Portsmouth play their home games at Fratton Park, while Southampton play theirs at St. Mary's Stadium. Portsmouth and Southampton are historically the most successful clubs on the southern coast of England and lie only 19 miles (31 km) apart in Hampshire. However, because the two clubs have often been in different divisions, the derby game has only been played 71 times in "First Class" competition since the first one in 1899.
Portsmouth have won the most titles of the pair, being champions of England twice (1948–49 and 1949–50) and twice FA Cup winners (1939 and 2008), whilst Southampton have won a single FA Cup (1976). In "first class" matches between the two teams, Southampton have the most wins, and have been more regularly in a higher league than Portsmouth, including their 27 consecutive years in the top flight of English football. However, Portsmouth were southern England's first club outside of London to reach the First Division, in 1927, and stayed for 34 consecutive years until relegation in 1961, five years before Southampton reached the First Division.
In the 2024–25 season, Southampton will play in the top tier of English football, the Premier League and Portsmouth will play in the second tier of English football, the EFL Championship.
Side-by-side comparison of Southampton and Portsmouth final league positions 1921 to the present. The two sides have rarely shared a division, hence the relatively low number of derbies played.
Southampton were originally formed in 1885 as St. Mary's Young Men's Association FC, before adopting the name Southampton St. Mary's when the club joined the Southern League in 1894. After they won the Southern League title in 1896–97, the club became a limited company and changed their name to Southampton FC. Portsmouth was founded in April 1898 and joined the Southern League in 1899.
The first match between the two clubs came in a friendly at Portsmouth's Fratton Park ground on 6 September 1899. The match was won "on their merits" 2–0 by Portsmouth, with goals from Dan Cunliffe (formerly with Liverpool) and Harry Clarke (formerly with Everton).[1]
Southampton and Portsmouth first played each other in the Southern League in April 1900, with Portsmouth winning 2–0 twice in three days. The teams met regularly in the Southern League, and in the early years of the 20th century were rivals for the league title, with Southampton taking the title in 1901, 1903 and 1904 (having also been champions in three consecutive seasons from 1896–97 to 1898–99, before Portsmouth were formed) and Portsmouth taking the title in 1902 (and again in 1920).
The first of four South Coast derbies in the FA Cup took place on 13 January 1906. Because of the large crowd expected for the first FA Cup meeting between the two rivals, the local registrars in both towns postponed voting in the 1906 general election until the following week.[2] The match at The Dell was attended by a capacity crowd of 14,000 and the Portsmouth fans, together with their players, did their best to unsettle the inexperienced Southampton goalkeeper, Bill Stead, who was making only his second first team appearance. Stead, however, showed few signs of nerves and produced a "phlegmatic performance",[3] restricting Portsmouth to a single goal from Dan Cunliffe, while the Saints scored five and eventually progressed to the last eight, where they lost 3–0 at Liverpool.[2]
For the 1920–21 season, both teams were admitted to the Football League (together with the majority of the Southern League First Division sides). The first Football League game between the two clubs was on 11 September 1920, with Southampton winning 2–0. After two seasons in the Third Division, Saints were promoted as champions in 1922. Pompey joined them in the Second Division in 1924 and were promoted to the First Division in 1927, becoming the first southern club outside of London to reach the top tier of English football. Up to this time the teams had met ten times in the Football League, with Saints winning four, Pompey three and three draws.
From 1927 until 1960 Portsmouth enjoyed a much-superior league position to their neighbours, winning the FA Cup in 1939 and back-to-back League titles in 1948–49 and 1949–50, until 1960, when Southampton gained promotion back to the Second Division, Portsmouth having been relegated from the First Division the previous season. From the 1960s onwards, Southampton found themselves in the ascendancy, being in a higher division nearly every season while defeating their rivals whenever the two sides met in cup clashes.
With Southampton being in a higher division for most of the period from the 1960s through to the early 2000s, the two clubs rarely met. Events such as the death of Portsmouth goalkeeper Aaron Flahavan, a Southampton-born footballer whose brother Darryl had played for Southampton, occasionally brought the fans together.
Southampton dominated the South Coast derby games in the post-war era, with fourteen wins to Portsmouth's six. Portsmouth's promotion to the Premiership in 2003 evened matters and reignited the clubs' rivalry – the first time the two teams had met in regular league competition since the 1987–88 First Division season. Southampton held the upper hand, winning two of the three matches played between the two sides in the 2003–04 season to Portsmouth's one.
The rivalry was galvanised with the appointment of Harry Redknapp as Southampton manager in December 2004, just days after he had resigned as manager of Portsmouth, and less than a month after the Saints had beaten Portsmouth at St Mary's Stadium. The following month, the Saints were drawn against and defeated their rivals in a fiery FA Cup match, with former Portsmouth striker Peter Crouch (who would go on to rejoin Portsmouth in 2008) scoring the decisive penalty in the last minute of the match.
However, Portsmouth struck back in the next league encounter between the rivals, with Southampton beaten 4–1 at Fratton Park by their relegation rivals in Redknapp's only return to the ground with the club. Southampton were subsequently relegated from the Premiership a few games later on the final day of the 2004–05 season, ending their 27-year run in the top flight of English Football. Redknapp caused more controversy when he left Southampton and returned to Portsmouth and enjoyed success.
Portsmouth won the FA Cup again in 2008 under Redknapp whilst, in 2009, Southampton were again relegated, this time to League One.[4] The two sides met in a fierce FA Cup match at St Mary's in 2010 which Portsmouth came out 4–1 victors again and went on to reach the FA Cup final that season but did not perform too well in the league. Portsmouth were in turn relegated to the Championship for the 2010–11 season after having been deducted nine points as a penalty for entering administration.[5]
The matches played during the 2011–12 season both ended as draws, but the club's fortunes differed considerably, with Southampton gaining promotion to the Premier League and Portsmouth once again going into administration and being relegated to League One.[6]
In Portsmouth's absence, AFC Bournemouth and Brighton and Hove Albion – based about 30 miles (48km) and 60 miles (97km) from Southampton respectively – gained promotion to the Premier League, with some media outlets marketing fixtures against them as a 'South Coast derby';[7][8][9] however, there is very little shared history or animosity between the clubs and supporters have never acknowledged these as significant rivalries,[10][9][11] something which was emphasised in September 2019 when Southampton were drawn against Portsmouth in the EFL Cup for their first meeting in seven years, with the event being discussed with much more anticipation than Saints' league matches against both Bournemouth and Brighton a few weeks earlier.[12][11][13]
Harry Redknapp
The acrimonious departure of Harry Redknapp from Portsmouth to Southampton brought the bitter rivalry between the two clubs to a new level. When Redknapp returned to Portsmouth in November 2005 following Southampton's relegation, it only served to further sour relations between the two clubs, which arguably remain at an all-time low. The two clubs' chairmen at the time, Rupert Lowe (Southampton) and Milan Mandarić (Portsmouth), publicly criticised one another on a number of occasions, with Lowe calling for an inquest into irregular betting patterns in the run-up to Redknapp's re-appointment. Mandarić had even sent a boxed duck as a Christmas "gift" to Lowe (as Lowe had been on a hunting trip when the "ordeal" began), but the gesture only furthered the animosity between the two.[14][15][16][17]
Inter-fan rivalry
Exactly when the fierce rivalry between the supporters of the two clubs began is not entirely clear. Until as recently as the early 1970s, many fans would go and watch the other team when their side was playing away, indicating anything but hatred. Some ascribe the growing rivalry since then to the cities' diverging economic fortunes.
In 1976, there were changes in fortune for both cities and their football clubs. Portsmouth International Port was built next to the new M275 motorway spur, both opening in 1976. This was seen as a threat to the Port of Southampton by its dockers. Portsmouth FC, on a decline, lost a fifth consecutive derby match against Southampton in a period from 1966 to 1976.[18] Southampton FC, then in the Second Division, were on the rise and won a shock victory in the 1976 FA Cup Final against First Division Manchester United 1-0 at Wembley Stadium. The goal was scored by Portsmouth-born Bobby Stokes.
Southampton were promoted to the First Division in 1978. Meanwhile, Portsmouth plummeted to the Fourth Division in the same period. Jealously, bragging, changing fortunes between the opposing fans, and the rise of football hooliganism in 1970s England are most likely the cause of the bitter rivalry that now exists between both sets of supporters.
In the early 1980s, cross-channel ferry services then moved from Southampton to Portsmouth International Port. Portsmouth's closer proximity to the European continent saved fuel, journey time and made more economic sense to ferry operators. Portsmouth's closer distance to London by road and rail was also seen as a positive by European visitors.
In the 1987-88 First Division season, Portsmouth and Southampton both met in the top division of English football for the first time in their shared histories. This was the first season that Southampton fans began using the derogatory "Skate" nickname for Portsmouth's supporters, which had been chosen from a fanzine poll. Despite a 2-2 home draw at Fratton Park and a 2-0 away win at The Dell, Portsmouth were relegated back to the Second Division after only one season.
In the early 2000s, Southampton based ship builder Vosper Thornycroft moved from its Woolston yard to new facilities at Portchester (near Portsmouth), and also into a newly built ship hall within HMNB Portsmouth. West Quay shopping mall in Southampton city centre was also opened, which attracted many Portsmouth residents away from Portsmouth's traditional shopping areas, favouring the new West Quay mall which offered more variety than Portsmouth's declining Commercial Road and Palmerston Road shopping areas.
On 15 May 2005, Portsmouth - now in the Premier League - lost 2-0 away to relegation threatened West Bromwich Albion. Portsmouth's loss earned West Bromwich Albion three points and survival to end one place above the relegation zone. However, this result also affected and confirmed bottom-placed Southampton's relegation to the second tier of English football for the first time since 1978.[19] Portsmouth supporters ironically celebrated their 2-0 loss to West Bromwich Albion as a victory, which had relegated Southampton to a division lower than that of Portsmouth. The last occasion this had happened was in the 1960-61 season, where Portsmouth had been in the Second Division and Southampton were in the Third Division.
In 2015, 10,000 Portsmouth people signed a petition against Portsmouth City Council's decision to allow airline Emirates to use its red and white livery (Southampton colours) for its sponsorship of the Spinnaker Tower in Portsmouth.[20] The city council subsequently came to an agreement with sponsors Emirates to use blue and gold (Portsmouth colours) instead.[20]
In 2019, the two teams met at for the first time in over 7 years, an EFL Cup tie at Fratton Park. Tensions at the game ran high, and as such police presence was high; hundreds of police officers were bought in from multiple police forces across Hampshire in order to prevent violence between the two sets of fans in what has been described as the biggest football policing operation conducted in Hampshire.[21] The police worked for over an hour, pushing fans away from one another in order to prevent a brawl as Southampton fans made their way from Fratton railway station to Fratton Park.[21] Despite the best efforts of the police, violence and anti-social behaviour ensued; before the game, red and blue flares were set off near Fratton Train Station and the Shepherd's Crook pub respectively.[21] Following the 0-4 result, tensions increased as items were thrown towards police and a police horse was punched.[21]
Nicknames
Portsmouth supporters refer to Southampton supporters as "Scum" or "Scummers". According to some Portsmouth fans, the term "scum" developed out of a fictitious acronym standing for Southampton City (or Corporation) Union Men, with the term allegedly originating from when Southampton dockyard workers supposedly crossed the picket lines in the 1930s when Portsmouth dockyard workers were on strike. However, this story is unlikely, as the two cities rely on entirely different types of ports — Southampton being a merchant port and Portsmouth a naval one. There is also no known record of any strike occurring during the aforementioned time period. Rather, this seems to be a modern attempt to incorrectly describe the origins of the rivalry.[22]
Southampton supporters have taken to referring to their local rivals as "Skates", after a Southampton fanzine, The Ugly Inside, asked its readers in 1988 to suggest an abusive term most likely to cause offence to Portsmouth supporters.[23][22] This date coincides with Portsmouth's return to the First Division in its 1987–88 season, when both clubs occupied the same division for the first time since 1976.[24]Skates was chosen as the derisive alternative to "matelot" to describe naval sailors, Portsmouth being the home of the Royal Navy.[citation needed] The name "Skate" originates from the civilian population of Portsmouth, and was originally an insult directed towards sailors working on ships in HMNB Portsmouth, or who were otherwise associated with the Royal Navy.[25] Sailors on long voyages would go long periods without female company, so would use skate to relieve themselves sexually; this led to sailors who attempted to approach prostitutes in Portsmouth being refused and told "I ain't no skate bait, mate".[25]
Both teams played in the Southern Championship in the 2006–07 season. Portsmouth was a strong contender for promotion (they finished 3rd), while Southampton was relegated to the Regional Combinations. The former Portsmouth manager, Vanessa Raynbird, also played in and later managed Southampton as well.
Southampton F.C. had ended its links with Southampton Saints L.F.C. in 2005. In 2017, Southampton F.C. formed a women's section, Southampton F.C. Women. In summer 2021 Southampton F.C. Women were awarded upward club movement to the third-tier FA Women's National League Southern Premier Division, of which Portsmouth F.C. Women are long-serving members, meaning the 2021-22 season saw the resumption of the South Coast Women's Derby.
Portsmouth Football Club is a professional association football club based in Portsmouth, Hampshire, England. The team is currently competing in the EFL Championship, the second level of the English football league system in the 2024–25 season after winning the 2023–24 EFL League One title. Portsmouth are nicknamed Pompey, a local nickname used by both His Majesty's Naval Base, Portsmouth and the city of Portsmouth. The club adopted blue shirts in 1912 and have mostly used a combination of white shorts and red socks since 1946.
Portsmouth Football Club is a professional association football club based in Portsmouth, England, founded in 1898. Football was first played in Portsmouth from at least the middle of the 19th century, brought to the Victorian era military town, by soldiers, sailors and dockers from other places in England. In Northern England the rules of football were already well established. Portsmouth Association Football Club was an amateur team founded in 1883 by architect Arthur Edward Cogswell. Its most famous player was Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, who played as goalkeeper under the pseudonym "A.C. Smith." The club disbanded in 1896, and Cogswell designed the first buildings at Fratton Park. Portsmouth Town was an amateur team before Portsmouth became a city in 1926. They competed in cup competitions, attracted several thousand spectators by 1891, and attempted to become Portsmouth's first professional club, but failed. Royal Artillery (Portsmouth) Football Club was formed by the Portsmouth regiment of the Royal Artillery. Established in 1894, they were notable for their competitive success and support from the local community. The team played home games at the United Services Recreation Ground and achieved significant victories.
William Rochford was an English footballer. A member of the Portsmouth team that won the 1939 FA Cup, he played over 100 matches for Portsmouth and for their south coast rivals, Southampton.
Alan Edward Knight MBE is an English former footballer turned manager. He holds the record for the most appearances for a single club by a goalkeeper, having played 683 league games for Portsmouth between 1978 and 2000; this superseded Peter Bonetti's record of exactly 600 goalkeeping appearances for Chelsea. He helped Portsmouth to the 1992 FA Cup semi final which they lost on a penalty shootout to Liverpool.
Wyndham William Pretoria Haines was an English footballer who played at centre-forward for south coast rivals, Portsmouth and then Southampton in the 1920s and 1930s.
John Arkison McIlwaine was a Scottish footballer who played as a centre half for Portsmouth, where he captained the team in the 1929 FA Cup Final, before moving to south coast rivals Southampton. He also played for Falkirk and Llanelly, whom he helped win the Welsh Football League championship in 1932–33.
Daniel Cunliffe was an English footballer who had a rather nomadic career in which he played as an inside forward for several clubs, including Liverpool as well as making one appearance for England in 1900.
James Ferrier Easson was a Scottish footballer who played as an inside-forward for Portsmouth in the English Football League, helping them reach the FA Cup Final in 1934. He also made three appearances for the Scotland national team.
The 1899–1900 season was the 15th since the foundation of Southampton F.C. and their sixth in league football, as members of the Southern League.
The 1922–23 season was the 28th season of competitive football by Southampton, and the club's first in the Second Division of the Football League. Having secured promotion from the Third Division South as champions the previous season, the largely unchanged Saints team avoided relegation comfortably and finished in the middle of the league table in their first season as a second-flight club. After a poor start to the campaign in which they picked up only one point from their first five matches, Southampton began to improve in form and move up from the Second Division relegation zone. The club picked up several wins over higher-placed opponents challenging for the division's two promotion places, allowing them to finish mid-table. Southampton finished in 11th place with 14 wins, 14 draws and 14 losses, and an even goal average.
The 1923–24 season was the 29th season of competitive football by Southampton, and the club's second in the Second Division of the Football League. Having finished in a mid-table position the previous season, the club made progress towards their goal of promotion to the First Division by finishing fifth in the second flight in 1923–24. The campaign started off relatively poorly, as the club won just two of their opening ten fixtures and found themselves around the middle of the table again. However, the team's performances began to improve, and by the middle of January they had made it to the top five in the division. With tough competition at the higher end of the Second Division, Southampton continued to drop points in key matches and finished the season in fifth place with 17 wins, 14 draws and 11 losses.
The 1925–26 season was the 31st season of competitive football by Southampton, and the club's fourth in the Second Division of the Football League. After finishing in the top half of the league table in their first three seasons in the division, Southampton had their worst year to date in the second flight when they finished in 14th place, ending just six points above the first relegation position. The club suffered a string of losses at the beginning of the campaign, leaving them with points to make up in later months. Former player Arthur Chadwick was brought in as Southampton's new manager in October, and the club subsequently secured their position in the Second Division with a run of wins over the Christmas period, despite continuing to lose points. The club finished in 14th place with 15 wins, eight draws and 19 losses.
The 1926–27 season was the 32nd season of competitive football by Southampton, and the club's fifth in the Second Division of the Football League. After having their worst year in the division the previous season, Southampton began the 1926–27 league campaign in strong fashion and found themselves in amongst the promotion hopefuls by the end of the year, just two points off front-runners Middlesbrough. However, following a lengthy run in the FA Cup the club's form began to deteriorate, ending with a series of 13 games which included just one win. The Saints dropped from as high as the top six of the Second Division table to a mid-table position, ending the season in 13th place with 15 wins, 12 draws and 15 losses – just one position and four points higher than their 14th-place finish the previous season.
The 1927–28 season was the 33rd season of competitive football by Southampton, and the club's sixth in the Second Division of the Football League. The season was the club's worst in the division to date, as they finished in 17th place just two points above Fulham in the first relegation spot. After a poor start in which they lost their first four games of the campaign, the Saints continued to drop points against teams throughout the Second Division, remaining in the bottom six positions for most of the year. A number of wins in the second half of the season over fellow mid-table sides helped to offset notable losses against those aiming for promotion, ensuring that the club avoided returning down to the Third Division South. Southampton finished the season in 17th place with 14 wins, seven draws and 21 losses.
The 1928–29 season was the 34th season of competitive football by Southampton, and the club's seventh in the Second Division of the Football League. After finishing in the bottom half of the Second Division league table the last three seasons, the club returned to challenging for promotion to the First Division when they finished fourth, their highest position in the league to date. The team were strong throughout the campaign, picking up key wins over teams around them in the table to secure a strong position. They stayed in the top six of the league for most of the campaign from September, reaching third place on two occasions and dropping to seventh just twice. Southampton finished the season in fourth place with 17 wins, 14 draws and 11 losses, five points behind Grimsby Town in the first promotion place.
The 1929–30 season was the 35th season of competitive football by Southampton, and the club's eighth in the Second Division of the Football League. After finishing fourth in the Second Division the previous season – their highest position in the league to date – Southampton continued their efforts towards achieving promotion to the First Division, but finished three places lower in seventh. The club struggled at the beginning of the league campaign, remaining in the bottom half of the table due to a run of poor results. A period of form including six wins in eight games followed between September and November, enabling the Saints to move up as high as third place. The team remained in the top half of the Second Division table for most of the rest of the season, finishing in seventh place with 17 wins, 11 draws and 14 losses.
The 1930–31 season was the 36th season of competitive football by Southampton, and the club's ninth in the Second Division of the Football League. After securing their place as a top-half side in the Second Division over the past two seasons, the Saints began to lose their footing on the league and dropped to ninth in the division. The club failed to win any of their first four games of the campaign, briefly struggling to stay above the two relegation places, but had soon made their way to the top half of the division where they remained for the rest of the season. The Saints were unable to challenge for promotion to the First Division, however, briefly reaching the top five but remaining a long way off the top two sides. Southampton finished the season in ninth place in the table with 19 wins, six draws and 17 losses.
The 1931–32 season was the 37th season of competitive football by Southampton, and the club's tenth in the Second Division of the Football League. After finishing in the top half of the Second Division league table for the past three seasons, the Saints struggled to challenge in 1931–32 and ended up finishing in 14th place, closer to relegation than promotion. Southampton's first season with manager George Kay started strongly, as the team picked up four wins in their first five matches and reached the top of the Second Division league table for the first time in the club's history. Form quickly deteriorated, however, and the club was briefly involved in a fight for survival in the new year. After picking up a few more wins, Southampton secured their safety and finished in 14th place with 14 wins, 14 draws and 14 losses.
The 1932–33 season was the 38th season of competitive football by Southampton, and the club's 11th in the Second Division of the Football League. It was another disappointing campaign for the Saints, who finished mid-table and rarely competed for promotion to the First Division. After a slow start to the season, the club had established themselves in the top half of the table by October with a string of victories. By the end of the calendar year, Southampton had dropped as low as 14th in the Second Division table – the position in which they finished the previous season – after a period of poor form in December. Wins were hard to come by in the second half of the season, but a strong run of results in April meant that the side finished 12th with 18 wins, five draws and 19 losses, seven points above the first relegation place.
The 1933–34 season was the 39th season of competitive football by Southampton, and the club's 12th in the Second Division of the Football League. The season was another mediocre campaign for the Saints, who finished in the bottom half of the Second Division table for the fifth time since joining the league. The club equalled their Football League record of 15 home wins from 21 games, but failed to win a single away fixture all season, continuing a club record run of 33 games without an away which started late the last season and continued until December 1934. Despite starting the season strongly and spending months in the top half of the table, Southampton finished the 1933–34 season in 14th place with 15 wins, eight draws and 19 losses, just five points above Millwall in the first relegation spot.
↑ Southampton 1-3 Bournemouth ("Next up for Southampton is the 'proper' South Coast derby, at Portsmouth in the Carabao Cup on Tuesday"), BBC Sport, 20 September 2019
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