Best of Enemies: The rivalry between Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire, and Derby County and Nottingham Forest

By John Shawcroft

There has always been keen cricketing rivalry between Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire. The heyday was in the 1930s when both vied for the County Championship and their contests eclipsed even the Roses matches for a few seasons. Since the Championship was split into two divisions, four-day matches between the two have sometimes been in abeyance, but white-ball fixtures have offered attractive alternatives.

Unlike most football rivalries, the clashes between Derby County and Nottingham Forest cross county boundaries – the same two. Although in recent years they have taken place in English football’s second tier, the atmosphere has lost nothing. And then there is the Brian Clough and Peter Taylor factor, the impact of two men who took both clubs to new heights. Some believe Clough and Taylor created the rivalry; this book shows it existed long before.

Drawing on a wide range of sources, John Shawcroft spotlights memorable clashes between these ‘best of enemies’ from two counties and two sports