan with the score tied at 2–2. The match referee in confusion continued the game on a foggy pitch and Swindon scored the winning goal, the match ending 3–2 in Swindon's favour. After the final whistle, the referee was struck by a coin thrown by an Oxford fan and chaos ensued.[1][2]
The teams have played 62 matches in all competitions, Swindon winning 24, Oxford 17 and remaining 21 having been drawn.[5][6] Even though Swindon have won more derby matches than Oxford, the latter have an unbeaten streak of 18 years, spanning from 2002 to 2020.[4]
Statistics
Statistics
Records
- Widest winning margin: 5 goals – Oxford United 5–0 Swindon Town (7 April 1982, 1981–82 Third Division)
- Highest scoring match: 8 goals – Oxford United 5–3 Swindon Town (7 March 1992, 1991–92 Second Division)
- Longest winning streak: 6 matches – Oxford United (8 December 2002 – 10 September 2016)
- Longest unbeaten streak: 12 matches – Swindon Town (20 October 1973 – 1 October 1980)
- Highest attendance:
- Swindon Town: 20,596 – Swindon Town 0–0 Oxford United (21 August 1965, 1965–66 Third Division)
- Oxford United: 18,012 – Oxford United 0–0 Swindon Town (12 April 1968, 1967–68 Third Division)
Goal scoring
| Nation | Player | Club(s) | Goals[3] | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 |
Steve White | Swindon Town | 6 | 1986–1994 |
|
Peter Foley | Oxford United | 5 | 1974–1983 |
|
Roy Carter | Swindon Town | 4 | 1977–1983 |
|
David Moss | Swindon Town | 4 0 |
1971–1978 1985–1986 |
|
Arthur Horsfield | Swindon Town | 3 | 1969–1972 |
|
Joey Beauchamp | Oxford United Swindon Town Oxford United |
3 0 0 |
1989–1994 1994–1995 1995–2002 |
|
George Ndah | Swindon Town | 3 | 1997–1999 |
 |
Jim Magilton | Oxford United | 3 | 1990–1994 |
Appearances
| Nation | Player | Club(s) | Apps.[3] | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
John Trollope | Swindon Town | 25 | 1986–1994 |
|
Colin Clarke | Oxford United | 16 | 1965–1978 |
|
Joey Beauchamp | Oxford United Swindon Town Oxford United |
15 0 0 |
1989–1994 1994–1995 1995–2002 |
|
John Shuker | Oxford United | 15 | 1962–1977 |
 |
Jimmy Allan | Swindon Town | 14 | 1971–1984 |
|
Joe Butler | Swindon Town | 14 | 1965–1976 |
|
Fraser Digby | Swindon Town | 14 | 1986–1998 |
|
Don Rogers | Swindon Town | 14 | 1962–1972 1976–1977 |
|
Graham Atkinson | Oxford United | 14 | 1962–1974 |
