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M69 derby
Association football rivalry From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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The M69 derby is a football match played between Coventry City and Leicester City. It takes its name from the motorway that connects the two cities, which are only 24 miles (38 km) apart.
Coventry and Leicester's traditional rivals have historically been considered to be Aston Villa and Nottingham Forest respectively. However, the fixture became increasingly significant between 2001 and 2011 with both clubs' traditional rivals often being in a different league. According to a survey by The Football Pools published in 2008, this fixture is the 26th fiercest rivalry in English football.[2]
The rivalry declined during the 2010’s as Leicester experienced their most successful period at the top level of English football, while Coventry struggled financially and spent time in both League One and League Two. Coventry have since risen back up the English football league system, and in 2023, Leicester lost their Premier League status after nine years in the division.
The M69 derby made its return during the 2023–24 season after an eleven year hiatus. Leicester won the opening day fixture 2–1 at home, while Coventry won the reverse fixture 3–1. The most recent meeting between the two clubs was a 0–0 draw on 20 September 2025.[3]
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Crowd trouble
The fixture between the two clubs has historically been marred by incidents of violence. In September 1984, a pitch invasion took place two minutes into a First Division game at Highfield Road. In October 2004, trouble broke out in Coventry with police officers pelted with missiles.[4] In February 2008, up to 100 hooligans were involved in a brawl on a street nearby to the Coventry Building Society Arena.[5] On 3 March 2012, supporters of both clubs clashed on a street in Leicester, with windows on a mini-bus allegedly smashed. During the 2023–24 season, offensive banners were displayed on the M69 motorway ahead of both fixtures.[6]
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Statistics
The first fixture between the two clubs was a Second Division game on 27 September 1919 which resulted in a 1–0 win for Leicester. The biggest victory resulted in an 8–1 Leicester victory in the League Cup at Highfield Road on 4 December 1964.[1]
Coventry have been heavily beaten on two other occasions at Filbert Street, with both matches ending in a 5–1 win for Leicester. The first was in 1924–25, when Arthur Chandler scored a hat-trick, and in 1984–85, when Gary Lineker scored a brace.[1]
Since moving to their current stadium in 2002, Leicester have never been defeated by Coventry. Coventry held the same record at the Coventry Building Society Arena from 2005 to 2011. Coventry were in the Premier League when they last won at Leicester on 7 April 2001.[7]
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Game list (since 1984)
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The most recent fixture resulted in a 0–0 draw at the King Power Stadium on 20 September 2025.
- Coventry City win Leicester City win Draw
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