The West Yorkshire derbies are a series of football matches or rugby league matches taking place between football or rugby league clubs from West Yorkshire.
In football History
Leeds United's relegation to League One in 2007 may have reignited this rivalry, although Bradford's relegation to League Two removed the possibility that the three major West Yorkshire football teams (Bradford, Huddersfield and Leeds) might be in the same division for the first time since the 1980s in the 2007–08 season; ultimately only Huddersfield and Leeds met each other in the third tier. In the 2010–11 and 2011–12 seasons all three teams involved in the West Yorkshire Derby were in different leagues, Bradford City were in League Two, Huddersfield Town were in League One and Leeds United played in the Championship. At the end of the 2011–12 season, Huddersfield were promoted from League One to the Championship, rekindling the rivalry with Leeds. In 2016–17 Huddersfield were promoted to the Premier League, making the rivalry go into hiatus again. Huddersfield were relegated at the end of the 2018–19 season and Leeds completed the double over their local rivals in the 2019–20 EFL Championship season on their way to winning promotion back to the Premier League after a 16-year absence. In the 2023–24 EFL Championship, the rivalry made a return, with Leeds winning 4–1 at Elland Road in October 2023 before a 1–1 draw at the John Smith's Stadium in March 2024.
Bradford City and Leeds United
Bradford City has a long-standing rivalry with Leeds United in the modern era.
This rivalry is mainly due to the two cities' proximity to one another, which has exacerbated in later years because there has been some football fans within Bradford choosing to travel the short distance to support Leeds rather than the home town's City. Although Leeds fans are unlikely to raise the same level of emotion talking about Bradford that a City fan would in talking about Leeds. There may be other reasons, including the setting alight of a chip van by Leeds fans during a game between the two sides at Odsal perceived by some as a mockery of the Bradford City stadium fire.
The last meeting between these two sides was at Valley Parade on 27 August 2014 in the Football League Cup, Leeds took a 1–0 lead in the 82nd minute, but Bradford won the game with goals from Billy Knott and James Hanson.
Bradford City and Leeds City Before the formation of Leeds United, Bradford City had a rivalry with Leeds City until its dissolution in 1919. Both the clubs played each other 6 times in Football League Second Division, where Bradford City won 4 times and 2 matches ended in a draw.
Head-to-head record (including Leeds City) Competition PlayedBradford City wins DrawsLeeds City winsBradford City goalsLeeds City goals League6 4 2 0 12 3 Total6 4 2 0 12 3 Competition PlayedBradford City wins DrawsLeeds United winsBradford City goalsLeeds United goals League20 2 7 11 16 24 League Cup3 1 0 2 4 5 EFL Trophy1 0 0 1 1 2 Full Members' Cup1 1 0 0 1 0 Total25 4 7 14 22 31 Overall total31 8 9 14 34 34
List of matches Current as of 27 August 2014. Statistics obtained from Soccerbase.
#SeasonDateCompetitionHome TeamResultAway TeamVenueBradford City vs Leeds City1 1905–06 2 September 1905 Division Two Bradford City 1–0 Leeds City Valley Parade230 December 1905 Leeds City 0–2 Bradford City Elland Road3 1906–07 1 September 1906 Division Two Leeds City 1–1 Bradford City Elland Road429 December 1906 Bradford City 2–2 Leeds City Valley Parade5 1907–08 1 September 1906 Division Two Bradford City 5–0 Leeds City Valley Parade61 February 1908 Leeds City 0–1 Bradford City Elland RoadBradford City vs Leeds United1 1922–23 23 September 1922 Division Two Leeds United 1–0 Bradford City Elland Road230 September 1922 Bradford City 0–2 Leeds United Valley Parade3 1923–24 3 November 1923 Division Two Leeds United 1–0 Bradford City Elland Road410 November 1923 Bradford City 0–0 Leeds United Valley Parade5 1931–32 28 March 1932 Division Two Bradford City 4–1 Leeds United Valley Parade629 March 1932 Leeds United 1–1 Bradford City Elland Road7 1985–86 21 September 1985 Division Two Leeds United 2–1 Bradford City Elland Road89 April 1986 Bradford City 0–1 Leeds United Valley Parade91986–87 20 September 1986 Division Two Bradford City 2–0 Leeds United Valley Parade101 October 1986 Full Members' Cup Leeds United 0–1 Bradford City Elland Road1128 February 1987 Division Two Leeds United 1–0 Bradford City Elland Road12 1987–88 29 August 1987 Division Two Bradford City 0–0 Leeds United Valley Parade131 January 1988 Leeds United 2–0 Bradford City Elland Road14 1988–89 26 October 1988 Division Two Bradford City 1–1 Leeds United Valley Parade151 March 1989 Leeds United 3–3 Bradford City Elland Road16 1989–90 28 October 1989 Division Two Bradford City 0–1 Leeds United Valley Parade177 April 1990 Leeds United 1–1 Bradford City Elland Road18 1998–99 28 October 1998 League Cup Leeds United 1–0 Bradford City Elland Road19 1999–2000 20 November 1999 Premier League Leeds United 2–1 Bradford City Elland Road2012 March 2000 Bradford City 1–2 Leeds United Valley Road21 2000–01 29 October 2000 Premier League Bradford City 1–1 Leeds United Valley Road2213 May 2001 Leeds United 6–1 Bradford City Elland Road23 2008–09 2 September 2008 EFL Trophy Leeds United 2–1 Bradford City Elland Road24 2011–12 9 August 2011 League Cup Leeds United 3–2 Bradford City Elland Road25 2014–15 27 August 2014 League Cup Bradford City 2–1 Leeds United Valley Parade
Bradford City and Huddersfield Town
Bradford City and Huddersfield Town have had roughly the same league status for the last couple of decades and so it could be argued that they are closest rivals out of the three West Yorkshire teams.
Matches against these sides have produced both amazing spectacles and some terrible moments—the 1996–97 season providing examples of both. On 1 February 1997, Huddersfield Town defender Kevin Gray broke the leg of Bradford City striker Gordon Watson in two places with a horrific sliding tackle. Watson was, at that time, the most expensive player in Bradford City's history having cost them £575,000, and was playing in only his third match for the club. He required a six-inch plate and seven screws in his leg. It took Gordon almost two years of recovery and five further operations before he was able to return to football, after which he made just a handful of appearances for City before leaving the club. At Leeds High Court in October 1998 he succeeded in becoming only the second player in the history of football to prove negligence by another player and was later awarded in excess of £900,000 in damages, making it "the most expensive tackle in British football and legal history".
The return fixture that season was a happier affair. It provided a spectacular display of goals in which City took a 3–0 lead, including one famous goal scored directly from a corner by ex-England star Chris Waddle, before the game swung in Huddersfield's favour as they fought back to the final score of 3–3.
The most recent derby was in League One, with The Terriers winning 1–0 on 24 January 2026.
Head-to-head record CompetitionPlayedBradford CityDrawHuddersfield TownLeague44151415FA Cup2002League Cup4013Football League Trophy4031Totals54151821 Current as of 24 January 2026. Statistics obtained from Soccerbase.
Leeds United and Huddersfield Town
Leeds United's best period of success was in the 1960s, and 1970s under the management of the legendary Don Revie. Between 1963 and 1975, Leeds became feared and respected across the country and in Europe. Revie guided them to two league championships, a FA Cup, one League Cup, two Inter-Cities Fairs Cups and a Charity Shield. Despite the success, Leeds had some notable disappointments, they were runners-up five times in the league, FA Cup finalists three times and UEFA Cup Winners Cup and European Cup finalists once. In 1992, Howard Wilkinson guided Leeds to their third top flight title, just two years after getting them promoted from the old Second Division, where they had played for eight years. Leeds also had sustained success in the Premier League, between 1997 and 2002 the club never finished outside of the top five and reached the UEFA Cup and Champions League semi-finals. However Leeds' success during this latter period came at a huge cost with tens of millions of pounds spent gambling on sustained Champions League involvement. When Leeds could only finish 5th in the 2001–02 season the clubs debt were around £80 million and a number of highly paid stars had to be sold to reduce the debt. By the end of the 2003–04 Premier League season, Leeds were relegated after 14 years in the top flight and three years later were relegated to League One and spent three years in the third tier before returning to the Championship at the end of the 2009–10 season. Leeds returned to the top flight in the 2020–21 season for the first time since 2004.
Huddersfield Town were the first team in English football to win the First Division title three times in a row back in the 1920s – a feat only matched by Liverpool, Manchester United and Arsenal – they also claimed the FA Cup, Charity Shield and finished as runners-up in the league three times in this period. Huddersfield spent 45 years outside of the top flight between 1972 and 2017. The Terriers had numerous promotions and relegations between the second, third and fourth tiers of English football. However, under their new manager David Wagner, Huddersfield won promotion to the Premier League for the first time by defeating Reading in the 2017 Championship play-off final.
Head-to-head record (including Leeds City) CompetitionPlayedHuddersfield Town winsDrawLeeds United winsHuddersfield Town goalsLeeds United goalsLeague712918257875FA Cup320174League Cup712479Totals813219259288 Current as of 2 March 2024. Statistics obtained from Soccerbase.
Other rivalries Bradford City historically have a fierce rivalry with other Bradfordian team Bradford (Park Avenue) A.F.C., which can also be considered a "West Yorkshire derby", however this is rivalry is commonly known as the "Bradford derby". Park Avenue were formerly an English Football League team until 1970.
FC Halifax Town, another West Yorkshire football team playing in the National League, consider Huddersfield Town to be one of their main rivals. They have played against each other when their predecessor, Halifax Town A.F.C., was in the Football League.
Farsley Celtic has a 'one-way' rivalry with Leeds United. They are based in the Leeds Metropolitan district however they have never reached the Football League.
In the Northern Premier League, matches between Liversedge and Ossett United are regularly played on a Friday night, and attract crowds of more than 1000, which is very high for this level of football.
In rugby league
Rugby league is also big in West Yorkshire. The teams who are, or have been, in the Super League are; Bradford Bulls, Castleford Tigers, Halifax, Huddersfield Giants, Leeds Rhinos, and Wakefield Trinity. Other rugby league clubs in West Yorkshire are Batley Bulldogs, Dewsbury Rams, Featherstone Rovers, Hunslet and Keighley Cougars. Like football, the most commonly termed West Yorkshire derby has been between Leeds and Bradford (when they played in the same division), however any combination of West Yorkshire teams playing against each other could be called a West Yorkshire derby, even if the rivalry is not as great as other rivalries between teams in the area. Specific named derbies include the Calder Derby between Castleford and Wakefield, and the Heavy Woollen Derby between Batley and Dewsbury. In addition, the Leeds versus Wakefield rivalry also sees them compete in the Festive Challenge. Castleford versus Leeds has also become a more prominent derby in recent times.
Bradford Bulls and Leeds Rhinos