Portsmouth head to Southampton first with south-coast derby dates revealed in Championship 2026-27 fixtures
The south-coast rivals drew both derbies in the Championship last season
At times, it didn’t appear as though the south-coast derby would occupy the Championship calendar in 2026-27.
However, for only the second season in 14 years, Pompey and Southampton will be competing in the same division.
And, following this afternoon’s release of the Football League fixtures, the dates of those two matches have now been announced.
The first encounter will take place at St Mary’s, with Pompey scheduled to visit Southampton on Saturday, October 10.
The reverse clash at Fratton Park will be on Saturday, February 27 - although both fixtures are subject to change.
With the wishes of Sky Sports and the Hampshire and Isle of Wight Police to consider, the dates and timings could well be altered.
Last term it was honours even in both encounters, with a goalless draw at St Mary’s in September 2025 and then sharing a 1-1 scoreline at Fratton Park in January.
While Pompey battled to remain in the Championship, a remarkable end-of-season run for Southampton would take them to the play-off final against Hull.
However, Tonda Eckert’s side were subsequently expelled from the Wembley final over spying. Instead it was the Tigers who returned to the Premier League, after beating Middlesbrough 1-0.
As a consequence, the south-coast derby remains on the fixture list for 2026-27, with supporters from both ends of the M27 no doubt keen to lock horns once more.
Elsewhere, Pompey’s season kicks off with a home match against QPR on Saturday, August 15, followed by a trip to newly-promoted Lincoln (August 22).
The Christmas period will see the Blues travel to Middlesbrough on Saturday, December 19 while they host Watford at Fratton Park on Boxing Day.
John Mousinho’s men head to Birmingham City on New Year’s Day, while they are to face Wolves at Molineux on Tuesday, September 8 and at Fratton Park on Tuesday, April 6.
West Ham’s London Stadium represents a new ground for the Fratton faithful and that fixture serves as the final match of the 2026-27 Championship season on May 1.
The Hammers, who were relegated from the Premier League last season, visit Fratton Park on Tuesday, November 24.