I was one of the 2,700 Portsmouth fans at Southampton for the latest south-coast derby - this is what I experienced
It was a day full of excitement, jubilation and relief as Pompey and Southampton came toe-to-toe in the league for the first time in 13 years.
Getting to Fratton Park at 7.30am on a Sunday morning, there were a few dreary eyes among supporters - but, more importantly, there was an overwhelming sense of hope and anticipation in the air.
Everyone was there for the same reason, making the same journey together, and there was an overriding belief that John Mousinho’s troops would make the club, the fans and the city proud.
There was another important feeling among supporters that this was the final piece to cap off a long 13 years since the previous league derby, which had seen Pompey almost liquidated, drop to League Two, spend seven seasons in League One, as well as securing survival in their first campaign back in the Championship.
The countless miles up and down the country, the trips to the likes of Accrington Stanley, Morecambe, Carlisle, the midweek journeys - and for me two trips to Bolton in a week - all seemed worth it just for this one occasion.
Ahead of the game, there was much speculation about how Hampshire and Isle of Wight Police would manage the event, but as someone who was there, I thought it was executed perfectly.
While some fans believed the ‘Bubble’ was overkill, the majority - including myself - felt safe maintaining the derby feel to it when driving through the streets of Southampton, giving the usual treatment to Saints fans on the streets.
Getting to St Mary’s, we were hauled off the bus in a closed-off area and unusually allowed into the ground at least two hours before kick-off, something none of us have ever experienced. In fact, we didn’t even need to show our tickets to gain entry, with the exit gates open on arrival.
In the concourse, the atmosphere was starting to build, with cheers and celebration going around when the team news was announced and seeing Conor Chaplin in the starting XI.
The only disappointment from the day - other than Southampton’s incredibly poor atmosphere - was the pricing of the food and drink at the ground.
Supporters were told there was to be no food or drink allowed on the coaches all that would be some provided at the ground.
A pint of Asahi set fans back £7.30, while a bottle of water was £2.70. I’d spent £10 just to have a drink! More importantly, a hot dog was priced at £6, along with a burger in a van outside the stadium priced at a minimum of £9.
It didn’t feel like derby day, however, until we got into the stands and got a real grasp of the occasion. The travelling Fratton faithful’s support was relentless throughout the afternoon, with noise I’ve not heard in a while during the warm-up. From then on, I knew the day would be something special.
That backing from the sell-out away end was continuous and we struggled to hear anything from the Southampton fans, who made the attempt to create an atmosphere with some pyrotechnics and a tifo, which was hardly intimidating.
Further attempts to get the crowd going with ‘Oh when the Saints’ and ‘Pompey get battered’ were quickly dulled out by the travelling Fratton faithful, who never stopped singing - even 30 minutes after full-time.
Anyone would’ve snapped their hand off for a point at St Mary’s at the start of the day, given the fact they were in the Premier League last term, budgets and the Blues’ away record last season.
But Mousinho and his players did the club and the city proud by putting on a display which - on another day - could’ve come away with maximum points.
It’s definitely an away day no-one will forget in a hurry and certainly the best away atmosphere I’ve experienced in during my years of following Pompey.