Editing Swindon Town F.C. (section)

===Rivalries===
Many clubs share either minor or more major rivalries with Swindon. In 2013 a poll of supporters of all Football League clubs to find out which teams they see as their main rivals was conducted by the [[Football Fans Census]], the results of which put Swindon in joint 4th place on the list of teams with the most rivals. This result was calculated by ranking clubs on how many supporters of other clubs viewed others as first, second, and third rivals.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |last=chrisrwhiting |date=2012-08-28 |title=2012-13 Football Rivalry Survey Results |url=https://thechriswhitingshow.wordpress.com/2012/08/28/2012-football-rivalry-census-results/ |access-date=2025-03-14 |website=The Chris Whiting Show |language=en}}</ref>

Swindon Town's fiercest rivals are [[Oxford United F.C.|Oxford United]], with whom they contest the [[A420 derby]]. This bitterly contested fixture has been marred with controversial and violent events both on and off the pitch over the years and the hatred has also been known to extend to other sports including [[Motorcycle speedway|speedway]], with both riders and fans getting into regular scuffles over the years.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Spafford |first=Nathan |date=2021-12-02 |title=Why do Oxford United and Swindon Town hate each other? |url=https://www.football365.com/news/oxford-swindon-odd-rivalries#:~:text=The%201970s%20saw%20the%20two,for%20a%20number%20of%20years. |access-date=2025-03-14 |website=Football365 |language=en}}</ref> As of 2025 the sides have met 62 times in all competitions, with Swindon winning 25, Oxford winning 17, and 20 games ending in a tie.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Swindon Town football club: record v Oxford United |url=https://www.11v11.com/teams/swindon-town/tab/opposingTeams/opposition/Oxford%20United/ |access-date=2025-03-14 |website=www.11v11.com}}</ref> 

[[Reading F.C.|Reading]] are also seen by many Swindon fans as a major rival, however this rivalry has become less intense over the years with both teams being in different divisions and not playing each other for a period of over 21 years.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2023-10-09 |title=Swindon Town and Reading: what happened to the rivalry? |url=https://www.swindonadvertiser.co.uk/sport/23843083.swindon-town-reading-happened-rivalry/ |access-date=2025-03-14 |website=Swindon Advertiser |language=en}}</ref> The rivalries between Swindon, Reading, and Oxford were labelled as the "Didcot Triangle" (owing to the train station which lies at the centre of the 3 cities) when the sides shared the same division in 2001,<ref>{{Cite web |date=2012-10-24 |title=1871 - Didcot Triangle / Wallingford Quadrangle |url=http://www.btinternet.com/~rfc1871/players/triangle200001.htm |access-date=2025-03-14 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121024165323/http://www.btinternet.com/~rfc1871/players/triangle200001.htm |archive-date=24 October 2012 }}</ref> however the rivalry between Swindon Town and Oxford United is generally regarded as being by far the most intense, with both teams fans viewing each other as main rivals in the most recent polls.<ref name=":0" /> This is because Swindon and Oxford have spent most of their history in higher divisions than Reading, and recently in lower divisions than Reading, and Reading's traditional biggest rivalry is with [[Aldershot F.C.|Aldershot]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=The rivalries that fuel Reading FC's passionate fanbase - Hob Nob Anyone? - Reading FC News |url=https://hobnob.royals.org/news/1134/The_rivalries_that_fuel_Reading_FC_s_passionate_fanbase |access-date=2025-03-14 |website=hobnob.royals.org}}</ref>

Additionally, Swindon share historical rivalries with [[Bristol City F.C.|Bristol City]] and [[Bristol Rovers F.C.|Bristol Rovers]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=betrescue |date=2010-10-10 |title=Go For Goals In M4 Derby {{!}} Betrescue |url=https://www.betrescue.com/2010/10/go-for-goals-in-m4-derby/ |access-date=2025-03-14 |website=www.betrescue.com |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2017-05-30 |title=Report: Swindon Town 1-0 Bristol City |url=https://www.bcfc.co.uk/news/report-swindon-town-1-0-bristol-city/ |access-date=2025-03-14 |website=Bristol City FC |language=en-ZA}}</ref> The rivalry with Bristol City was most recently relevant in the [[2014–15 Football League One|2014/15 season]] where both clubs were fighting for promotion to the [[EFL Championship|Championship]], with former Swindon defender [[Aden Flint]] causing outrage via an interview conducted after Bristol City's decisive 3-0 win over Swindon at [[Ashton Gate (stadium)|Ashton Gate]] in the closing part of the season.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Jenkins |first=Philippa |date=2017-09-12 |title=Bristol City fans relive moment when Aden Flint said 'no, no, no' |url=https://www.bristolpost.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/bristol-city-fans-relive-moment-464708 |access-date=2025-03-14 |website=Bristol Live |language=en}}</ref> Swindon last shared a division with Bristol Rovers in the [[2021–22 EFL League Two|2021/22 season]], with Swindon playing under Bristol Rovers' former manager [[Ben Garner]]. The rivalries with the [[Bristol]] clubs tend to be felt more strongly by people in areas of [[West Wiltshire]], where the catchment for the club's fanbases overlaps.

Other more minor rivalries exist with multiple clubs, the most notable of which being with [[Gillingham F.C.|Gillingham]]. This rivalry stems from an ill tempered match in the [[1978–79 Football League|1978/79 season]] where both teams were vying for promotion from the old [[Third Division (English Football)|Third Division]], during which the referee was assaulted by a fan, multiple players ended up in court after a fight in the tunnel, and fan violence erupted on the terraces.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Spafford |first=Nathan |date=2021-09-03 |title=How one dreadful tackle stoked a dormant 42-year Football League rivalry |url=https://www.football365.com/news/odd-rivalries-gillingham-swindon-danny-westwood-football-league |access-date=2025-03-14 |website=Football365 |language=en}}</ref> [[Newport County A.F.C.|Newport County]] have also emerged as a minor rivalry during Swindon's recent stay in League 2, with occasional trouble occurring whenever the two teams meet.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2023-10-13 |title=Police issue message ahead of Swindon Town v Newport County |url=https://www.swindonadvertiser.co.uk/news/23854663.wiltshire-police-issue-message-ahead-swindon-town-v-newport-county/ |access-date=2025-03-14 |website=Swindon Advertiser |language=en}}</ref> [[Gloucestershire]] teams [[Cheltenham Town F.C.|Cheltenham Town]] and [[Forest Green Rovers F.C.|Forest Green Rovers]] also consider Swindon a local rival, however this is not very often reciprocated as strongly by Swindon fans, due to the clubs not historically playing competitively at the same level.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Lee |first=Jason |date=2020-10-18 |title=The top five rivals of English football's top 92 clubs revealed |url=https://fanbanter.co.uk/the-top-five-rivals-of-english-footballs-top-92-clubs-revealed/ |access-date=2025-03-14 |website=Fan Banter |language=en-GB}}</ref> Other [[West Country]] clubs including [[Plymouth Argyle F.C.|Plymouth Argyle]] and [[Exeter City F.C.|Exeter City]] have also been labelled as [[West Country derby|derbies]] by fans and the media.