IS Cambridge United-Ipswich Town really a derby?

A fair amount of the pre-match coverage of the Blues’ visit to the Abbey Stadium on Saturday has used the D-word but I’m not sure either set of fans would see it as a fixture with too much additional spice about it.

OK, the clubs are relatively close at 53 miles apart, but if that was the only qualification to make a game derby teams in the Midlands would be playing them every other week.

Or perhaps even more often than that given I once heard Five Live refer to Southend-Peterborough as a local derby and they’re separated by 108 miles.

For me, for a match to count as a derby, there has to be more than just proximity about it, there needs to be history and tradition.

The only derbies for most Town fans are against Norwich City.

Having said all that, in the one season in which the Blues played Cambridge in the league, 1991/92, there was a fair bit of spice about the games with both sides chasing promotion to the first ever Premier League.

Cambridge, under John Beck with the likes of Dion Dublin and Steve Claridge in their team, came off best from the matches, winning 2-1 at Portman Road and securing a controversial 1-1 draw at the Abbey, Craig Forrest having been fouled as Mick Heathcote equalised.

But it was Town who eventually secured the Second Division title and a place in football’s brave new world.

Gazette:

Targets - Ipswich Town boss Paul Cook will be looking to see his side continue their good form against Cambridge United today Picture: NIGEL FRENCH/PA WIRE

Regardless of the game’s derby status, Saturday’s sell-out match is a big one for the Blues, who need to maintain the momentum they have started to build in recent games as they go into a run of four out of five fixtures away from home.

The visit to the Abbey followed by trips to Portsmouth, current leaders Plymouth and second-placed Wycombe with a home game against Fleetwood sandwiched in between.

Last week’s 2-1 win against Shrewsbury at Portman Road may have been laboured but the most important thing was that it was a win.

The three points meant manager Paul Cook had achieved back-to-back victories for the first time since taking over at Portman Road in March, a welcome and long overdue achievement.

Town have started to show some consistency in their last six games in all competitions in which they have won four, drawn one and suffered one defeat.

That one reverse was the hugely disappointing 2-1 loss at Accrington in their last away league game and the Blues need to improve their form on the road going into the run ahead of them having taken only three points - from the win at Lincoln - up to now.

Starting at Cambridge tomorrow, derby or otherwise.