The Angus derby is a football rivalry that is based in Angus, Scotland. Matches are contested between any two SPFL clubs from Arbroath, Montrose, Forfar Athletic and Brechin City. All four sides regularly compete within the same leagues and therefore often face each other, and it is rare to find a season without a matchup between at least two of the Angus teams.
History
Entry into the SFL
Arbroath and Forfar were both admitted into the Scottish Football League in the 1921–22 season entering the new reformed Second Division, expanded from the old pre war division. Brechin and Montrose joined 2 years later in 1923–24 with the newly formed third division. The division only lasted for 2 full years, however, before being scrapped due to financial difficulties.
Brechin and Montrose would both return to the SFL in 1929–30 following the departures of Bathgate and Arthurlie in the previous season. This marked the first year in which all 4 clubs competed in the same division which continued until Arbroath's promotion to the top flight in 1935 where they remained until the leagues were halted for WW2.
Post-war return
When the league resumed in the 1946–47 season Forfar, Montrose and Brechin found themselves in the new C Division (a reconstituted Third Division) of the league which mostly featured reserve teams for clubs in the top 2 divisions. Arbroath continued to play in a higher league than their rivals in the second tier of Scottish football. Forfar only spent 3 seasons in the third tier winning the C Division title and promotion in 1948–49. The next year the league was split into 2 regional sections with Brechin and Montrose placed in the North East section. Both clubs remained in this set-up for the next 5 years until Brechin City won the North East section in 1953—54 and were promoted to the second tier. The next year Montrose (along with the other non - reserve sides) were promoted despite finishing 8th in their section as the division was abolished.
In 1955–56 the 4 Angus clubs were again all in the same division. Aside from Arbroath's brief spells in the top flight this would remain the same until 1974–75.
League Reconstruction
At the end of the 1974–75 season the Scottish Football League went from 2 large divisions (18 and 20 teams) to 3 smaller divisions (10, 14 and 14 teams). Arbroath and Montrose both found themselves in the second tier of Scottish football while Brechin and Forfar were relegated to the third tier along with the other clubs that made up the bottom 14 of the 1974–75 second tier. Montrose were relegated to the third tier in 1979 and Arbroath followed them the next year so in 1980–81 the clubs were again together in the third tier in Scottish football. Brechin won the title in 1982–83 and were promoted back to the second tier and Forfar did the same the following year and then Montrose did the same again the next year. Arbroath were left as the sole Angus side in the bottom tier for 2 seasons until Brechin and Montrose were relegated in 1987. Brechin won the league again in 1989–90 a point ahead of Kilmarnock and were promoted. They were relegated straight back down the next year at the same time as Montrose were promoted. Like Brechin though, Montrose came straight back down along with Forfar. 1992–93 saw Brechin win promotion again with the 4 rivals in the same league.
4 divisions
The leagues were again restructured at the end of the 1993–94 season into 4 leagues of 10. Montrose, Forfar and Arbroath all finished in the bottom 8 in the 14 team third tier and so were relegated to create the fourth tier (along with Inverness CT and Ross County) with Brechin in the league above.
The creation of more smaller leagues meant the clubs were never all in the same league as each other but it did bring more titles for the Angus clubs.
Forfar won the first ever Third Division title and Montrose were also promoted to the third tier as runners up, but both came straight back down the following year. Forfar immediately won promotion again the next season in 96/97 but Montrose would spend the next 22 seasons in the basement division.