6. Aston Villa and Birmingham City

There will be much debate in the West Midlands about the fact this historic rivalry plays second fiddle locally between that of West Brom and Wolves.

It's a rivalry that dates back more than 100 years, and Aston Villa can justifiably claim to have the upper edge over their near neighbours.

That's based not just on their superior record in derby matches (48 wins to Birmingham's 37 since 1887), but also on the clubs' respective trophy cabinets. Seven League Championships, seven FA Cup Final wins and a European Cup, compared to a solitary League Cup success for Birmingham.

Ironically, that 1963 League Cup win for City came against their bitter rivals, with the Blues winning 3-1 over the two legs.

Birmingham have the better Premiership derby record, with four wins from the nine games played to date, but Villa's three wins have been in the last three match-ups. And while Villa have been Premiership ever-presents, this is only the fifth season in the Premiership for the Blues.

One of the players in the Birmingham side last time they met - in November 2007 - was defender Liam Ridgewell, one of the few players to move from Villa Park to St Andrews. And Ridgewell was in the headlines for all the wrong reasons when he turned the ball into his own net for Villa's first goal in a 2-1 win.

It's a fixture that has proved to be a bit of a graveyard for goalkeepers. Remember Peter Enckleman's howlers for Villa in 2002, including allowing a Mellberg thrown-in to roll under his foot and into the net? Or Thomas Sorensen's calamities three years later, in successive games? Neither 'keeper regained their popularity with Villa fans.

7. Sheffield United and Sheffield Wednesday

It's not often these days that Wednesday-ites get to celebrate a win over their nearest and not-so-dearest rivals, so the 2-0 success at Hillsborough in January will be one that will live long in the memory for the blue half of the Steel City.

This is one of the oldest, and most closely-fought, rivalries in English football, dating back to 1893. When the clubs first met, Wednesday were known simply as 'The Wednesday'. That first game ended in a 1-1 draw - the first of 37 drawn games between the two clubs.

The sides have met 120 more times since then, with the Blades edging it 44 wins to the Owls' 39. Twelve of those games were in cup competitions, and the FA Cup record is three wins apiece, with three of those six ties going to replays.

The most famous FA Cup clash between the two was undoubtedly the Wembley semi-final in April 1993, when the famous old stadium became a sea of red and blue. It was those in blue and white who were first to celebrate, a Chris Waddle free kick giving Wednesday the lead. Veteran striker Alan Cork nabbed an equaliser, but Mark Bright tapped in the winner in extra time.

Wednesday took Arsenal to a replay in the final, only to lose to an Andy Linighan header in the last minute of extra time with Wembley's first penalty shoot-out looming. Wednesday also lost the League Cup Final that year, again to Arsenal - much to the delight of Blades fans, no doubt.

The Blades have lost just two of the last nine derby games, but they have never beaten Wednesday in the Premier League. Of the four encounters between 1992 and 1994, three ended in draws - the Owls won the other 3-1 at Hillsborough.

Only twice since the 1960s have the local rivals been in the same division for three seasons, but that relative paucity of derby games has only added to the fans' fervour when they do meet.

8. Bristol City and Bristol Rovers

The rivalry in this west of England city is so fierce that the two sets of fans can't even agree which is the oldest club. Rovers were formed in 1883 but didn't join the Football League until 1920; City were formed a year later, but have been playing professionally since 1901.

But one thing they can't argue about is that City - the Robins - have the better derby record, with 43 wins to Rovers' 29. A further 33 games have ended all-square.

Their last league season together was 2000-01. There was a 1-1 draw at the Memorial Stadium, when Rovers' Scott Jones missed an injury-time penalty, but the big headlines were made at Ashton Gate, when Rovers scored after less than 40 seconds but ended up losing a pulsating game 3-2.

City, arguably, have slightly the upper hand on league records, having had four seasons in the top flight in the late 1970s, as well as numerous seasons in what is now the Championship. Rovers, on the other hand, have never been higher than football's second tier.

Cup success has eluded both clubs, but in the mid-1980s they did meet in the FA Cup second round in successive seasons. City won 2-1 at Eastville in 1983, but Rovers got their revenge almost exactly a year later, winning 3-1 at Ashton Gate. And last year in the Johnston Paints Trophy area final, Rovers beat City 1-0 in a replay, prompting wild scenes of celebration and a pitch invasion.

City's fan base is largely from the southern end of Bristol, while Rovers have a stronger presence in the north and east of the city, which may explain why a third of fans in the city reckon the rivalry goes beyond matters on the pitch.

Perhaps fuelling their rivalry is the fact that the two sets of fans meet annually in a charity match, held at one of the city's two stadia, and it's as closely-fought as any of the professional games.

9. Newcastle United and Sunderland

Tyneside versus Wearside. Geordies versus Mackems. Magpies versus Black Cats. However you describe it, this North East derby always has an edge, and the rivalry between the two sets of supporters is as passionate as ever.

And with Kevin Keegan in one dug-out and Roy Keane in the other, expect blood pressures to be even higher at pitch-side than they are in the stands!

The Toon Army will claim to have the bigger, more successful club, but it's now more than 50 years since Newcastle United won a major trophy, and their last League title was as far back as 1927. Sunderland's last FA Cup success was in 1973, and their last League title in 1936, so can the Wearsiders claim a statistical victory?

Some historians says the inter-city rivalry dates back to the English Civil War, when Newcastle allegedly supported the Cavaliers and Sunderland the Roundheads. During the Jacobite Rebellions of the 17th and 18th centuries, Newcastle was said to have come out in support of the House of Hanover, and Sunderland the Stuarts.

That's probably why more than half the clubs' fans we surveyed reckon there's more to the local animosity than simply being near neighbours.

The rivals have met 138 times since 1898, with the Magpies winning 50 of them to Sunderland's 43. Newcastle are undefeated in the past eight meetings - all in the Premier League - but the recent glut of North East derbies hides the fact that, during the 1970s and 1980s, meetings were all too rare.

But if you think that Newcastle have the upper hand when it comes to League records, it's worth remembering that as recently as 2001, Sunderland finished ahead of the Magpies in the Premier League, and that season enjoyed a 2-1 win at St James' Park.

The most recent clash was the 1-1 Premier League draw at the Stadium of Light back in November. Higginbotham gave Sunderland a second half lead, but James Milner equalised shortly afterwards. Former Newcastle striker Michael Chopra was in the Sunderland side that day.

Oh, and one other small stat fact to mention: Sunderland's record victory, and Newcastle's biggest defeat this century, came in the same game in 1908. To make matters worse for the Toon Army, it was a 9-1 loss at St James' Park.

10. Brighton and Crystal Palace

It's hard to pinpoint when, or why, this rivalry started, but both sets of fans believe it's as intense as any rivalry in English football. There's a mutual dislike (even hatred) and, according to our survey, with 46 per cent of fans across both clubs believing the rivalry goes beyond football.

But exactly why they are such bitter rivals is harder to determine.

It probably started in earnest back in the mid-1970s when, after a 12-year hiatus, the clubs clashed in the old Third Division (Palace having dropped from First Division to Third with successive relegations).

At that time both clubs had high-profile managers. Alan Mullery and his Palace counterpart, Terry Venables, had been team-mates at Spurs a decade earlier.

Ironically, Palace's first Third Division game in that 1974-75 season was at Brighton's Goldstone Ground, and the Seagulls won 1-0.

Large numbers of Palace fans would make the 45-mile journey down to Sussex, and many would head for the aptly-named Palace Pier. Trouble in the town centre was a frequent occurrence.

The rivalry was undoubtedly fuelled in the early 1980s when Alan Mullery left Brighton after five years and, a year later, turned up at Palace. Having criticised Palace's management and fans in the past, his appointment wasn't exactly popular and attendances at Selhurst Park dropped.

Since 1920 the clubs have met 89 times in league and cup, with Brighton winning 35 to Palace's 32. It's a fixture where the home team generally wins, although in their most recent meetings - the 2005-06 Championship season - both games were won by the away team.

Palace have had brief spells in the Premiership, but in each of the four seasons they were relegated. Since being in the top flight in 1983, Brighton have led a see-saw existence between league football's other three divisions, so since 1989 the two clubs have found themselves in the same division only twice.