The 2025/26 Sky Bet Championship season will see Portsmouth v Southampton, Ipswich v Norwich and Millwall v Charlton return. The new campaign kicks off on Friday 8 August with Birmingham v Ipswich on Sky Sports.
The 2025/26 Sky Bet Championship season is upon us and the rivalry will resume…
South London Derby
- Charlton v Millwall – 13 September, 12:30pm – Live on Sky Sports
- Millwall – Charlton – 24 January 2026, 12:30
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Highlights from the League 1 match between Charlton Athletic and Millwall in the 2009/10 season.
The first derby of the new season will take place on September 13 when Charlton host Millwall in the Valley for the first time since July 2020, shortly after football resumed following the first COVID-19 lockdown.
The Lions won 1-0 that day thanks to a last-minute goal from Jake Cooper, which ultimately pushed their opponents back to League One.
Addicks fans are hungry for revenge, but can they get it? March 9 marks 30 years since Millwall last lost a competitive game to Charlton. They have been waiting a long time for this.
The rivalry ensures that the match will be intense, but both teams have seen a number of changes to their line-ups over the summer, making the encounter particularly intriguing.
Dan Long
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south coast derby
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Highlights from the Championship match between Southampton and Portsmouth in the 2011/12 season.
- Southampton v Portsmouth – 14 September, 12:00 – Live on Sky Sports
- Portsmouth v Southampton – 25 January 2026, 12:00
The rivalry runs so deep that 10 years ago, when Emirates struck a sponsorship deal with Portsmouth's Spinnaker Tower and announced plans to paint the towering landmark red and white – the colours of Southampton Football Club – more than 10,000 people signed a petition against it.
The public's voice was heard. Red and white were quickly abandoned in favor of blue and gold, and the paint was donated to local charities.
Yet, strangely, there have only been 10 south coast derbies since the turn of the millennium.
Pompey and Saints played in the Premier League in the 2003–04 and 2004–05 seasons, but it was another six years before they played in the league again, with both clubs in the Championship.
And, thanks to their divisional swing, they have met just once since April 2012, when the Saints won 4-0 in the League Cup third round at Fratton Park.
Sourse: skysports.com
