The history of the South Coast derby ⚔️ | Southampton vs Portsmouth

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The history of the South Coast derby: Southampton vs Portsmouth

The video traces the South Coast derby from its dockyard roots through meetings in the top flight, the Championship and cup competitions, with memories from Mick Channon, Harry Redknapp and others. It concludes that class and geography, plus the rarity of the fixture, make the rivalry unusually fierce, with the hostility shaping matches, relegation battles and personal decisions.

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Transcript

This [music] is the South Coast Derby. It's pretty fierce. People wouldn't realize that two teams in his partner world and it could be so fierce. You got the red side, [music] the blue side, and the hatred with what they call each other. >> What a finish. What a game. >> They're going to hate each other for a lot longer yet. >> Oh, what a goal. >> It's not a day for the faint hearted, that's for sure. It started in the dockyards, a rivalry between Portsmouth, a workingclass area built on its naval base, and its more affluent neighbor, the commercial port of Southampton. >> They're very separate. Portsmouth is an island. It has an island mentality. They're fierce and passionate, defending their rights against the odds. >> It seems astonishing now that they used to celebrate each other's successes. So when Portsmouth won the FA Cup in 1939, the trophy was displayed in Southampton's Guild Hall and paraded around Saints home ground, the Dell. >> There was a time when Pompy fans would happily go to the Dell and watch Southampton when Pompy were away from home. >> Portsmouth won back-to-back league titles in 1949 and 1950. They were the dominant force on the South Coast until the 60s when the fixture became more common in the second division. Southampton thrashed Portsmouth 5-1 in 1960, signaling a turning of the tide in [music] Saints favor. The rivalry was starting to grow. >> It builds and it fers. That aggression, that hatred, that rivalry because they don't meet often, it explodes. >> I only played three games against Portsmouth, which is amazing. >> You won all three though. >> Sorry Portsouth, but uh you know to rub it in. By the 1970s, Portsmouth were in decline and lost five successive derbies to rapidly improving Southampton. >> Let's talk about the most notable one. >> Well, we talk about the good ones, we going to score a hatrick, [laughter] >> a hattick in a 4-nil win. >> What do you remember of it? >> Ah, the first one I've had a shot and it's come back to me >> and then I just just stroked it in and then the ball came over me shoulder more or less. It was an opportunity from an acute angle. The ball sat up perfectly and there was only one thing to do and it flew in the top corner. The other one was a header which I wasn't I didn't score many headers not from corners. To score a hat-tick against your your big rivals and end of a derby is something a bit special. >> You've still got a souvenir, haven't you? From the hattick ball super Manurva Supreme. So that's the ball. But >> that's 50 years old. >> Hey, great days and good fun. And like I say, thanks very much. There you go. >> Mick Channon also scored the winner when Southampton won at Portsmouth later that season. A result that helped to relegate Pompy. A few weeks before they won the FA Cup. This remains Southampton's last league win [music] at Fratton Park. >> That was 1 nil and they were down and we were in the cup final. So happy days. >> Second division Saints beat Manchester United in the cup final. Their Wembley winner was scored by Portsmouth Bobby Stokes. Southampton were on the up. They were promoted to the first division in 1978 while Portsmouth suffering from financial problems were relegated to the fourth division. Mick Channon made himself a Southampton icon who's still their all-time record scorer. But towards the end of his career, he crossed the divide and signed for Pompy. >> Believe it or not, I really enjoyed me year at Portsmouth. The supporters were great. It took me a little while to score a goal, but hey, I was getting on then, you know, you know, Baldi was squeezing the orange. It was only the pips left really, so I was running on empty, you might say. [laughter] >> Pompy's promotion in 1987 pitted them against their rivals in the top division for the first time. They drew to all at Fratton Park and won at the Dell, but their stay in the first division was fleeting and they went straight back down. The rivalry was reignited when Portsmouth were promoted back to the top division in 2003 under a certain Harry Rednap. We'd come up, we'd won the league the year before and we were now in the Premier and it was a tough first season. We were struggling to stay in the league and then the Southampton game was a big turning point for sure. Yak scored for us. Yakuba, he was a fantastic player for Portsmouth. And um that one nil victory gave us momentum to go on and pick up the results that we needed to to consolidate ourselves as a Premier League team. >> A late Kevin Phillips goal won the next meeting for Southampton. But that turned out to be Steve Wiggley's only league win in charge. And less than a month later, they needed a new manager. >> I had a great time at Portsmouth. It had to be right up there with the best time in my life. I used to look forward every morning going to work, you know. I loved it. We just had a great time and the crowd were amazing. And Milan, I had a amazing relationship with Milan Mandre. We we had great times together, but he decided he wanted a change and bring a director of football in. And he really want he wanted me to get rid of Jim Smith. We me and Jim were Yeah, we were partnership. Milan decided we could do without Jim, which wasn't something that I was going to accept. And so if Jim went, I was going. And uh so I had a bus stop with him and walked out and that was it. But people often think, "Oh, it must have been planned." It was never on the agenda. Southampton never entered my mind. >> Apparently, whether you like it or not, there's been connections made between you and Southampton. Have you any talk? >> No. None at all. Not a thing. I've not spoke to any I haven't spoke to any other football club. >> And then I get a call. Would I go to Southampton? And you know, to be fair, I live in this part of the world. told him all you know I I didn't feel what had happened at Portsouth wasn't of my doing. So I thought well I've done nothing wrong and I got offered to go to Southampton and it's a good club big club and I took the job. Yeah but I didn't realize at the time to be honest this just how the hatred and the fierceness of it all. I mean it wasn't a clever move I must be truthful. >> Within days of Harry Rednap defecting to Southampton [music] came another twist in the tale. >> Number 30. Number 30. Southampton FA Cup finalist in 203 >> number 29 >> will play Portsmouth. Southampton against Portsmouth. >> What did I think that day, John? I be truthful with you and I I haven't told any. I I don't but we were drawing with about 10 [music] minutes to go and do you know what? I've got to be honest. I didn't care who scored. I just didn't want to go back to Portsmouth. I didn't I just I thought somebody score a goal. I didn't want a replay. And we get a penalty and Crouchy picks the ball up and uh and I must admit I didn't fancy Crouch as a penalty taker. He'd have been my last choice. I love Crouch. He's one of my all-time favorites, you know, and I'm going, "No, no, no, not him, not him." And but no, he'd slaughtered it away. So that saved me the visit back at that time. Three months later though with Saints mired in relegation trouble, Rednap did make his first and only return to Fraten Park as Southampton manager. >> I remember having four SAS men on the coach. Uh we had helicopters flying in front of coach made sure the bridges were clear. It was a scary day. >> And here is Harry Rednap looking suitably concerned. >> I don't know. It was like driving into a war zone. And sure enough, you know, the players went out for a warm-up. You know, I don't think they could believe what was the atmosphere was going to be like it was horrendous game day. Pompy was winning 4-1 after 27 minutes. Famously, Lawir put Pompy 4-1 up, did a somersault, did his hamstring and came straight off. Uh, what a cameo. Two goals, one assist. >> Do you think that really intensified the rivalry that it was ramped up to a different level at that point? >> Oh, it ramped. Yeah, for sure. Yeah. It wasn't like going to a football match. Just pleased to get out there safe and sound really. >> That result left Southampton bottom of the Premier League. >> It went down to the last game. We were It was unreal. We're playing Man United. And you know, Alex sent his best team down. I mean, Brian Robson was in trouble at West Brom. He made sure he done Rob a favor obviously putting his best team out. And where did West Brom have to play? Portsmouth at home. And you can imagine the Pompy boys all traveling. They all got West Brom with Albian scarves on and you know so it was it was an impossible day. We knew that West Brom were definitely going to beat Portsmouth. They wanted us relegated badly. >> Southampton's run of 27 years in the top division was over. And with Saints aing in the championship, Rednap was unhappy with Sir Clive Woodward being added to his coaching staff hastening another dramatic turn of events. I found it [music] difficult at Southampton and then I get a phone call um I think Frank Lampard senior had gone to watch Chelsea [music] play Portsmouth and Frank Senior went up in the boardroom of Milan came up and said we're going to get relegated the team's [music] useless we've had it blah blah blah Frank said why don't you get Harry back he said oh I would he said but he wouldn't come back they said well I'll ring him why don't you ring him ask him I said yeah I would go back there so [music] that was it I went back it listen it was it was a gamble going back there but we went on a run and and managed to stay up. >> IT IS ALL OVER. PORTSOUTH ARE STAYING IN THE PREMIERSHIP. HARRY [cheering] HOUDINI HAS DONE IT. >> And it was onwards and upwards from there for Portsmouth, wasn't it? You you really established them as a top half Premier League club. You won the FA Cup as well. >> At what point do you think Pompy fans forgave you for Southampton? >> I think once I kept them up then, you know, was back in uh back in favor again. Rednap led Portsmouth to their highest league finishes since the 50s. Meanwhile, in 2009, Southampton were relegated again to League 1. The gulf was clear when the teams met the following season in the FA Cup with Pompy winning 4-1 at St. Mary's on their way to another final, but financial problems engulfed Portsmouth and they were relegated to the championship in 2010 after going into administration. South Coast supremacy was again swinging Southampton's way when the clubs met in April 2012. Saints were closing in on promotion and Portsmouth enduring a dismal season after going back into administration were on their way down again, but not before one of the most dramatic derbies. To get two goals in that game was was an [music] amazing feeling. >> Back in by Lambert Shaw tries the turn. [music] Gladkins at the time was telling whoever scored, don't do anything to the away fans in goal celebrations. And I'm sure he had a go at me half timing because I've gone down the line of the first goal. The Portsouth fans gave him a little like shush and emotions take over and um that's the beauty of football. >> People forget about Chris Magguire's goal for Pump as well, which is an incredible goal that people DIDN'T TALK ABOUT. >> MAGUIRE GOES TO GOAL. >> OH, WHAT A GOAL BY CHRIS MAGUIRE. THE SECOND goal was um was strange really. You had the euphoria of scoring and then is it going to be a goal? It was a little bit like um V in a way. Dean Hammond went running over. He's clapping. He's giving it all this saying linesman it's come off their man. But to be fair to referee he saw that anyway and he just went over to the linesman to say it's not offside because it came off a Portsouth player and everything was good and given in the end. A standing ovation for Billy Sharp BECAUSE HIS TWO goals have surely won it for Saints. >> I got standing ovation off the Saints fans and thinking I'm the hero. Literally there was 20 30 seconds left. >> The ball's pumped up and Norris with his left foot with a wonderful strike and 4 minutes into stoppage time. Remarkable. >> DAVID NORRIS HAS EQUALIZED FOR P WITH AN INJURY TIME. when the anniversary of that match comes up, social media people call it happy David Norris day and he was only probably for a year but uh he's very much a huge favor in a court figure. >> So even though that's an equalizer and Portsmouth was still relegated and Southampton was promoted that goal is still celebrated among Portsouth fans. >> It's the one cr of comfort pump can take from that season. Yeah, >> there was a brief taste of the derby in the League Cup in 2019 with Premier League Southampton winning 4-nil at third tier Portsmouth. But now they're on a level footing in the championship. These two old rivals are set to collide again.