'Sold out' - Incredible Portsmouth fans not put off by restrictions imposed for south-coast derby v Southampton
Pompey are set to make their first trip to Southampton since April 2012.
Anticipation is building ahead of the first league meeting between Pompey and Southampton since April 2012.
So much so that John Mousinho’s men will be backed by a sold-out away ended of 2,700 when the two fierce rivals to head-to-head again in a south-coast derby at St Mary’s on Sunday, September 14.
It’s yet another tremendous show of force by Blues supporters, who have so far ensured sell-out crowds for both of Pompey’s opening two away games of the Championship season against Oxford United and West Brom respectively.
There has already been plenty of discussion ahead of the game, after Southampton increased the price of tickets for the travelling Fratton faithful. That hike will see adult Pompey fans pay £40 for their seat at St Mary’s, while those aged between 18-25 and 64-plus will be required to fork out £35. On a normal match day, Southampton charge away fans £30 and £25 respectively for these categories.
As well as putting up with an increased pricing structure, the Fratton faithful have had restrictions imposed on their travel, too, with only club-managed coach trips allowed for away fans making the short journey across the M27.
This has seen the return of the ‘bubble’ system which was in place for the last south-coast derby at St Mary’s in April 2012.
Pompey faced some backlash from supporters following confrmation of that arrangement, with those attending told they would have to stump up an additional £22.50 for that mandatory condition if they purchased a match-day ticket.
Since then, after careful consideration, the club have decided that they will cover the additional insurance costs that this fleet of coaches demands - a decision that will see the price reduced to £18.
That was met with support by the Pompey Supporters’ Trust, who welcomed the decision to make the game more affordable for fans.
A statement read: ‘We appreciate the club agreeing to further subsidise the cost of coach travel following supporter feedback, making the game more affordable for fans. We look forward to backing the Pompey team at St. Mary’s Stadium.’
Despite the restrictions, 2,700 members of the Fratton faithful will be in attendance for the first south-coast derby since September 2019, with the Saints running out 4-0 winners in the Carabao Cup third round contest.
The Blues’ last visit to St Mary’s saw Michael Appleton’s men secure a 2-2 draw against their fierce rivals, with David Norris’ last-minute volley sending the travelling supporters into delirium.