"Biggest club on the South Coast" - Strong Portsmouth, Southampton claim made | OneFootball

FLW's Portsmouth fan pundit gives his verdict on the club's biggest rivalry

Portsmouth’s rivalry with Southampton has not seen a lot of action in the last several years.

The two sides last met in an EFL Cup clash in September 2019, which the Saints won 4-0 at Fratton Park.

Their last league meeting took place over a decade ago, with the two teams drawing 2-2 at St. Mary’s in April 2012.

The Hampshire outfits are bitter rivals, but Southampton have enjoyed the upper hand over the last several seasons, with their side consistently competing at a higher level.

Pompey are back on the rise themselves and will have overtaking the Saints in their sights as a realistic medium-term ambition.

Portsmouth’s rivalry with Southampton analysed

When asked which of the two clubs is biggest in this rivalry, FLW’s Portsmouth fan pundit Miltos Ioannidis claimed that his beloved Pompey are.

While recent history may go against them, he believes their Premier League stint still accounts for quite a lot, as well as the fact they’ve won the FA Cup and competed in Europe.

“Obviously our rivals are Southampton,” Ioannidis told Football League World.

“And there is no reason to suggest why we aren’t the bigger club of the two.

“And I’m saying this while being, well not totally unbiased because whichever way you see it I’m a Pompey fan and I can’t remove that Pompey bias from me, as much as I try, but there is no reason, to me, why we aren’t the biggest club in Hampshire.

“Yes, we have been away from the top flight for some time now.

“But, we spent the vast majority of the first decade of this century in the top flight, where we had an iconic team, had some really memorable seasons, we won the FA Cup, we played in Europe.

“And a lot of Premier League fans are really missing us, as a team they would like to see come back one day.

“We have incredible history, the fall from grace, the fans saving the club, and now us being on the way back, and generally the whole story, the things that we’ve been through, the highs and lows.

“Things that Southampton have never been through, at least in their modern era.

“They haven’t won any trophies, they haven’t had the success that we had.

“There is absolutely nothing that can convince me that we aren’t the biggest club on the South Coast.”

Portsmouth and Southampton’s historic moments

Portsmouth have won the top-flight title twice in English football history, claiming back-to-back First Division championships in 1949 and 1950.

The Hampshire club also won the FA Cup twice, most recently in 2008, as well as reaching three finals, including in 2010.

Meanwhile, Southampton have never won the English top-flight league title, with their best finish being a single second-place result in 1984.

The Saints have never even won the second tier in their history, coming second three times and winning the play-offs as recently as this year.

However, they do have an FA Cup triumph to their name, winning the 1974 edition, and have reached two EFL Cup finals, the most recent being the 2017 defeat to Manchester United.

Portsmouth have the edge despite difficult decade

Portsmouth’s reputation has taken a real battering compared to Southampton over the last 10 years or so.

Right as Pompey suffered their significant decline to League Two, the Saints established themselves as a mainstay in the Premier League.

But, over the course of the last 100 or so years, it is clear that Pompey have achieved greater things and have cemented their place in English football history.

Southampton might be a bigger name right now due to the incredible brand recognition the Premier League currently provides, but Pompey have the edge when it comes to their entire lifetime.