Andy Cullen sends message to Portsmouth fans amid Southampton derby-day complaints
Portsmouth will go into their next league games full of confidence after their hard-earned draw at bitter rivals Southampton.
John Mousinho’s men went into the game as underdogs, but they took the game to their opponents at St Mary’s and were arguably the better team.
A lot of the post-match banter between fans debated the noise levels of the home support compared to the 2,700 Pompey fans.
Many have accused Southampton of having dreadful support during the game. Boos were heard from home fans at the final whistle, while Josh Murphy said that the match ‘felt like a home game’ because the travelling fans were so noisy.
Andrew Cullen addresses Portsmouth fans after South Coast Derby
Portsmouth supporters were made to jump through a few hoops to watch their team play at St Mary’s.
Portsmouth fans were charged £40 for adult tickets by Southampton, which is far higher than most Championship fixtures.
On top of that, Pompey fans were forced to travel to the game by an official coach service, in the interest of safety.
It was a lot of hassle for a football match just 20 miles away from Portsmouth, but the club still sold out their ticket allocation and were well supported throughout the 90 minutes.
In the aftermath, Portsmouth chief executive Andrew Cullen praised the fans for representing the club impeccably.
Speaking to Pompey’s official website on 18 September, Cullen said: “It was a huge logistical operation to organise the travel arrangements for 2,700 supporters from three different pick-up points.
“However, it was made so easy by the co-operation, punctuality and conduct of everyone who travelled.”
Police statistics confirm there were no arrests made among the supporters travelling by coach.
Portsmouth draw at St Mary’s feels like the warm-up act
The fans should be proud of Portsmouth’s performance against Southampton.
They were undeniably the better team in the first half, with both teams perhaps affected by the unignorable vocal support from the travelling fans.
Southampton found their feet in the second half, but Pompey held strong in spite of injuries to Nicolas Schmid and Conor Ogilvie. It was a performance that should inspire hope and confidence for the rest of the season.
| Southampton | Portsmouth | |
| Goals | 0 | 0 |
| Shots on goal | 9 | 10 |
| Possession | 60 | 40 |
At the same time, this derby felt like somewhat of a warm-up for the main event. Almost like an early round of boxing where both fighters didn’t want to commit everything to winning.
The battle to secure bragging rights will continue at Fratton Park at the end of January, and tensions are likely to be running even higher during this game.
Enjoyed this article? Stay connected with all the latest Portsmouth news, updates, and behind-the-scenes content by following us on our new Instagram account – @pompeynews247