The Cambridgeshire derby is a sobriquet used to describe football matches held between Cambridge United and Peterborough United , the only fully professional football clubs in Cambridgeshire . Both the clubs are 42 miles apart.
The first derby took place on 22 March 1956 and has since been played 54 competitive matches with Peterborough winning 25 to Cambridge United's 16. Both clubs have played two friendlies and one memorial match.
The Cambridgeshire derby is one of 23 requited rivalries in English football.[ 1]
History
Chart of yearly table positions for Cambridge United and Peterborough United in the Football League
The first league meeting between Peterborough United and Cambridge United took place in Fourth Division on 10 October 1970 at Abbey Stadium. The match ended in a 1–1 draw, however Cambridge United won the first league derby with a 3–2 away win at London Road later the same season.
Following Cambridge's relegation after the 2001-02 Second Division , the sides would not face each other in a competitive fixture for nearly 16 years.
In August 2015, a memorial match was played between the two teams in honour of Chris Turner who had died four months earlier.[ 2] Turner, who was born in Cambridgeshire, made 314 league appearances for Peterborough and 90 for Cambridge United before going on to manage both clubs. In September 2017, a statue of Turner was unveiled outside London Road.[ 3]
The drought of competitive derbies ended with an EFL Trophy match played in Cambridge on 7 November 2017. Before the game, a smoke grenade was set off in a pub near Abbey Stadium. The pub was evacuated but reopened 85 minutes later with no injuries reported.[ 4] Cambridge's 2020 victory on penalties in the EFL Trophy group stage was their first over Peterborough in any competition since 1998, in what was the Football League Third Division .
Since Peterborough's relegation following the 2021–22 season , both clubs now compete in EFL League One . The most recent derby took place on 9 November 2024 with Peterborough winning 6-1.
Head-to-head
Statistics
As of 24 February 2024 [ 5] [ 6] [ 7]
Major Competitions
Competition
Played
Cambridge wins
Draws
Peterborough wins
Cambridge goals
Peterborough goals
League
35
11
9
15
42
54
FA Cup
2
1
0
1
2
2
Football League Trophy
10
3
2
5
13
15
Total
47
15
11
21
57
71
Minor/Regional Competitions
Cambridgeshire Pro Cup
1
0
0
1
2
4
Hunts' Premier Cup
4
1
1
2
5
8
Shipp Cup
3
0
1
2
4
6
Total
8
1
2
5
11
18
Friendly/Memorial Match
Friendly
2
0
1
1
6
9
Memorial Match
1
0
1
0
0
0
Total
3
0
2
1
6
9
Overall Total
58
16
15
27
74
98
League
#
Season
Date
Competition
Home Team
Result
Away Team
Stadium
Att.
H2H
1
1970–71
10 October 1970
Division 4
Cambridge
1–1
Peterborough
Abbey Stadium
7,575
0
2
17 April 1971
Peterborough
2–3
Cambridge
London Road
5,068
+1
3
1971–72
9 March 1972
Division 4
Peterborough
2–0
Cambridge
London Road
4,947
0
4
19 April 1972
Cambridge
2–5
Peterborough
Abbey Stadium
4,248
+1
5
1972–73
23 September 1972
Division 4
Cambridge
3–1
Peterborough
Abbey Stadium
4,378
0
6
26 December 1972
Peterborough
1–1
Cambridge
London Road
7,290
0
7
1977–78
5 November 1977
Division 3
Peterborough
2–0
Cambridge
London Road
7,308
+1
8
2 January 1973
Cambridge
1–0
Peterborough
Abbey Stadium
10,998
0
9
1985–86
26 October 1985
Division 4
Cambridge
3–1
Peterborough
Abbey Stadium
3,234
+1
10
22 March 1986
Peterborough
0–0
Cambridge
London Road
2,984
+1
11
1986–87
22 November 1986
Division 4
Cambridge
1–1
Peterborough
Abbey Stadium
3,498
+1
12
4 April 1987
Peterborough
2–1
Cambridge
London Road
4,713
0
13
1987–88
28 August 1987
Division 4
Peterborough
1–0
Cambridge
London Road
4,623
+1
14
1 January 1988
Cambridge
1–3
Peterborough
Abbey Stadium
3,975
+2
15
1988–89
3 January 1989
Division 4
Peterborough
1–5
Cambridge
London Road
4,662
+1
16
25 March 1989
Cambridge
2–1
Peterborough
Abbey Stadium
4,215
0
17
1989–90
17 December 1989
Division 4
Cambridge
3–2
Peterborough
Abbey Stadium
4,811
+1
18
21 April 1990
Peterborough
1–2
Cambridge
London Road
9,257
+2
19
1992–93
16 March 1993
Division 1
Cambridge
2–2
Peterborough
Abbey Stadium
8,077
+2
20
10 April 1993
Peterborough
1–0
Cambridge
London Road
10,235
+1
21
1994–95
21 December 1994
Division 2
Peterborough
2–2
Cambridge
London Road
7,412
+1
22
8 April 1995
Cambridge
2–0
Peterborough
Abbey Stadium
5,828
+2
23
1997–98
2 December 1997
Division 3
Peterborough
1–0
Cambridge
London Road
10,791
+1
24
11 April 1998
Cambridge
1–0
Peterborough
Abbey Stadium
5,445
+2
25
1998–99
10 November 1998
Division 3
Peterborough
2–1
Cambridge
London Road
10,168
+1
26
24 April 1999
Cambridge
1–1
Peterborough
Abbey Stadium
8,307
+1
27
2000–01
15 December 2000
Division 2
Cambridge
0–0
Peterborough
Abbey Stadium
7,505
+1
28
31 March 2001
Peterborough
4–1
Cambridge
London Road
10,086
0
29
2001–02
8 September 2001
Division 2
Peterborough
1–0
Cambridge
London Road
8,656
+1
30
29 December 2001
Cambridge
0–0
Peterborough
Abbey Stadium
5,665
+1
31
2022–23
29 October 2022
League One
Peterborough
1–0
Cambridge
London Road
12,766
+2
32
15 April 2023
Cambridge
2–0
Peterborough
Abbey Stadium
7,711
+1
33
2023–24
11 November 2023
League One
Peterborough
5–0
Cambridge
London Road
11,645
+2
34
24 February 2024
Cambridge
0–1
Peterborough
Abbey Stadium
7,710
+3
35
2024–25
9 November 2024
League One
Peterborough
6-1
Cambridge
London Road
12,370
+4
Cup
#
Season
Date
Competition
Round
Home Team
Result
Away Team
Stadium
Att.
1
1955–56
22 March 1956
Hunts' Premier Cup
First round
Cambridge
1–5
Peterborough
Abbey Stadium
–
2
1959–60
5 November 1959
Hunts' Premier Cup
Semi-finals
Peterborough
1–1
Cambridge
London Road
3,632
3
19 April 1959
Semi-finals replay
Cambridge
2–0
Peterborough
Abbey Stadium
2,600
4
1969–70
5 November 1969
Hunts' Premier Cup
Final
Cambridge
1–2
Peterborough
Abbey Stadium
–
5
1975–76
9 August 1975
Shipp Cup
Group stages
Peterborough
3–3
Cambridge
London Road
2,000
6
1976–77
4 July 1976
Shipp Cup
Group stages
Peterborough
1–0
Cambridge
London Road
3,443
7
1977–78
5 August 1977
Shipp Cup
Group stages
Peterborough
2–1
Cambridge
London Road
1,877
8
1980–81
6 August 1980
Cambridgeshire Pro. Cup
–
Cambridge
2–4
Peterborough
Abbey Stadium
–
9
1984–85
17 November 1984
FA Cup
First round
Cambridge
0–2
Peterborough
Abbey Stadium
5,641
10
23 January 1985
EFL Trophy
First round (1st leg)
Peterborough
2–1
Cambridge
London Road
2,095
11
5 February 1985
First round (2nd leg)
Cambridge
2–0
Peterborough
Abbey Stadium
1,740
12
1985–86
21 January 1986
EFL Trophy
Group stage
Cambridge
4–1
Peterborough
Abbey Stadium
2,253
13
1987–88
1 December 1987
EFL Trophy
Group stage
Peterborough
3–0
Cambridge
London Road
1,247
14
1988–89
29 November 1988
EFL Trophy
Group stage
Cambridge
2–2
Peterborough
Abbey Stadium
1,296
15
1990–91
6 November 1990
EFL Trophy
Group stage
Peterborough
0–2
Cambridge
London Road
3,279
16
1994–95
3 December 1994
FA Cup
Second round
Peterborough
0–2
Cambridge
London Road
9,576
17
2017–18
7 November 2017
EFL Trophy
Group stage
Cambridge
0–2
Peterborough
Abbey Stadium
3,138
18
2019–20
12 November 2019
EFL Trophy
Group stage
Peterborough
2–1
Cambridge
London Road
3,425
19
2020–21
10 November 2020
EFL Trophy
Group stage
Cambridge
1–1 [ a]
Peterborough
Abbey Stadium
0[ b]
20
2023–24
12 September 2023
EFL Trophy
Group stage
Peterborough
2–0
Cambridge
London Road
3,687
Records
Friendly matches are not included in the following records unless otherwise noted.
Results
Biggest wins (5+ goals)
Most total goals in a match
Longest runs
Most consecutive wins
Games
Club
Period
5
Cambridge
3 January 1989 – 6 November 1990
4
Peterborough
4 January 1987 – 1 January 1999
Most consecutive draws
Games
Period
3
24 April 1999 – 15 December 2000
Most consecutive matches without a draw
Games
Period
10
4 July 1976 – 21 January 1986
Longest undefeated runs
Games
Club
Period
12
Peterborough
10 November 1998 – 29 October 2022
Most consecutive matches without conceding a goal
Games
Club
Period
4
Peterborough
8 September 2001 – 7 November 2011
3
Peterborough
12 September 2023 – 24 February 2024
Most consecutive games scoring
Games
Club
Period
12
Peterborough
2 February 1963 – 5 November 1977
8
Cambridge
1 January 1988 – 16 March 1993
7
Cambridge
22 March 1956 – 17 April 1971
References
Home Stadium Related Pages Matches