| Portsmouth v Southampton : The facts 10:49 - Jun 23 with 8690 views | 130yrs_and_one_Cup |
Great article, and obviously unbiased as the lad is from Exeter. He raises some interesting points to be honest.
https://www.portsmouth.co.uk/news/opinion/portsmouth-v-southampton-where-best-pl
Portsmouth v Southampton: Where is the best place to live?
"OK, time to come clean. Before joining The News in February, I worked at the Southern Daily Echo newspaper for 15 years, breathing Southampton air for all that time and managing to survive with my health intact.
But please, those of you who pull a face whenever the 'S' word is mentioned, don't hold my employment history against me. And anyway, you'd have been a keen fly on the wall at some of the editorial meetings we had.
That's because we often looked down the M27 towards Portsmouth with an envious eye.
For several years we badgered the local council to do something, anything, to give Southampton city that elusive WOW factor. And why did we do that? Because Portsmouth was stealing so much of the south Hampshire glory, that's why. As a paper, we were at times envious of Portsmouth.
The Spinnaker Tower might have ended up going wildly over budget, but the undoubted fact was this '“ it went up, structurally as well as in price. And in going up, it gave Portsmouth an instant icon which could adorn many a marketing poster, as well as a unique visitor attraction. They didn't have anything like this in Southampton at the time and '“ more than a decade on '“ they still don't.
Perhaps that's why in a recent YouGov survey which asked more than 55,000 people for their views on 57 UK cities, Portsmouth came in ahead of Southampton.
Portsmouth was 34th with an approval rating of 64 per cent, while Southampton was eight places behind on 55 per cent. If I was a Portsmouth citizen, though, I wouldn't have crowed too much '“ after all, your city was still ranked behind Stoke-on-Trent (16th!), Plymouth (29th) and even Gloucester (33rd).
Anyway, putting that survey to one side, let's look at some other examples of Portsmouth getting the upper hand on Southampton from a city perspective.
Long before the Spinnaker was dreamt of, Southampton hosted the first Great South Run in 1990. It was a big success, but that didn't stop the event being moved to Portsmouth 12 months later. It has been a huge annual event ever since, earning Portsmouth both worldwide publicity and massive financial windfalls. Those with long memories at the Echo used to moan about that every time the race came around in late October.
Remaining on a sporting theme, Southampton were desperate for Olympic sailing legend Sir Ben Ainslie to make the city his America's Cup base in 2015, but despite talks lost out when Ainslie, who lived just down the road in Lymington, chose Portsmouth instead. As a result, Southampton council leader Simon Letts accused the government of bribing Ainslie into moving to Portsmouth '“ comments he later withdrew after 'sour grapes' jibes from Portsmouth politicians.
Against those 'wins', Portsea Island suffered one major sporting 'loss' to the lot at the other end of the M27.
For more than a century, Portsmouth hosted several Hampshire cricket games every year '“Â more than 300 first class matches in total '“ but the last came in 2000 before the county built their new home at West End on the outskirts of Southampton.
In my book the loss of county cricket should be mourned more than an athletics race celebrated '“ however big that race might be '“ or championing the fact you've sweet-talked an Olympic legend into basing himself in your waters rather than in Southampton ones.
Financially, though, the GSR and America's Cup races would have boosted the Portsmouth economy more than 18 years of Hampshire playing occasional games in front of a few thousand spectators. And money talks, right?
Elsewhere, despite the loss of county cricket, Portsmouth triumphs in many head-to-head comparisons.
Musically, my time at the Daily Echo coincided with Portsmouth's Victorious Festival not only starting but quickly morphing into one of the best of its kind anywhere in the south. That was a source of exasperation to us at the Daily Echo too.
For the past few years, Common People and Let's Rock have brought thousands of music fans back to Southampton Common but, in terms of big names, Victorious usually wins.
Look at this year's respective bills: Victorious boasted the likes of Paul Weller, Kaiser Chiefs, Brian Wilson and The Prodigy compared to Common People's Lily Allen, Boney M and the Jacksons. Craig David, born and bred in Southampton, was even due to perform in Portsmouth rather than his home city in 2018 before the second day of Mutiny was cancelled in the wake of the deaths of two festivalgoers.
Port Solent recently celebrated its 30th anniversary and hundreds of people poured into the marina to eat and drink in one of the 15 restaurants and pubs that adorn the boardwalk areas.
But did you know that, in terms of waterfront living, Southampton got there first? Its equivalent, at Ocean Village, opened in 1986 with Danny La Rue performing the official unveiling of the Canute's Pavilion shops complex the following year. But three decades on it lacks the buzz that a visit to Port Solent can provide.
Canute's was demolished in 2008, there are a lot fewer restaurants in Ocean Village, and the Cineworld cinema closed last month. A sparkling new hotel has certainly added to the skyline there, but overall I would prefer to live in Port Solent if I had the choice of the two. And I'm not biased towards Portsmouth or Southampton; I'm just someone born and bred in Exeter (15th in the YouGov list) with a reasonable knowledge of both cities' attractions and speaking, or writing, as I see it.
And this is what else I see '“ Portsmouth boasting the better waterfront facilities, with Gunwharf Quays a great location for some outlet shopping and something to eat while looking out to sea (and across to blocks of flats in Gosport). The views from Portsdown Hill on a sunny, clear day are also simply wonderful. I'm a sucker for a good cityscape, and nowhere in Southampton provides such spectacular views.
And while Portsmouth can offer up Southsea to anyone wanting a day out topping up their tan on a beach, the best Southampton can do is Weston Shore. I wouldn't want to swim there, the 'beach' is more dirty shingle than sand, but the views are great ... if you like views of oil refineries, that is.
And the Historic Dockyard is simply dripping with, er, history. Southampton's SeaCity Museum does its best but is no match for HMS Warrior and Mary Rose. In fairness, though, what is if you're looking to immerse yourself in that sort of attraction.
I asked my partner, who has lived in Portsmouth for the best part of 30 years, if there was anything she thought the home of the Saints did better than the home of Pompey.
'Shops,' was her one word answer, and it's an unarguable point.
WestQuay, with its flagship John Lewis store, offers the high street retail experience you cannot find in Portsmouth. Ikea might not be everyone's cup of tea '“ or, indeed, plate of meatballs '“ but it also undoubtedly helps boost visitor 'footfall', an expression I detest.
Those in the blue corner will hold up Gunwharf and Port Solent in opposition to WestQuay and its restaurant-dominated sibling WestQuay2. I'm a big fan of both the former, but there are better shops and a wide range of places to fill your stomach in the latter pair.
Returning to money, there is one possible obvious answer as to why a succession of Southampton councils has gone down the retail route '“ the buoyant cruise ship market. Every time a ship visits the city it's worth about £2m to the local/regional economy '“ and with 500 such visits in 2017 that's a cool £2bn. And cruise passengers like to visit shops.
Aesthetically, a debate about whether Portsmouth or Southampton is the nicer-looking city could take up several of these columns and still we wouldn't be close to a definitive answer, if one exists.
I will, though, quote from the Southampton-born architecture critic Owen Hatherley's excellent book A Guide To The New Ruins of Great Britain. Talking of the rivalry between the cities, he writes: '˜Portsmouth is alleged to be an insular island, yet has played the Blairite iconic architecture/urban regeneration game far more effectively, with its Spinnaker observation tower and glass sky scrapers forming an incongruously slick enclave in amongst the two-up-two-downs. Southampton's urban renaissance entails nondescript retail and Barrett boxes.'
See, we're back to the Spinnaker again. Hatherley wrote that in 2010, but the subsequent eight years hasn't changed my view that he is right. And just think '“ if you hadn't knocked down the Tricorn (see last week's column) I'd be saying even nicer things about Portsmouth!"
An interesting article to say the least!!!!! [Post edited 23 Jun 2022 11:27]
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| Portsmouth v Southampton : The facts on 16:56 - Jun 23 with 2396 views | 130yrs_and_one_Cup |
| Portsmouth v Southampton : The facts on 14:44 - Jun 23 by SaintNick |
Interesting that you had to trawl back to 2018 to find this article, what next the data from the Cholera Epidemic of 1832 to prove beyond doubt that Pompey is a far healthier place to live |
Yes, before the 'pandemic' Nick, so before things got reset, and before Pompey expanded their Cruise Facilities.
So, at present Pompey can take 920 ft cruisers, and on the net expansion will be upto 1,000 ft. So looks like Pompey will be taking some business away from your town. Lot of medium and smaller sized cruisers being lined up for the more 'intimate' port.
I hope your town sorted out that air breathing issue out with the dirty diesel being used at your port, as it's not much fun breathing in too much diesel all day. | |
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| Portsmouth v Southampton : The facts on 17:09 - Jun 23 with 2376 views | 130yrs_and_one_Cup |
| Portsmouth v Southampton : The facts on 14:11 - Jun 23 by PatfromPoole |
Victorious is very decent this year.
Sadly my wife wants us to go to Car Fest instead 🙄. She got fed up of the 6-mile bus trips from Farlington.
Of course if it had been held at Southampton Common, there might have been more room for camping……. |
Should have taken your bikes, and taken the Hilsea Lido or the Eastern Rd Cycle lanes. Must be better places to camp than at Farlington? Could camp at petersfield and catch the train, ride from Fishery Creek Hayling or go Glamping at Emsworth and train or ride in.
Farlington sounds hideous. | |
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| Portsmouth v Southampton : The facts on 19:51 - Jun 23 with 2305 views | SouthSeaSaint |
| Portsmouth v Southampton : The facts on 16:56 - Jun 23 by 130yrs_and_one_Cup |
Yes, before the 'pandemic' Nick, so before things got reset, and before Pompey expanded their Cruise Facilities.
So, at present Pompey can take 920 ft cruisers, and on the net expansion will be upto 1,000 ft. So looks like Pompey will be taking some business away from your town. Lot of medium and smaller sized cruisers being lined up for the more 'intimate' port.
I hope your town sorted out that air breathing issue out with the dirty diesel being used at your port, as it's not much fun breathing in too much diesel all day. |
Just a little bit of inside information on cruise ships, two of the Management team who have been instrumental in expanding the Pompey cruise business are Southampton lads and one of the companies assisting with providing services to the cruise ships is Southampton based.
I think they all started out as missionaries and when their work is over they will return to civilisation.
Re 'dirty diesel', Southampton is the only port in the UK to provide cold ironing facilities to cruise ships.
In comparison Portsmouth has been forced to bring in a Clean Air Zone because of the high levels of pollution on Portsea Island.
And of course the ridiculous S.C.U.M acronym was made up after Pompey Dockers, working in the Commercial Port, had broken a formal union agreement not to handle Brittany Ferry ships transferred from Plymouth in November 1976.
Southampton Dockers arrived in force to protest the breaking of the agreement and barricaded the strike breaking Pompey Dockers behind their gates calling them 'Strike Breaking Scum' .
All this was front page news in the Pompey News and Daily Echo so can easily be researched as opposed to the non existent Southampton Company of Union Men nonsense!!! |  | | |
| Portsmouth v Southampton : The facts on 20:10 - Jun 23 with 2290 views | darthvader |
| Portsmouth v Southampton : The facts on 14:44 - Jun 23 by SaintNick |
Interesting that you had to trawl back to 2018 to find this article, what next the data from the Cholera Epidemic of 1832 to prove beyond doubt that Pompey is a far healthier place to live |
Portsmyths .
Anyone could write stuff in the echo about the times they worked in the land of the skate and slag it off .
But no one would care as not many, except the blue few , care about some news reporter writing a nothing story . |  |
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| Portsmouth v Southampton : The facts on 22:42 - Jun 23 with 2221 views | Chesham_Saint |
Fact No 1. The blue few have more schoolboy fans obsessing about their supposed rival. If it wasn’t so pathetic it would be laughable. What a gimp. |  |
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| Portsmouth v Southampton : The facts on 00:11 - Jun 24 with 2181 views | Number_58 |
| Portsmouth v Southampton : The facts on 19:51 - Jun 23 by SouthSeaSaint |
Just a little bit of inside information on cruise ships, two of the Management team who have been instrumental in expanding the Pompey cruise business are Southampton lads and one of the companies assisting with providing services to the cruise ships is Southampton based.
I think they all started out as missionaries and when their work is over they will return to civilisation.
Re 'dirty diesel', Southampton is the only port in the UK to provide cold ironing facilities to cruise ships.
In comparison Portsmouth has been forced to bring in a Clean Air Zone because of the high levels of pollution on Portsea Island.
And of course the ridiculous S.C.U.M acronym was made up after Pompey Dockers, working in the Commercial Port, had broken a formal union agreement not to handle Brittany Ferry ships transferred from Plymouth in November 1976.
Southampton Dockers arrived in force to protest the breaking of the agreement and barricaded the strike breaking Pompey Dockers behind their gates calling them 'Strike Breaking Scum' .
All this was front page news in the Pompey News and Daily Echo so can easily be researched as opposed to the non existent Southampton Company of Union Men nonsense!!! |
I was down there last week and some old chap who couldn't even bring himself to utter the word 'Southampton' started ranting on about the origins of the SCUM acronym, although he didn't know when exactly the infamous 'strike' was supposed to have happened, or any details about it at all. In the politest possible way, I explained that it was all a load of bo**ocks and refered him to the 1890 strike in Soton when the local dockers rioted and Pompey dockers were brought in to break the strike. Perhaps this was where the myth began, and they all just got a bit confused.
Pompey has some great places to visit. The historic dockyard is fantastic, Southsea's always a good day out for the kids, the views from Portsdown Hill are stunning and Fort Nelson is one of my favourite museums. But sadly, in my experience the vast majority of the people down there are thick as sh*t and completely f*cked in the head. |  | | |
| Portsmouth v Southampton : The facts on 09:31 - Jun 24 with 2111 views | 130yrs_and_one_Cup |
| Portsmouth v Southampton : The facts on 19:51 - Jun 23 by SouthSeaSaint |
Just a little bit of inside information on cruise ships, two of the Management team who have been instrumental in expanding the Pompey cruise business are Southampton lads and one of the companies assisting with providing services to the cruise ships is Southampton based.
I think they all started out as missionaries and when their work is over they will return to civilisation.
Re 'dirty diesel', Southampton is the only port in the UK to provide cold ironing facilities to cruise ships.
In comparison Portsmouth has been forced to bring in a Clean Air Zone because of the high levels of pollution on Portsea Island.
And of course the ridiculous S.C.U.M acronym was made up after Pompey Dockers, working in the Commercial Port, had broken a formal union agreement not to handle Brittany Ferry ships transferred from Plymouth in November 1976.
Southampton Dockers arrived in force to protest the breaking of the agreement and barricaded the strike breaking Pompey Dockers behind their gates calling them 'Strike Breaking Scum' .
All this was front page news in the Pompey News and Daily Echo so can easily be researched as opposed to the non existent Southampton Company of Union Men nonsense!!! |
Interesting stuff
So, your town was one of 5 identified as being rather filthy 4 years ago. Looks like some improvement was due to the shutdown
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-hampshire-52196680 | |
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| Portsmouth v Southampton : The facts on 16:01 - Jun 24 with 2027 views | Berber |
| Portsmouth v Southampton : The facts on 11:09 - Jun 23 by Butty101 |
I only read the first paragraph but i guess the gist is, bloke used to live in Southampton and work for echo. Moves to portsmouth and works for the news. So to fit in slags Southampton off brilliant... |
And he is from Exeter, so almost anywhere else with a modicum of life would seem attractive, even Aldershot by Sea. |  |
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| Portsmouth v Southampton : The facts on 16:24 - Jun 27 with 1870 views | 130yrs_and_one_Cup |
| Portsmouth v Southampton : The facts on 20:10 - Jun 23 by darthvader |
Portsmyths .
Anyone could write stuff in the echo about the times they worked in the land of the skate and slag it off .
But no one would care as not many, except the blue few , care about some news reporter writing a nothing story . |
"We don't , we don't care"; you sound like a Millwall fan
You don't care, but the reality is that any neutral fan going to St Marys will hear 5,6 or even 7 different songs about Pompey
Whereas with a visit to Fratton Park, they would generally hear just one song | |
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| Portsmouth v Southampton : The facts on 20:18 - Jun 27 with 1803 views | TripleNiemi |
| Portsmouth v Southampton : The facts on 16:24 - Jun 27 by 130yrs_and_one_Cup |
"We don't , we don't care"; you sound like a Millwall fan
You don't care, but the reality is that any neutral fan going to St Marys will hear 5,6 or even 7 different songs about Pompey
Whereas with a visit to Fratton Park, they would generally hear just one song |
Böllox, we don't even have that many songs amongst our repertoire (let alone five about Pompey).....  |  |
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| Portsmouth v Southampton : The facts on 09:52 - Jun 28 with 1718 views | SaintNick |
| Portsmouth v Southampton : The facts on 16:24 - Jun 27 by 130yrs_and_one_Cup |
"We don't , we don't care"; you sound like a Millwall fan
You don't care, but the reality is that any neutral fan going to St Marys will hear 5,6 or even 7 different songs about Pompey
Whereas with a visit to Fratton Park, they would generally hear just one song |
15 years ago when Pompey were above us for the only time in the past 60 years, there was a few more Pompey songs than usual, but even then there wasn't 5 different ones let along 6 or 7.
Fact is now that the last 10 years has been the longest period in history where there has been at least a two division gap between the two clubs, anyone under 20 can't really remember a real rivalry, it has dropped off the radar down here for the youngsters.
For the older generation over 20 it is ingrained, but for youngsters it just isnt there as it was 10 years ago |  |
| Satisfying The Bloodlust Of The Masses In Peacetime |
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| Portsmouth v Southampton : The facts on 12:50 - Jun 28 with 1648 views | 1ASIN12 |
What a surprise the evening news publishes an article saying how shlt Southampton is and how wondaful Portsmouth is.
It's almost as if they are trying to convince themselves. | | | |
| Portsmouth v Southampton : The facts on 13:38 - Jun 28 with 1617 views | TripleNiemi |
| Portsmouth v Southampton : The facts on 16:24 - Jun 27 by 130yrs_and_one_Cup |
"We don't , we don't care"; you sound like a Millwall fan
You don't care, but the reality is that any neutral fan going to St Marys will hear 5,6 or even 7 different songs about Pompey
Whereas with a visit to Fratton Park, they would generally hear just one song |
Would that happen to be the "Pompey goin' up and the Scum are goin' down" ditty?? Seems to serve you guys well........ | |
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| Portsmouth v Southampton : The facts on 13:48 - Jun 28 with 1607 views | franniesTache |
I find it hilarious the dinlows down the road keep parroting the SCUM thing when it's entirely provable it's not true, and worse for them they're the actual scabs of the south coast.
But much like this article the problem with portsmouth isn't the place, it's the mouth breathing, paediatrician hating, inbreeding, constantly lying, backwards scab c*nts that live there.
Shame really that covid didn't wipe them all out. |  | | |
| Portsmouth v Southampton : The facts on 13:52 - Jun 28 with 1599 views | PatfromPoole |
| Portsmouth v Southampton : The facts on 13:48 - Jun 28 by franniesTache |
I find it hilarious the dinlows down the road keep parroting the SCUM thing when it's entirely provable it's not true, and worse for them they're the actual scabs of the south coast.
But much like this article the problem with portsmouth isn't the place, it's the mouth breathing, paediatrician hating, inbreeding, constantly lying, backwards scab c*nts that live there.
Shame really that covid didn't wipe them all out. |
I think you need to come off the fence a bit on this one…… |  |
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| Portsmouth v Southampton : The facts on 13:55 - Jun 28 with 1595 views | franniesTache |
| Portsmouth v Southampton : The facts on 13:52 - Jun 28 by PatfromPoole |
I think you need to come off the fence a bit on this one…… |
I like skates, they make great fertiliser for the lawn... | | | |
| Portsmouth v Southampton : The facts on 16:11 - Jun 28 with 1520 views | SouthSeaSaint |
| Portsmouth v Southampton : The facts on 13:48 - Jun 28 by franniesTache |
I find it hilarious the dinlows down the road keep parroting the SCUM thing when it's entirely provable it's not true, and worse for them they're the actual scabs of the south coast.
But much like this article the problem with portsmouth isn't the place, it's the mouth breathing, paediatrician hating, inbreeding, constantly lying, backwards scab c*nts that live there.
Shame really that covid didn't wipe them all out. |
Its not just Southampton who have unsavoury acronyms attached to them.
When Pompey were in the process of moving out of League 2, ie Division 4 to us old timers (where incidentally Saints have never languished) they had games against our friends from the north ie Northampton (whose rugby team are known as The Saints)
There was a story doing the rounds that Northampton also was home to strike breakers the appropriately named C.U.N.T.S
According to Pompey legend residents of the town caused problems in Pompey Dockyard during Dickensian times when the Consolidated Union of Northamptonshire Tanners and Shoemakers undercut the hard done by workers of Portsea who had the contract to provide footwear and slaughter house aprons to the Royal Navy.
However no amount of diligent research could find details of this union nor strangely enough, the Southampton Combined Union of Men but why let a few facts get in the way of Pompey myths. | | | |
| Portsmouth v Southampton : The facts on 16:51 - Jun 28 with 1495 views | franniesTache |
| Portsmouth v Southampton : The facts on 16:11 - Jun 28 by SouthSeaSaint |
Its not just Southampton who have unsavoury acronyms attached to them.
When Pompey were in the process of moving out of League 2, ie Division 4 to us old timers (where incidentally Saints have never languished) they had games against our friends from the north ie Northampton (whose rugby team are known as The Saints)
There was a story doing the rounds that Northampton also was home to strike breakers the appropriately named C.U.N.T.S
According to Pompey legend residents of the town caused problems in Pompey Dockyard during Dickensian times when the Consolidated Union of Northamptonshire Tanners and Shoemakers undercut the hard done by workers of Portsea who had the contract to provide footwear and slaughter house aprons to the Royal Navy.
However no amount of diligent research could find details of this union nor strangely enough, the Southampton Combined Union of Men but why let a few facts get in the way of Pompey myths. |
The original "strike myth" came from West Ham/Millwall i believe, but has been rehashed by various clubs.
Unsurprisingly the skates are one that felt the need to do it, i'm not sure if it's their brown nosing of Millwall or their complete lack of self awareness and originality, but they jumped onto it the late 80's and decided it was a thing.
The problem for them is us older types can remember calling them scummers, and that it was a pretty generic insult, plus of course it's really easy to prove that that city is a city of scabs, and has been on many occassions. | | | |
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