The teams provide some inter-town rivalry and "Derbyshire-info" aims to provide some information for those interested in a different aspect of local culture ! The highest level non-league teams are indicated below.

FA Cup: the main football knockout competition played in England. This competition has rounds for non-league teams before the main football league teams join in the "First Round". Higher division football league teams join in the "Third Round", usually played in early January. The winners of the FA Cup (almost always a Premier League club), take part in the European "Cup Winners Cup")

Non-league : a term used to describe teams outside the Premier League and Football League system, consisting of semi-professional players. These leagues form a pyramid of promotion for teams which can take them into the professional leagues. The players play for fees while holding down a full time job.

Ground : Causeway Lane, Matlock ( within a few minutes walk of the town centre) Tel : 01629-5838666

Manager : Gareth Williams/Phil Brown , Nickname: "The Gladiators",

Current League: Unibond, 1st Division

Matlock Town FC have been in existence for over a century, although they were disbanded during World War II.

They won the Central Alliance League title in 1959/60 which took them into the Midland Counties League. That year also saw them enter the first round of the FA Cup which they lost to Crook Town following a replay.

In 1968/69 they won the Midland Counties League title and entered the Northern Premier League where they have remained. Their most successful period came in the 1970s following the appointment of former England International, Peter Swan as their manager in 1974. In this season they won the FA Trophy at Wembley, beating Scarborough by a 4-0 margin.

They have appeared in the first Round of the FA cup in, 1974/5 and 1975/6, playing Blackburn Rovers and Wigan Athletic.

In 1976/7 under new manager Tom Fenoughty, Matlock reached the FA cup, Third Round, losing to Carlisle United after beating Mansfield Town 5-2 at Field Mill in Round Two.

The Gladiators played in the Anglo-Italian non-league tournament in 1979, Juniorcasale and Cremonese at Matlock. It has to be said that Italian teams are famous for their lack of interest in cup (knockout) competitions !

Matlock were in the 1st Division of the Northern Premier League, currently sponsored by Unibond, following their relegation from the Premier Division in 1995/6. In season 2004-5 they joined Unibond Premier League again following reorganisation of the pyrimid, having come second in the league the previous season.

As of Christmas 2001, the club have just unveiled plans for a major redevelopment with the creation of a new 500-seater stand and social facilities. The saving goes on.

Ground : The Moat Ground, Moat Street, Church Gresley. (on Moat Street, Church Gresley) Tel : 01283-216315

Manager :  ---   , Nickname: "Moatmen"

Current League: Dr. Martins Midland & West Division

Ground : The Silverlands, Buxton, Derbyshire ( within a few minutes walk of the town centre) Tel : 01298-24733

Manager : ---, Nickname: "the Bucks"

Current League: Northern Counties East

Buxton Football Club began life in 1877 , moving to its current ground, Silverlands in 1884. Situated at 1000 feet above sea level, Silverlands has the distinction of being the highest football ground in the soccer pyramid of leagues. Watching a match in January confirms this. The club entered The Combination in 1891 and the Manchester League in 1899, winning the championship only in 1931/2 which caused them to move to the Cheshire League. It took another 40 years before this title graced Silverlands. They were promoted to the Northern Premier League in 1973/4 , with their highest NPL position being 4th.

The club has had no FA Cup first round appearances since 1962 but in 1950/1 they reached round 3. They did however reach the quarter-final of the FA Trophy 1970/1 and 1971/2. The club became a Limited Company in 1993, but has fallen on harder times since then .

Ground : The Town Ground, North Street, Alfreton, Derbyshire, DE55 7FZ ( within a few minutes walk of the town centre) Tel : 01773-830277

Nickname : Often. The Reds

Current League: Northern Counties East.

The present club was formed in 1959, joining the Central Alliance and progressing quickly to the Midland Counties League.

After a bad season in 1961/2 , Alfreton took the title in 1969/0 after several top positions. The triumph was repeated in 1972/3 and 1976/7. Alfreton also won the Midland League Cup on three occasions in the 1970s. The Northern Counties East League was formed in 1982 and they were Champions in 1986/7 moving into Division 1 of the Northern Premier League.

Alfreton eventually climbed into the Unibond Premier League and stayed for two seasons but slipped in successive season through the First Division back into the Northern Counties East League, where they now reside. They have ambitions plans to revive themselves and in 1999 played a pre-season friendly against Manchester United at North Street to a capacity crowd.

Ground : Christchurch Meadow, Belper( within a few minutes walk of the town centre) Tel : 01773-825549

Manager : Nickname: "The Nailers"

Current League: Unibond, 1st Division

Belper Town's nickname comes from the craft of nail making begun in Belper in the middle ages when it was the site of a hunting lodge of John of Gaunt. The huntsmen needed nails for the horses' shoes for hunting in Duffield Frith. Nail making was a cottage industry until 1861, when machinery finished off the local industry. A plaque of 17th century nails hangs in the clubroom.

Belper Town was originally formed in 1883 but fade away three times due to lack of finance. They reformed for the fourth time in 1951. In 1957 the club joined the Central Alliance League and in 1960 joined the Midland Counties League.

Following near collapse in 1978/9, they responded, under the managership of Ivan Hollet and John Harrison , by winning the league the following season. The Nailers won the Northern Counties East League in 1984/5 and at that time the former Derby County and England player Kevin Hector was in their team ( a famous name in the history of Derby County Football Club), although finances prevented them from joining the 1st Division of the Northern Premier League.

In recent seasons the club has done well in the FA Vase competition, reaching a semi-final place and 5th round twice. They joined the Unibond League in 1996/7 and have been playing well and improving facilities. A new social club was opened in 1999 by Brian Clough, the ex-Derby County and Nottingham Forest Manager.