Southampton vs Portsmouth ‘most hateful’ derby in England as most hostile example dropped
Portsmouth face Southampton for the first time since 2019 on Sunday.
Pompey travel to St. Mary’s to face their great rivals as they look to continue their good start to the Championship season.
They have not won away at Southampton in the league since January 1988, with fans desperate to break that streak.
Portsmouth may not be intimidated by the St. Mary’s crowd, but it will be their toughest task of the season yet.
The South Coast Derby is one of the best rivalries in the country and has been eagerly awaited by both sets of fans.
Portsmouth and Southampton rivalry branded ‘hostile’
Portsmouth are searching for their second away win of the season after beating Oxford United on the opening day.
A win at St.Mary’s would be a brilliant result for John Mousinho’s men, who know they’ll be up against it away from home.
Ahead of the game, pundits and journalists have been previewing the South Coast Derby and how much it means to both sets of supporters.
Writing in The Sun on 14 September, Dave Kidd has spoken about how intense the rivalry is between the two clubs: “The most hateful derby in English football? Liverpool v Manchester United? Newcastle against Sunderland? Aston Villa v Birmingham or Arsenal-Tottenham?
“No, from my own experience, it is Southampton against Portsmouth.
“The scummers and the skates- as they unlovingly call each other- are bonded by a deep mutual antipathy.
He added how he thinks it’s one of the most bitter rivalries in England: “Especially when Harry Redknapp flitted between the two clubs, these games were the most hostile games I ever attended.”
Portsmouth versus Southampton is one of the great derbies in the country, and that rivalry has been fuelled by the lack of games between the two in recent times.
John Mousinho’s men facing uphill task
Portsmouth go into Sunday knowing it’s their biggest game of the season so far.
Pompey will be the underdogs in the game, no doubt, but that doesn’t mean they cannot pull off the upset.
Mousinho has some big calls to make in the starting XI, but his side certainly have the tools to cause Saints problems.
- Portsmouth currently sit two points above Southampton in the table
- Pompey’s last win at St. Mary’s was a 4-1 FA Cup thrashing in 2010
- Southampton have yet to keep a clean sheet in the league, conceding six goals in four games
Will Still’s side would have been tipped for promotion to the Premier League this season, but they have had an up-and-down start.
Portsmouth will go into Sunday’s showdown knowing a win will give them bragging rights, but also could be the catalyst for a promotion push of their own.
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