Eckert's suspended ban allows him to be in dugout for south coast derby
October 9, 2026 14:50
WHAT HAPPENED
The FA announcement removed an immediate question mark over Southampton's sideline presence. Minutes after the ruling, the club posted a video on social media of Eckert cheering with supporters. Former Saints striker James Beattie said: "I think this news will be a little shot in the arm for them before the derby. As a player that's one less thing to worry about and it frees you up to focus on the game. The lads are human at the end of the day and it would have been playing on their minds a little bit. Now it's been sorted they can look forward. The timing of the decision couldn't be better and hopefully they can go on and put in a really good performance at St Mary's."
CONTEXT
Last season produced two intense league meetings between the rivals: a goalless draw at St Mary's and a 1-1 draw at Fratton Park when Leo Scienza scored and celebrated in front of Saints fans before Ebou Adams headed a late equaliser and saluted the Fratton End. The pair's rivalry is relatively infrequent — since 1996 the clubs have met 12 times across all competitions, eight of those in the Premier League or Championship. Neither side has beaten the other in a league game since Portsmouth's 4-1 win at Fratton Park in 2005, when Lomana LuaLua scored twice and won a penalty. The four league games since then have all ended level, alongside a Portsmouth FA Cup win in 2010 and a Southampton victory in the 2019 League Cup.
PORTSMOUTH SUMMER ACTIVITY
Portsmouth had a busy summer, with manager John Mousinho and sporting director Rich Hughes operating with an increased transfer budget. Marko Milovanovic joined Pompey for a fee reported to be in excess of £3m.
WHAT HAPPENS NEXT
Southampton and Portsmouth meet at St Mary's on Sunday at 12:00 BST. Eckert could be present in the dugout for the fixture.