Derby County Football Club is an English association football club based in Derby, which competes in the EFL Championship during the 2026–27 season. The club was founded in 1884, by William Morley, as an offshoot of Derbyshire County Cricket Club; it has spent all but six seasons in the top two divisions of the English football league. The club's competitive peak came in the 1970s when it had two spells as English League Champions and competed in major European competitions on four separate occasions, reaching the European Cup semi-finals, as well as winning several minor trophies. The club was also a strong force in the interwar years of the football league and also won the 1945–46 FA Cup.
Derby County are founder members of the Football League, which was created in 1888. Over the years Derby have played in the First Division, Second Division, Third Division, Third Division North, Premier League, the Championship and League One. Since 2024, Derby competes in the third tier of English football, Championship, after promotion from the League One.
Derby's first opponent was Bolton Wanderers on 8 September 1888 a game which Derby won 6–3. Their most regular opponents have been Middlesbrough having met Boro 146 times whilst Derby best record is against Bolton Wanderers, Derby beating the Trotters 65 times. The most league defeats inflicted upon Derby is against Liverpool who have triumphed over Derby 66 times while the most drawn matches have come against Stoke City with the two teams sharing the points on 40 occasions. Derby have played a total of 109 different league opponents.
Key The records include the results of matches played in The Football League (from 1888 to 1996, 2002 to 2007, 2008 to present) and the Premier League (from 1996 to 2002, 2007 to 2008). Wartime matches are regarded as unofficial and are excluded, as are matches from the abandoned 1939–40 seasons. Football League play-offs, Test Matches and cup matches are not included. For the sake of simplicity, present-day names are used throughout: for example, results against Ardwick, Small Heath and Woolwich Arsenal are integrated into the records against Manchester City, Birmingham City and Arsenal, respectively. Teams with this background and symbol in the "Club" column are current divisional rivals of Derby County. Clubs with this background and symbol in the "Club" column are defunct. P = matches played; W = matches won; D = matches drawn; L = matches lost; F = Goals scored; A = Goals conceded; Win% = percentage of total matches won
All-time league record Statistics correct as of matches played on 12 September 2026.
+Derby County F.C. league record by opponentOpponentPWDLPWDLPWDLFAWin%Ref(s) Home Away TotalAccrington 51225113102351727%Accrington Stanley 21102011412186%Accrington Stanley 11001100220070%Arsenal492510144912102798372041142152%Aston Villa622912216291142124382363162238%Barnsley37238637119177434172310886%Barrow 21102110422097%Birmingham City 6028211159171626119453737204168%Blackburn Rovers 6326211663131238126393354219213%Blackpool35238435108177033162112189%Bolton Wanderers 65431486522934130652342234189%Bournemouth65016132126331612%Bradford City 1784517665341410104938%Bradford (Park Avenue) 96129315189273427%Brentford 1684416466321210105457%Brighton & Hove Albion 1794417521034146144039%Bristol City 372557371211147437162112984%Bristol Rovers14932144462813784539%Burnley 492611125013122599392337148141%Burton Albion 431041128422107%Bury292243295915582713189984%Cambridge United944196211810621710%Cardiff City 361311123559217118203397118%Carlisle United1042410334207582726%Charlton Athletic 45201213461891991382132146142%Chelsea 472410134711152194352534138136%Cheltenham Town22002110431084%Chester City 220021104310135%Chesterfield 5230521210442199%Colchester United 11001001210185%Coventry City40221174010102080322127107105%Crewe Alexandra 52215212104332317%Crystal Palace 3220663281014642816209169%Darlington4121401381341013%Darwen 220021014301125%Doncaster Rovers 10613106042012173622%Everton633092463121239126422163173240%Exeter City21102200431071%Fleetwood Town21012110421143%Forest Green Rovers11001100220060%Fulham2917842941312582121169783%Gainsborough Trinity5410523010640298%Gillingham 5410521210622147%Glossop North End 76107232148423217%Grimsby Town 33207633128136632151911588%Halifax Town 220020114211124%Hartlepool United 22002002420266%Huddersfield Town 4832124487152696392730142136%Hull City3216793281014642417239383%Ipswich Town43151216431392186282137110123%Leeds City 64116303127143523%Leeds United5624141856111332112352750139167%Leicester City502871550141818100422533139130%Leyton Orient23153523741246227176449%Lincoln City 141310145542818646132%Liverpool 632623246361542126322866156248%Luton Town221084225215441510195452%Manchester City 4624111146892992322040132143%Manchester United 451617124511102490272736132157%Mansfield Town 220021104310112%Middlesbrough 7336172073151642146513362207241%Millwall 289712287912561616246164%Milton Keynes Dons 20112200421174%Morecambe11001010211061%Nelson11001001210172%Newcastle United 5623141956131528112362946138164%Newport County20202110413086%Northampton Town422042118431158%Norwich City 351115935105207021202983100%Nottingham Forest 5020141650131423100332839147144%Notts County271494278910542218148364%Oldham Athletic20125320678401712115350%Oxford United94239423188461917%Peterborough United85128215167272725%Plymouth Argyle2214442295844239127859%Port Vale 11812114252212373723%Portsmouth 4628994712132293402234148128%Preston North End 5834101458141232116482246147160%Queens Park Rangers 301569309129602418187570%Reading241131024461448159246480%Rochdale220022014301113%Rotherham United2716652741112542017178978%Scunthorpe United1053210325208574538%Sheffield United 55337155513933110461648171160%Sheffield Wednesday6535191165161930130513841214176%Shrewsbury Town72417124143651419%South Shields 75117124146532720%Southampton 3215134328915642322199995%Southend United63036213125161514%Southport220021014301115%Stevenage11001001210123%Stockport County1211011203924113104128%Stoke City 6839191068132233136524143223175%Sunderland6634151766121242132462759183209%Swansea City 25124924541549178247882%Swindon Town55005221107212312%Tottenham Hotspur3217963278176424172310094%Tranmere Rovers74127205166172823%Walsall63136222145341714%Watford 231067236710461613176767%West Bromwich Albion 563216855121528110443136180158%West Ham United 34178935615146923232293102%Wigan Athletic1134411614229582323%Wimbledon 1044210145205872626%Wolverhampton Wanderers 7138122171211832142593053249245%Workington20112101411287%Wrexham 53025131104531311%Wycombe Wanderers31203111623187%Yeovil Town11001100220062%York City 440041218521127%
Notes
References
External links Derby County official website