Match Day Thread Derby days are back again

That's right, the greatest derby in football resumes with Portsmouth and Southampton meeting in the final of Hampshire Cup, following Pompey's triumph against Poole and Southampon's triumph against Andover.

Who will win this match?

I'll update this thread with more info closer to the time.

Portsmouth FC Ladies v Southampton Girls and Ladies FC
Date: 08/04/15
Time: 19:45
Venue: Privett Park, home of Gosport Borough FC

Focus on Pompey

Pompey, founded in 1987, are the defending Hampshire Cup holders and have won the tournament 7 out of the last 8 years. Last season they won the Hampshire Cup after a 4-1 victory against (the now defunct) Gosport Borough. In recent years they have been the most successful side in Hampshire, winning the Women's Premier League Southern Division in 2012 after having come close. Last season, the Blues made it to the Quarter-Finals of the FA Cup, completing a giant kiling of Super League Side Durham WFC before falling to a narrow defeat to WSL1 side Notts County.

This season, the Blues began their defence of the Hampshire Cup with a 13-0 win over Boscombe, before hitting Shanklin for 6. In the Semi-Finals, Pompey won 7-0 against Poole Town.

Player to Watch: Ini Umatong

Pompey's Nigerian superstar who recently made her international debut in a 1-1 draw against Mali, Ini has been scoring for fun for the Blues, scoring in 12 consecutive games, including several hat-tricks which alerted the Nigerian FA to her. She was invited to a Nigeria training camp and played in two friendlies before making her competitive debut in a qualifier for the All-Africa Games. Recently, she scored a brace in the Blues' 6-3 loss to Charlton Athletic.

Focus on Southampton

Southampton Saints Girls and Ladies are a successor club to Red Star Southampton, who were very successful back in the 1970s. They currently play in the Women's Premier League South West Division. The last two seasons, Southampton have been mid-table in the South West Combination league, finishing 7th on both occasions. This season, Southampton are having a much more successful season and currently lie in 4th place, only 4 points behind the league leaders Forest Green Rovers.

This season, Saints began their Hampshire Cup campaign with a walk-over against the University of Portsmouth, followed by a 3-0 win against Fleet Town. In the Semi-Finals, Southampton played Andover New Street and won 9-0.

Player to Watch: Jemma Tewkesbury

An ex-Portsmouth player and Super League player, Jemma has been a recent addition to the Southampton squad but played a vital role in Portsmouth's WPL Southern Division title winning year in the 2011-12 season. Following a season in the WPL National Division (now defunct) playing for Portsmouth, she moved to Super League side Yeovil. Recently she's joined Southampton and already made an impact, scoring a hat-trick in her first start, in a 6-4 win against Cheltenham Town

 

Girls, I assume? Well done to both teams getting to the final. Portsmouth are favourites presumably.

 

Yes Pompey ladies are a much better side at present and a upset is unlikely. But if Pompey fans deam it the greatest Derby in football, who are we to disagree lol

 

Coyr

 

May get a reasonable crowd as the men's teams are unlikely to meet in the near future (apart from in cups).

 

I mean the south coast derby in general.

The reason I didn't mention specifically that it was ladies football is because regardless of whether they are ladies, it's still Southampton, it's still Portsmouth, they still represent they same club.

 

Well, not strictly. They obviously represent their cities, but these days the Southampton Women's football team don't represent SFC. They were quietly offloaded by Rupert Lowe because the club couldn't afford to accommodate them. Saints had no money back then and while he was in charge nobody on earth wanted to invest in the club. I suppose that turned out to be one of the good things he did, inadvertently. Being there to screw us up actually helped in the long run. Must gall the living daylights out of him.

Mind you, he probably thinks he did well.

 

I'm off to find PL a picture of a straw. One he can clutch.

 

Love a Derby. But it seems a bit sad to be hold on to Portsmouth past, considering what they have become, and what we are becoming.

Perhaps it's time for a new arch enemy. Bournemouth, if nothing else seem, to be geographically closest, and will probably be in our league next year. Any others? (Cue the howling masses...)

 

Nah, I like the cherries. Although I bet they'd become our rivals if Ron moves on and we pinch Eddie Howe.

 

To be fair to Pompey, they are geographically our nearest neighbour. Plus they're in the same county. Nowadays, you're getting a bit long in the tooth if you still instinctively think Bournemouth is too and have to correct yourself. 1974 was the boundary change from Hants to Dorset, I think. Distance 18.5 miles to Portsmouth [centre to centre, so Google informs me, which was a slight surprise], 32.9 [again, slightly shorter than I thought] to Bournemouth. But I always face west if I'm facing any direction, so I'm looking forward [sorry] to seeing the Cherries in the PL next season. It will be a truly astonishing achievement, arguably bigger than our own, to be honest.

 

1972 I believe. I was born in 1969 in Bournemouth, so I see myself as a 'local Hampshire lad'....that's why I support the Saints from sunny Dorset

 

Be a strange derby...howling Bournemouth fans confronting Saints fans who just want to shake their hands and say well done

 

That will be something indeed. We've got a Cherries fan in our ramblers group and he's hugely confused as to why I don't routinely take the piddle. He also can't have a go at Saints now because I'm so enthusiastic about Bournemouth's form.

 

Such arrogance and such a condescending attitude. We'll see who's laughing when the derby resumes!

 

Never. Portsmouth will never again be in the upper reaches of the football league let alone the Premier League. Why? Because, when the crooks who owned you had the opportunity, they didn't build a new stadium or develop your academy, so you are (like so many other clubs in L1/L2) doomed to live hand to mouth.

Your attendances look like they might save you but they are dropping by about a hundred every home game on average. Doesn't sound a great deal but it'll be a drop of about 2,300 this year and probably similar next year, dropping you below 10,000. You won't be able to generate the cash to climb again. Without a stadium or an academy, no-one will be riding over the hilltop to save you, either.

I speak as one who doesn't buy into the rivalry in any way, shape or form, by the way; I'm a disinterested observer on this one.

Vin

 

Our attendances are dropping because we're ****, if we start winning occasionally, they'll go back up again.As we've won 2 of our last 3 games, they may start to go up again

And the derby resumes whenever this game is being played

 

Whilst it was amusing to watch pompey fall to the bottom of league 2 im bored now. I want them back in the premiership so the derby rivalry can continue. Bournemouth/Brighton etc will never be proper rivals even though they seem to think they are. Whilst watching big clubs come to St Marys and potentially european clubs is great but nothing beats the derby!!!

 

Have to say PL as someone else said you really are clutching at straws when you call this ladies match a derby.
It has never been classified as such by the ladies themselves.
I feel you would not be calling it that either if you thought we were likely to win the match. Are you so desperate to get something over the saints by associating anything that happens between the cities?

As for your drop in attendances......Yes it is because of the drop in performances....that though happens with every team. You have a diehard core of fans just as we do.....You now have to do the same as every one else and build for the future. You have to start somewhere.....you are at the bottom or there about..........the only way is up. It is a chicken and egg situation. Nothing is going to be done over night time is what Pompey needs and has!!

 

To be honest Beddy, I could quite easily see Pompey dropping out of the league altogether, so there's plenty of down left. It wouldn't surprise me in the slightest. In fact, from this present standpoint, their promotion seems the less likely. I hope they turn things around. Don't like to see southern clubs propping up divisions.