How much Southampton v Portsmouth will really cost the police in 26/27 | OneFootball

Southampton and Portsmouth will spend around £400,000 combined to police the south coast derby games this season.

Hampshire and Isle of Wight Constabulary believe it will cost £400,000 to police the two south-coast derby games involving Southampton and Portsmouth this season.

The two bitter rivals met for the first time in the league since the 2011/12 season in the previous campaign, with both games ending in draws.

As you would expect, there was a lot of anticipation ahead of the fixtures, and they were both played out in front of electric atmospheres at St. Mary’s Stadium and Fratton Park.

Police chief explains why Southampton vs Portsmouth will be a bubble fixture

Even though arrests were made, the two games passed without major incidents, which was largely down to the strict policing operation that was put in place.

That included making the fixture a ‘bubble’ game, so away fans were only allowed to travel by bus, which made it easier for police to keep the two sets of supporters apart.

Of course, that’s far from ideal for away fans for various reasons, so it wasn’t a popular decision by the police.

Yet, speaking to the Portsmouth News, Hampshire’s Police and Crime Commissioner, Donna Jones, explained why it was necessary.

“The 2025-26 fixtures in Southampton and Portsmouth were a very significant policing operation and hugely successful. From a policing perspective, there were a minimal number of arrests, minimal trouble, with thousands and thousands of people able to attend both games and enjoy it, including lots of families and kids.

“I would love for us to be in a position in the future - if the two clubs remain in the same league - that we won’t need buses. For the fans to have a much more normal experience, we need to make sure we are balancing that with the threat risk assessment.”

Southampton vs Portsmouth derby games will cost £400,000 to police this season

Obviously, that will add to the cost of the overall policing operation, and the Portsmouth News has revealed that the two games will cost £400,000 between them to police this season.

That will be paid for by the home team, and the two clubs will be in discussion on how to ensure the games pass without trouble.

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The first game between the two clubs will be played at St. Mary’s Stadium after the international break, on October 11, with a 12pm kick-off, which will have been requested by the police, whilst it’s also been chosen for TV broadcast.

Pompey have been allocated 2,500 tickets in the away end, and there are three pick-up points for the buses, with the majority leaving from Fratton Park at 08:55.

Southampton vs Portsmouth is a huge game on the pitch

Even though the travel aspect is far from ideal for the away fans, the police need to ensure this game is safe for the supporters, so you can understand why such measures are in place.

Hopefully, the talking points come from what happens on the pitch, and, in truth, the games were a bit of a let-down last season, as they were tight, cagey clashes, where both teams seemed more concerned about not losing.

That was understandable given the hype going into the fixtures, as the two sides hadn’t played for so long in the same division.

Now, with this the second season of the clubs coming up against each other, the games may be more open, and it will be huge for either club if they can get the bragging rights on October 11.

For Southampton, it would be the sort of result that can really provide momentum in their promotion push, whilst Pompey would get a huge boost if they won at their bitter rivals’ home ground as they look to climb the table.