The Miners' strike derby or Derbyshire–Nottinghamshire derby is an association football club rivalry between Chesterfield and Mansfield Town, first contested in 1933. Chesterfield play at the SMH Group Stadium in Chesterfield, Derbyshire, while Mansfield Town play at the Field Mill in Mansfield, Nottinghamshire; the two grounds are separated by . The teams have played 78 matches in all competitions; Chesterfield winning 30, Mansfield Town winning 30 and the remaining 18 being drawn.

History

The first meeting between the two clubs occurred on 7 October 1933, when Mansfield Town hosted Chesterfield, a game Chesterfield won 3–0.

This fixture has always been fiercely contested owing to the close proximity of the clubs. At the height of early 1970s football hooliganism, the fixture led to scenes of mass street fighting in both town centres.

The 1984–1985 United Kingdom miners' strike intensified the rivalry further. Both the towns of Chesterfield and Mansfield were historically involved in coal mining. Margaret Thatcher's closure programme targeting every UK coal mine threatened job losses, leading to many mining towns and cities including Chesterfield going on strike. Miners in Mansfield however continued to work because there was no national strike ballot. This led to Chesterfield supporters using the nicknames "Scabs" and "Strike-Breakers" against Mansfield's. Mansfield Town supporters responded with nicknames for Chesterfield's such as "Arthur's Little Lemmings" and "Pet Eaters" (from the story of a striking miner's family eating a pet rabbit).

In Mansfield, The Union Of Democratic Mineworkers (UDM) was set up. They became known as "Maggie Thatcher's Miners" due to the organisation being set up in co-operation with Thatcher. She convinced the UDM that Mansfield miners could work in privatised coal mines, though, all mines around Mansfield eventually closed.

Head-to-head Statistics

Competition PlayedChesterfield wins DrawsMansfield winsChesterfield goalsMansfield goals H2H League66 24 15 27 86 88 +3 Play-offs2 1 1 0 6 3 +1 FA Cup1 1 0 0 3 1 +1 League Cup6 2 2 2 9 9 0 EFL Trophy3 2 0 1 4 4 +1 Total78 30 18 30 108 105 0

List of matches League #SeasonDateCompetitionHome TeamResultAway TeamStadiumAttendanceH2H11933–34 7 October 1933Third Division North Mansfield 0–3 Chesterfield Field Mill 14,184+1217 February 1934 Chesterfield 3–2 Mansfield Saltergate 12,298+231934–35 15 September 1934Third Division North Mansfield 1–0 Chesterfield Field Mill 8,424+1426 January 1935 Chesterfield 0–0 Mansfield Saltergate 5,026+151935–36 7 December 1935Third Division North Mansfield 0–1 Chesterfield Field Mill 6,230+2611 April 1936 Chesterfield 2–1 Mansfield Saltergate 10,523+371951–52 22 September 1951Third Division North Chesterfield 1–1 Mansfield Saltergate 17,446+3826 January 1952 Mansfield 2–1 Chesterfield Field Mill 10,411+291952–53 23 August 1952Third Division North Chesterfield 4–1 Mansfield Saltergate 18,506+31020 December 1952 Mansfield 1–4 Chesterfield Field Mill 6,802+4111953–54 14 September 1953Third Division North Mansfield 2–2 Chesterfield Field Mill 11,185+4121 January 1954 Chesterfield 0–0 Mansfield Saltergate 12,259+4131954–55 4 September 1954Third Division North Mansfield 2–0 Chesterfield Field Mill 16,759+31430 March 1955 Chesterfield 4–1 Mansfield Saltergate 6,772+4151955–56 5 November 1955Third Division North Mansfield 0–1 Chesterfield Field Mill 8,375+51631 March 1956 Chesterfield 2–1 Mansfield Saltergate 15,138+6171956–57 25 December 1956Third Division North Chesterfield 1–0 Mansfield Saltergate 11,107+7188 April 1957 Mansfield 3–0 Chesterfield Field Mill 8,746+6191957–58 30 November 1957Third Division North Mansfield 1–1 Chesterfield Field Mill 12,575+62012 April 1958 Chesterfield 1–4 Mansfield Saltergate 12,279+5211958–59 20 September 1958Third Division Mansfield 2–1 Chesterfield Field Mill 15,952+4227 February 1959 Chesterfield 3–1 Mansfield Saltergate 10,120+5231959–60 28 November 1959Third Division Chesterfield 0–1 Mansfield Saltergate 9,451+42419 March 1960 Mansfield 4–1 Chesterfield Field Mill 11,122+3251961–62 23 September 1961Fourth Division Chesterfield 0–4 Mansfield Saltergate 10,939+22610 February 1962 Mansfield 2–2 Chesterfield Field Mill 8,373+2271962–63 17 September 1962Fourth Division Chesterfield 4–4 Mansfield Saltergate 12,993+22822 October 1962 Mansfield 3–0 Chesterfield Field Mill 16,679+1291970–71 2 January 1971Third Division Chesterfield 2–2 Mansfield Saltergate 16,474+13015 March 1971 Mansfield 2–2 Chesterfield Field Mill 13,181+1311971–72 18 September 1971Third Division Chesterfield 2–0 Mansfield Saltergate 9,960+2321 January 1972 Mansfield 2–1 Chesterfield Field Mill 8,331+1331975–76 26 December 1975Third Division Mansfield 0–1 Chesterfield Field Mill 8,607+23417 April 1976 Chesterfield 1–2 Mansfield Saltergate 10,614+1351976–77 27 December 1976Third Division Chesterfield 0–1 Mansfield Saltergate 11,82603611 April 1977 Mansfield 2–1 Chesterfield Field Mill 11,905+1371978–79 16 April 1979Third Division Chesterfield 1–0 Mansfield Saltergate 4,93103821 May 1979 Mansfield 2–1 Chesterfield Field Mill 4,159+1391979–80 18 August 1979Third Division Mansfield 3–2 Chesterfield Field Mill 5,622+2403 November 1979 Chesterfield 2–0 Mansfield Saltergate 4,364+1411983–84 26 December 1983Fourth Division Mansfield 0–1 Chesterfield Field Mill 6,73404221 April 1984 Chesterfield 0–0 Mansfield Saltergate 4,3640431984–85 26 December 1984Fourth Division Chesterfield 0–0 Mansfield Saltergate 6,9600446 April 1985 Mansfield 0–0 Chesterfield Field Mill 6,0300'451986–87 7 September 1986Third Division Mansfield 1–1 Chesterfield Field Mill 4,79704625 January 1987 Chesterfield 0–1 Mansfield Saltergate 4,080+1471987–88 29 August 1987Third Division Mansfield 0–1 Chesterfield Field Mill 5,2330481 January 1988 Chesterfield 3–1 Mansfield Saltergate 5,070+1491988–89 3 December 1988Third Division Chesterfield 1–3 Mansfield Saltergate 4,2360506 May 1989 Mansfield 3–1 Chesterfield Field Mill 4,779+1511991–92 31 August 1991Fourth Division Chesterfield 0–2 Mansfield Saltergate 4,740+25228 December 1991 Mansfield 2–1 Chesterfield Field Mill 6,514+3531993–94 31 August 1993Third Division Chesterfield 0–2 Mansfield Saltergate 5,712+4543 January 1994 Mansfield 1–2 Chesterfield Field Mill 4,272+3551994–95 27 August 1994Third Division Chesterfield 0–1 Mansfield Saltergate 4,210+45618 December 1994 Mansfield 4–2 Chesterfield Field Mill 3,519+55714 May 1995Play-offs Mansfield 1–1 Chesterfield Field Mill 6,582+55817 May 1995 Chesterfield 5–2 Mansfield Saltergate 8,165+4592000–01 16 September 2000Third Division Chesterfield 4–0 Mansfield Saltergate 6,793+36017 February 2001 Mansfield 0–1 Chesterfield Field Mill 7,899+2612002–03 24 August 2002Second Division Mansfield 0–2 Chesterfield Field Mill 7,258+16218 January 2003 Chesterfield 1–2 Mansfield Saltergate 6,813+2632007–08 15 September 2007League Two Mansfield 1–3 Chesterfield Field Mill 4,514+16420 December 2007 Chesterfield 2–0 Mansfield Saltergate 6,3000652013–14 28 September 2013League Two Chesterfield 0–1 Mansfield Proact Stadium 10,015+16622 March 2014 Mansfield 0–0 Chesterfield Field Mill 5,931+1672017–18 25 November 2017League Two Mansfield 2–2 Chesterfield Field Mill 7,525+16814 April 2018 Chesterfield 0–1 Mansfield Proact Stadium 7,967+2

Cup #SeasonDateCompetitionRoundHome TeamResultAway TeamStadiumAttendance1 1970–71 19 August 1970 League Cup First round Mansfield 6–2 Chesterfield Field Mill –21971–72 18 August 1971League Cup First round Chesterfield 0–0 Mansfield Saltergate –323 August 1971 First round replay Mansfield 0–5 Chesterfield Field Mill –41973–74 29 August 1973League Cup First round Chesterfield 1–1 Mansfield Saltergate –53 September 1973 First round replay Mansfield 0–1 Chesterfield Field Mill –6 1988–89 10 December 1988 EFL Trophy Preliminary Chesterfield 2–1 Mansfield Saltergate 2,6407 1993–94 19 October 1993 EFL Trophy First round Mansfield 3–1 Chesterfield Field Mill 2,2918 2008–09 8 November 2008 FA Cup First round Chesterfield 3–1 Mansfield Saltergate 6,6129 2013–14 8 November 2013 EFL Trophy Second round Mansfield 0–1 Chesterfield Field Mill 4,834

Individual Records All-time top goalscorers Stats since 1993–94 season. RankNationPlayerClub(s)YearsLeagueFA CupLeagueCupEFLTrophyOverall1Steve WilkinsonMansfield Town1989–1995500052Phil RobinsonChesterfield1994–1996300033Jack LesterChesterfield2007–201320002Stewart HadleyMansfield Town1993–19982000Nicky LawChesterfield1993–19962000Ryan WilliamsMansfield Town1995–1997, 2009–20110000Chesterfield1999–20012000Jamie WardChesterfield2007–20091100Jamie WinterChesterfield2007–20090200

All-time most appearances Stats since 1993–94 season. RankNationPlayerClub(s)YearsLeagueFA CupLeagueCupEFLTrophyOverall1Steve PayneChesterfield1994–200440004Wayne CordenMansfield Town2000–20054000Ian EvattChesterfield2003–20073001Sam HirdChesterfield2008–20123001Rob EdwardsChesterfield2000–20034000

Team Records Results Biggest wins (5+ goals) Winning margin Result Date Competition 5 Mansfield 0–5 Chesterfield 23 August 1971 1971–72 Football League Cup

Most total goals in a match Goals Result Date Competition8 Chesterfield 4–4 Mansfield 17 September 1962 1961–62 Fourth Division Mansfield 6–2 Chesterfield 19 August 1970 1970–71 Football League Cup 7 Chesterfield 5–2 Mansfield 17 May 1995 1994–95 Third Division play-offs 6 Mansfield 4–2 Chesterfield 18 December 1994 1994–95 Third Division

Longest runs Most consecutive wins Games Club Period 5 Mansfield 6 May 1989 – 19 October 1993 4 Chesterfield 17 May 1995 – 24 August 2002

Most consecutive draws Games Period 4 21 April 1984 – 7 September 1986 3 2 January 1971 – 18 August 1971

Most consecutive matches without a draw Games Period 13 25 January 1987 – 18 December 199410 3 September 1973 – 26 December 1983 17 May 1995 – 8 November 2013

Longest undefeated runs Games Club Period 9 Mansfield 28 November 1959 – 18 August 1971 6 Chesterfield 3 November 1979 – 7 September 1986

Most consecutive matches without conceding a goal Games Club Period 5 Chesterfield 3 November 1979 – 6 April 1985

Most consecutive games scoring GamesClub Period 13 Mansfield 8 April 1957 – 15 March 1971 Mansfield 1 January 1988 – 17 May 1995 10 Chesterfield 18 December 1984 – 8 November 2008 7 Chesterfield 23 August 1971 – 17 April 1976 6 Chesterfield 11 April 1977 – 26 December 1983

Honours Source:The Central Alliance 1911–1925 Non-League Matters ChesterfieldCompetitionMansfieldLeague 2 3rd Division/3rd Division North (Tier 3) 1 4 League Two/4th Division/3rd Division (Tier 4) 1 1 National League/Conference (Tier 5) 1 2 Midland League (defunct) 3 9 Aggregate 6Cup 1 EFL Trophy 1 1 Anglo-Scottish Cup (defunct) — 7 Derbyshire Senior Cup/Nottinghamshire Senior Cup 5 9 Aggregate 6 18 Total aggregate 12

References