Portsmouth fans take delight as Southampton tweet backfires – ‘Joke of a club’
Portsmouth and Southampton will reignite their rivalry in the South Coast derby next season, after the Saints were relegated from the Premier League.
Pompey secured their Championship survival with games to spare in an impressive campaign, and they will now be joined in the same division by their biggest rivals for the first time in over a decade.
Southampton were relegated as one of the worst teams in Premier League history, with just 12 points to their name so far this season, but did just hold champions Manchester City to a point.
Their form does not bode well for the Championship next season, and Portsmouth fans will now hope they continue to falter ahead of their long-awaited reunion next year.
Portsmouth fans mock Southampton post
Southampton’s draw with Man City meant that they beat Derby County’s record low of 11 points in a Premier League season, and they posted on X joking about the record.
| Team | Played | Wins | Draws | Losses | Goals | Conceded |
| Southampton | 36 | 2 | 6 | 28 | 25 | 82 |
This post was met with derision from most of the footballing world, and many Portsmouth fans piled in to laugh at the shameless nature of the post, considering Southampton’s dismal season.
Portsmouth will want to win South Coast derbies next season
Southampton’s nightmare season could spell trouble for them in the Championship if they do not recover quickly, and Portsmouth will be licking their lips ahead of the first South Coast derby.
If Portsmouth continue their fine form they ended the season in, and Southampton do not address their rot, Pompey will back themselves to win the first derby if it takes place early in the campaign.
While Portsmouth’s ambitions and budget may not see them challenge for promotion, they will hope to progress up the table, and if they can win one of what will be a set of historic derby clashes, they will be delighted.
Portsmouth last beat Southampton in a league game in 2004, with Pompey winning 1-0 at Fratton Park, and any victory over the Saints next season will be remembered for years to come.