Somerset derby

The oldest of the four clubs, Bath City, were formed in 1889 as Bath AFC, six years later Yeovil were formed as Yeovil Casuals. The earliest Somerset derby match was recorded in 1901,[3] when Yeovil beat Bath 4–2.[4][5] From the 1910s to the late 1990s Bath and Yeovil consistently played in the Southern League against each other.[6]

Weston Super Mare, formed in 1947, played Yeovil for the first time in 1951, in which "The Glovers" won 7–0 in the Somerset Cup.[7] The first game the grandstand at Twerton Park opened was an FA Cup-tie in 1932. Yeovil, at the time, were said to be much “much reviled” in Bath. 5,345 watched Yeovil beat Bath 4–2. Bath City fans stated “Losing to Yeovil always hurt”.[8] In 1947, Taunton Town were formed as Taunton FC.[9] Neither Taunton or Weston ever reached the non-League hights of Bath or Yeovil in the Southern League or Alliance Premier League,[10] with Taunton and Weston Super Mare playing Western League football from the 1950s to 1990s.[11][12]

However, since the turn of the century, Yeovil and Bath moved in opposite directions across the English football pyramid, with the two clubs being as many as five divisions apart from one another during the 2013–14 season. Thus, any remaining local animosity between Bath City and Yeovil Town dissipated.[13] In the 2023-24 season Yeovil and Taunton competed in the same league for the first time, and on 26 December 2023, Yeovil played Taunton at Huish Park in front of 6,303, beating the National League South record gate at the time.[14]