Portsmouth fan invades pitch and taunts Southampton fans; players clash, and a ballboy was hurt, needing treatment.
The South Coast derby boiled over in the second half, with a number of incidents inside Fratton Park on Sunday afternoon.
The game ended in a 1-1 draw, which sees Portsmouth move up a place, and are a point above the Championship relegation zone, sitting 21st with 30 points from 27 games played.
The game saw its first goal on 60 minute, Leo Scienza got on the end of weighted pass from Finn Azaz, ran through on goal and sent his shot over Nicolas Schmid to put Southampton ahead.
Dan George (reporter for BBC Sport): “Wow, absolute scenes in that Southampton end over to my right as Leo Scienza scored that goal.
“A Portsmouth fan then runs onto the pitch before the restart and starts making inappropriate hand gestures towards them while stewards walk towards the intruder. Not what we want to see…”
Scienza running the length of the pitch with his hands to his ears. He was every #SaintsFC fan in that moment pic.twitter.com/90w2mxZLCs
— Tom Williams (@TomWilliams2010) January 25, 2026
A Portsmouth fan pitch invades and attempts to taunt the Southampton fans in the South Coast derby this afternoon 😳✊#SaintsFC | #Pompey
pic.twitter.com/mYEBvKlCpz
— eflpublished (@eflpublished) January 25, 2026
Then on 69 minutes, an off-the-ball incident with a number of players, yellow cards for Southampton’s Flynn Downes and Zak Swanson of Portsmouth.
Downes made a poor challenge on the touchline and Swanson for his reaction.
@AlfieHouseEcho tweeted: “Appears a ball boy has been hit or stunned in some way by a Call of Duty style flash grenade thrown either from or towards the Saints end.
“Been pulled aside and getting treatment from a number of staff in the corner of the ground. Hopefully they’re ok. #SaintsFC”
Getting even livelier #Pompey pic.twitter.com/0MIcExpmCq
— PompeyNewsNow🎙PO4cast (@PompeyNewsNow) January 25, 2026
Didn’t know #louiespence was a #pompey fan. #SaintsFC #porsou pic.twitter.com/8F5ht42fLO
— Steven Waterman (@wassatt70) January 25, 2026
The moment fight almost broke out between Portsmouth and Southampton. pic.twitter.com/uFgkQFD8me
— RAWSHIELD (@Rashnaking) January 25, 2026
Two goalscorers running the length of the pitch to celebrate, a bloke getting onto the grass and having a crutch thrown at him, a scrap that the referee could only watch. It’s good, good stuff.
— Daniel Storey (@danielstorey85) January 25, 2026
Then came Pompey’s equaliser on 77 minutes. A corner sent in by Adrian Segecic came off a defender and Ebou Adams made sure to put the ball over the line. A picture showed the ball touch the arm/hand of Ebou Adams.
Southampton stay 15th, now winless in past six away trips, and have 37 points from 29 games played, 7 points from the playoff places and 7 points above the drop zone.
After the game, more and more stewards and police officers were called over to deal with Portsmouth and Southampton fans in one corner of the Milton End, as can be seen below..
Bit of derby day fun still to be had.#SaintsFC pic.twitter.com/RQMRjUjkXh
— Alfie House (@AlfieHouseEcho) January 25, 2026
They are an odd group to say the very least. Just go home you silly children! #saintsfc pic.twitter.com/hg1xhj0T6B
— Philip Binns (@Binnsphilip) January 25, 2026
Portsmouth boss John Mousinho tells BBC Sport:
“I think it was a fair point and considering the circumstances – i.e going a goal down and being in the position we are in, in terms of the injuries – a good point.
“We’ll be disappointed not to win having finished the game the way we did but overall with the chances created and the way the game went, I think it was a fair result.
“We were the side that was much more likely to go and score [a winner] and when you’re at home, the onus is on us.”
Southampton boss Tonda Eckert has told BBC Radio Solent:
“I have mixed feelings – when we go up we have to make sure we get those games over the line.
“We knew it was going to be a fight and we did fight for the whole length of the game.
“We are moving forward in terms of resilience. After we scored, the game went in our direction and when we conceded from the corner you have to manage those moments that come afterwards and we did it a lot better than in previous games.
“Our support was a lot louder and it was amazing from when we walked into the stadium.”
Twitter users reacted after a Portsmouth fan invades pitch and taunts Southampton fans; players clash, and a ballboy was hurt…
@HShads: Fucking idiot. Why the hell would you through something at a kid?
@Hxzzam: 1-1 loss. A Armstrong is one of the worst players to EVER put the Southampton shirt on. Get him gone, literally fucking anywhere, I never want to see the tosser in a saints shirt again. Portsmouth fans flashbanging their own ballboy says all you need to know. Wankers. #SaintsFC
@legend3: What a proper game I’m watching like back in the day tackles flying in referee doing his job players fighting scrapping Portsmouth v Southampton such a change from the premiership
@DalaiPalmerMCR: Haha someone is limping home from the Portsmouth v Southampton game, players just had a set too one of the fans throws his crutch on the pitch according to commentator 🤣🤣
@Paul_lomaxbwfc: No interest at all in the outcome but Portsmouth v Southampton is like going back in time. Slide Tackles, brawls, pitch invaders, and missiles (someone’s crutch at 1 point) 😂 And no tippy tappy shite
@NewForestRamble: What odd behaviour from what I believe is a grown man.
@Blue18783: Wow just watching the Portsmouth, Southampton derby match . Wow old fashioned match tackles flying in blood and thunder ref is brilliant as long as its legal it leys it go take note premiership
@JonStone101: Is it really worth the football banning order? #SaintsFC #Pompey
@a_2009__: Invisible wall strikes again 👍 #SaintsFC
@MrSpudman: Hope that ball boy is OK. Proper cunt behaviour from them lot. #Pompey
