Is Wales set to host football's closest derby?

What the report says

BBC Sport reports that Cwmbran Celtic and Cwmbran Town are preparing for a rare derby that may be among the closest in football, with the two south Wales clubs’ grounds separated by about 40 metres. The teams are due to meet on Tuesday in the Ardal South-East League, the third tier of Welsh football, in what the BBC says will be their first competitive meeting in 16 years.

The fixture has drawn attention because the clubs are effectively neighbours: Cwmbran Town’s Halo Stadium and Cwmbran Celtic’s Motazone Arena are divided by a line of trees. Celtic fan Steve Fry told BBC Sport that supporters believe it could be the closest derby in the UK, possibly even one of the closest globally. Competition rules mean Cwmbran Town must use the away facilities at Celtic’s ground rather than simply changing next door.

The clubs have spent years in different divisions, but Celtic’s relegation from the second tier last season has brought them back into the same league. Fry said many of the players already know one another from the town, adding to the local interest around the opening-season fixture.

BBC Sport notes comparisons with other unusually close rivalries, including Nottingham Forest and Notts County in England and Dundee and Dundee United in Scotland. The report also highlights the presence of veteran striker Lee Trundle, formerly of Swansea City and Wrexham, who joined Cwmbran Town this summer and could make his debut in the match.