Portsmouth vs Southampton: One of English football’s fiercest rivalries explained
Portsmouth and Southampton share one of the most bitter rivalries in English football.
These two fierce rivals will go head-to-head in the league in 2025-26 for the first time in 14 seasons after Southampton were relegated from the Premier League.
Southampton have been higher in the football pyramid in recent years, although Portsmouth have more major honours overall.
Pompey have won two league titles and two FA Cups, while the Saints have just one FA Cup to their name.
The distance of only 20 miles between the two teams contributes to an intense rivalry, particularly in the small towns separating the two cities.
Portsmouth vs Southampton head-to-head record
The first match held between Portsmouth and Southampton took place in April 1900 in the Southern League, with Pompey 2-0 victors.
Southampton have the better overall record though. Ahead of the 2025-26 Championship clashes, the record currently stands at 21 Portsmouth wins, 15 draws and 35 Southampton wins.
There have been just 10 South Coast derby matches this century. Portsmouth have won three of those, drawn two and lost five.
The most recent match between these bitter rivals was a Carabao Cup tie in 2019, which Southampton won 4-0.
| Portsmouth wins | 21 |
| Draws | 15 |
| Southampton wins | 35 |
Portsmouth vs Southampton iconic moments and matches
When Portsmouth were promoted to the Premier League in 2003, they got the chance to take on Southampton in the league for the first time in 16 years.
Both sides came away with a home victory in that season, while Saints also knocked Pompey out of the League Cup.
Fans witnessing those games might have thought that the rivalry couldn’t get more heated, but the hatred intensified when Harry Redknapp quit Pompey to become Saints manager in 2004.
When he took his Southampton side to Fratton Park in 2004, Pompey thrashed them 4-1, a result that helped send Saints down to the Championship.
The next time they met, Pompey repeated the 4-1 scoreline in the 2010 FA Cup fifth round.
Southampton had a great chance of revenge the following season, as Pompey had been relegated and stripped of their best players due to their financial turmoil.
However, both league matches were drawn in that season, with David Norris’ last-minute equaliser in the 2-2 draw at St Mary’s making him a cult hero among Pompey fans.
Portsmouth vs Southampton quotes
“I didn’t really need to do any reading up on it. I’ve been told from January 2023 when I joined the club that this is pretty much the only thing anyone cares about. Plenty of people have told me already they don’t care if we get relegated as long as we win the games.” – Pompey boss John Mousinho
“I would possibly say this fixture is more intense than the Merseyside derby and the Manchester derby. The rivalry is probably as strong as any derby I’ve either been involved in as a player, coach or fan.” – Former Pompey manager Michael Appleton
“When I was at Benfica, we had Sporting and Porto as big rivals but the Portsmouth v Southampton rivalry is totally different because it runs deeper… It’s about the history in the cities, the ports and the passion. You have to put everything on the line.” Former Pompey defender Ricardo Rocha
“Harry Redknapp had left and he was like an enemy. I love Harry – the best manager I played under – but at that time I just wanted to kill him.” – Former Pompey striker Lomano Lua Lua
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