Black Country derby
The Black Country derby is most commonly the local derby between the English association football teams West Bromwich Albion and Wolverhampton Wanderers, who are located eleven miles apart in the Black Country region of the West Midlands.
Black Country derbies are also contested between either of these teams and neighbours Walsall, though such matches are less common as a result of the teams' relative league positionings. Albion and Wolves have played 160 games against each other and only 14 and 16 competitive matches respectively against Walsall. Wolves and West Brom are currently in the Premier League after West Brom's promotion from the EFL Championship in 2020, while Walsall are currently in EFL League Two after relegation in 2019.
A 2008 football pools survey of 6,000 supporters across the country ranked West Bromwich Albion versus Wolverhampton Wanderers as the fiercest rivalry in English football.
History
Early history
The earliest Black Country derbies were contested prior to the formation of the Football League. The first ever derby took place on 20 January 1883, when Albion won 4–2 in the third round of the Birmingham Senior Cup. Wolves and Albion's first two 'official' meetings came in the FA Cup in 1886 and 1887, with Albion recording victories on both occasions and going on to reach the final in both years. The first of Walsall's fixtures against Wolves and Albion were also in the FA Cup, in 1889 and 1900 respectively.With both West Bromwich Albion and Wolverhampton Wanderers being founder members of the Football League in 1888, the Black Country derby between these two teams is one of the oldest in the world in league football. The fixture was contested in each of the first 13 league seasons from 1888 to 1901. Attendances in these early fixtures were modest, but that was the case across much of the country as football gradually grew in popularity at the turn of the century. By the 1906–07 season, the fixtures began to regularly attract crowds above 20,000 and a more intense rivalry emerged.
Post-war zenith
The Albion–Wolves derby reached its peak in the 1950s when both sides challenged for honours at the top of English football, with each in the First Division from 1949 to 1965. Wolves enjoyed league and cup domination for a good deal of the 1950s; finishing in the top 3 on nine occasions, winning the title three times and FA Cup twice in this period. Albion were also a strong side, renowned for their attacking flair, and also challenged near the top of the league. They won the FA Cup in 1954.It was the 1953–54 season in which the sides finished as the top 2 clubs in the country for the first and only time. Wolves won the league title, finishing four points ahead of the Baggies, despite Albion topping the table for the majority of the season. Wolves' league win coupled with Albion's cup win meant they contested the Charity Shield in 1954 – the only time the two teams have met in the final of any competition. The game finished 4–4 in front of a Molineux crowd of 45,035.
Throughout the rest of the century both sides met frequently, with a six-year period in the 1980s the longest gap without a meeting between the two Black Country rivals. Walsall's continued existence in the lower divisions meant they avoided any league meetings with either of their neighbours for decade after decade. However, in the 1980s they met Wolves for one season in 1985–86 and Albion for one season in 1988–89.
When the Premier League was formed in 1992 both Albion and Wolves were outside the top division but they continued to meet in the 'new' First Division throughout the 1990s. The rivalry remained intense and due to police concerns and televised games, the fixture has not been staged at the traditional English kick-off time of 3pm on a Saturday since 1996. Hooliganism in the fixtures was a big problem in the 1960s and the frictions between fanbases causes regular restrictions on local pubs on match days.
Modern meetings
Following Walsall's unlikely promotion to the First Division in 1999, the 1999–2000 season represented the first time all three sides had ever been in the same division. Walsall took the bragging rights with a double over Albion and an away win at Molineux, while Albion and Wolves shared the spoils in both league fixtures. Albion and Walsall were in a battle with each other to avoid relegation and ultimately it was the Saddlers who faced the drop, putting an end to the three-way Black Country derbies after only one season.A year later Walsall earned an immediate return to the First Division and once again all three sides occupied the same level in the 2001–02 season. This time around it was Albion and Wolves who were in direct competition in the league, with both sides going for promotion. Both fixtures against each other were in the first half of the season, with a 1–1 draw at the Hawthorns and a 1–0 victory for Albion at Molineux. By 6 March 2002, after 38 games of the season, Wolves were ten points ahead of Albion but gained only 9 more points compared to Albion's 22 in the last eight matches and the Baggies clinched automatic promotion in second place on the final day of the season. Wolves were subsequently beaten in the play-offs by Norwich.
The Baggies were relegated from the Premier League after only one season and saw Wolves take their place in the top flight. To rub even more salt into the wounds, a Paul Merson-inspired Walsall side thumped them 4–1 on the opening day of the 2003–04 season. But it was Albion who had the last laugh, as they were promoted once again and Walsall's stint in the second tier came to an end as they dropped into League One.
After a five-year break without a derby between Albion and Wolves the 2006–07 season saw the teams meet a record five times. Albion won the first meeting 3–0 at the Hawthorns before Wolves won the return fixture 1–0 at Molineux. The clubs also met in the FA Cup third round, with Albion triumphing 3–0 at Molineux – a major riot followed in the city centre as hundreds of fans clashed. At the end of the season the clubs finished level on points and met in the Championship play-offs. Both legs were won by Albion, sending them through to the final 4–2 on aggregate. However, they lost 1–0 in the final to Derby at Wembley.
In the 2010–11 season the two sides met for the first time in the Premier League, marking the first top flight derby in nearly 27 years. The first league meeting at the Hawthorns ended 1–1 with Jamie O'Hara giving Wolves a first-half lead before an injury time equaliser from Albion's Carlos Vela earned the Baggies a point. In the return fixture at Molineux, Wolves claimed the bragging rights with a 3–1 win. The victory was particularly crucial in helping Wolves escape relegation.
The latest meetings between Albion and Wolves were in the 2011–12 season when both clubs, again, competed in the top flight. Albion claimed a league double over their bitter rivals for the first time since 1997–98. A 2–0 win at the Hawthorns was followed by a 5–1 demolition of Wolves away at Molineux where Peter Odemwingie grabbed a hat-trick. Wolves manager Mick McCarthy was sacked the next day and Wolves were relegated from the Premier League at the end of the season.
Wolves' demise continued and they found themselves relegated again the following season, meeting up with Walsall in League One in 2013–14. The two Black Country rivals met twice in the league and once in the Football League Trophy. The most recent derby being a 3–0 victory for Wolves at Bescot Stadium on 8 March 2014.
As of the 2020-21 season, the three clubs are in two different divisions, as Wolves and Albion are in the Premier League and Walsall are in the EFL League Two.