The incredible lengths Southampton are going to to raise St Mary’s atmosphere against Portsmouth
Pompey make the trip to St Mary’s this weekend as they renew their rivalry with Southampton.
Excitement and anticipation is building ahead of Sunday’s south-coast derby against Southampton.
With less than two days to go until the two sides renew their rivalry, John Mousinho has made it clear his troops are ready for the challenge.
As preparations ramp-up on the pitch, off it, supporters from both clubs have been going back and forth on social media.
Although it sparked some amusement from Pompey supporters, Blues fans will have something further to chuckle about, with Southampton’s latest attempt to raise the roof.
Club partner Midnite, who hired a TIFO Committee ahead of the new season, have revealed a Tifo will be unveiled ahead of the game in a bid to increase atmosphere ahead of the derby.
The idea is to show off the Saints’ history, while also trying to create an intimidating atmosphere for the travelling Fratton faithful.
After flying a banner for the opening day contest against Wrexham, Southampton are looking to do something similar on Sunday against Pompey.
Southampton to go incredible lengths to raise atmosphere against Pompey
Andrew Mook, Head of Brand Marketing at Midnite said:‘Tifos are a huge part of modern fan football culture, and we wanted to bring this to St Mary’s consistently throughout the season.
‘To mark the opening day of the new season, we unveiled a Tifo which paid homage to seven Saints legends, and it was very well-received by Saints fans. But we wanted to go bigger as the season progressed, while also leaning on the people who make the football club what it is - the fans.
‘We have been collaborating with our Tifo Committee to hear what sort of designs will really captivate the fanbase, and we’re very excited to unveil our brand new Tifo ahead of the Southampton vs Portsmouth fixture on Sunday 14th September.
‘This is an iconic fixture in English football, and we wanted to bring the history of the fixture to life. We’re confident that the Saints fans will like what our TIFO Committee has come up with!
‘We’re loving the start of our partnership with Southampton, and are dedicated to using our platform to bring fans closer to the action this season, with meaningful and impactful campaigns.’
Pompey’s visit to Southampton is already a sell-out, with 2,700 travelling Blues supporters poised to make the short trip across the M27 via club-managed coaches.
They’re sure to make their presence felt in the away end without the need for a rallying call or a Tifo.
Southampton’s latest attempts to raise the atmosphere on derby day will no doubt be met with amusement from the Fratton faithful, who will no doubt be in fine voice as always.