Chandler O’Dwyer grew up in a country obsessed with derbies. English soccer is the original soccer and the rivalries go way back. For O’Dwyer, his derby of choice is the Northwest Derby. “The biggest derby for me, being a Manchester United fan, is Liverpool-United. I don’t really care about the Manchester City one, as they didn’t really exist till they got the Saudi money. They’re a plastic club, so who even cares. But Liverpool, can’t stand that club.” Like most United fans, he couldn’t resist the dig at City.

But since coming to the Richmond Kickers, O’Dwyer has become involved with another derby of massive importance to his club and its supporters: The Henny Derby.

*Photo credit: Richard Hayes of the Red Army*

In fact, he scored in the last clash between his club and Forward Madison. After a tight match in front of a raucous crowd at City Stadium, O’Dwyer helped lead a final push in extra time to find the match winner. The crowd absolutely erupted and the English forward had his favorite Henny Derby memory (for a variety of reason). “Has to be last year, I scored the winner in the last two minutes. You can’t beat that… After that match we were given our first midseason break, which we’d been looking forward to for ages. So it was July 4th weekend, we win in the last minutes, and the next day we had a 4-day vacation. The combination was a perfect outcome.”

It’s the kind of match that every player lives for with a packed crowd and a motivated opponent. In the last few iterations, the league and media focus has ramped it up even more. Just because something is new, doesn’t mean it lacks sincerity or value. Though he grew up with a rivalry now 120 years old, he sees the importance of the Derby. “I would never undervalue it, it’s fun. This is League One. If this is something fans enjoy, and they look forward to it and it gives them a boost, then I’m all for it.”

Today, the 17th iteration of the Henny Derby will be played in Richmond. The world will be watching.

- Dan Vaughn