Other names Khorasan Derby Next meeting Monday, 6 October 2014 | Teams Aboomoslem .vs. Payam | |
Locale Mashhad, Khorasan province, Iran First meeting Aboomoslem 1–2 Payam
Mashhad City League
(29 December 1985) | ||
The Mashhad derby (Persian: شهرآورد مشهد) also known as the Khorasan derby (Persian: داربی خراسان) is a football local derby match between the two most popular clubs from Mashhad: Aboomoslem and Payam Mashhad. Back in the 1980s and early 1990s was Iran's second most important derby after the Tehran derby. Nowadays it has lost its status to more popular derbies such as Esfahan derby, Ahvaz derby and Shiraz derby.
History
Historically, F.C. Aboomoslem was owned by Iran Police Force and Payam Mashhad F.C. owned by Ministry of Post and Telecommunications. As the number one and two football clubs from Mashhad fierce rivals F.C. Aboomoslem and Payam Mashhad F.C. faced each other in the big derby from 1984 until 1989 and later in 1991-1992 when competing in Mashhad Football League and Khorasan Football League. The venue for this famous derby, Takhti Stadium would fill up with fans carrying black and green banners. Majority of Payam's fans were from Tabarsi Street, while Aboomoslem's stronghold fanbase areas were Saadabad Square, Sanabad Street and Abkooh.
However, for the remainder of the 1990s destiny separated the two, as they took turns in playing in Azadegan League and Second Division. It took them until 2001 to once again play each other in the crucial derby when they faced each other in the playoff round of Division Two for promotion to Azadegan League.
In 2008, for the first time ever, both sides were playing in Iran's main league Persian Gulf Cup and thus renewed their derby encounters.