Traditionally the big South Coast derby game is Southampton against Portsmouth but that could all be changing if results go for two local teams in the coming weeks.

Tonight AFC Bournemouth face Bolton Wanderers in a game that if they win would see them promoted to the Premier League unless Middlebrough could achieve a swing in goal difference of a minimum of 16 goals assuming a one goal winning margin.

Realistically that would not happen and that would mean that the Cherries would be looking forward to a South Coast Derby against Saints next season.

Whilst Saints supporters will watch with interest the events unfolding in the Championship, Portsmouth supporters will be watching the Football Conference play offs, on Thursday Eastleigh take on Grimsby Town in the first leg of the play offs and then follow that up on Sunday with the return leg on Humberside, if they win these games then they will face the winners of Bristol Rovers and Forest Green at Wembley on Sunday May 17th.

That fixture has the potential for a 50,000 crowd if Eastleigh were to play Bristol Rovers, the Gas would have the potential to take 30,000 supporters to the game whilst Eastleigh would draw on Saints support for a day out to Wembley as Totton did a few years back.

In the mean time Pompey fans will look on knowing that they will suffer the ignominy of having Eastleigh as their rivals next season should the Spitfires triumph.

So the big games on the South Coast next season could be Saints V Bournemouth in the Premier and Eastleigh V Pompey in League Two, fixtures that even a year or two ago would have been thought impossibilities.

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