It goes without saying that the biggest game of the season takes place at Fratton Park tomorrrow.

At any time this is the one supporters in this corner of the world always look forward to, but the fact that points are so desperately needed by both sides to maintain their Premiership status gives it an extra edge.

On top of that of course, the return of Harry and Jim to Fratton makes it compulsive viewing both in the ground and on television.

I've never had so many calls from Portsmouth-based media as I've had this week.

It takes me back to the days of dear Mike Neasom, who actually covered Saints on behalf of the Portsmouth News.

It's just about a year ago that Mike sadly passed away, but I'm sure that he would reflect on the changes the modern game has brought about, even down to the mentality of players involved in these kind of derby occasions.

Derby matches throughout Britain have always had an extra edge, but the most significant difference here on the south coast is that unlike Glasgow, Merseyside and London, the two clubs have played each other on fewer than 30 occasions for no other reason than that they have not always been in the same division.

Naturally supporters of the team at the highest level will rub it in. This has usually been Southampton so when the opposition have the opportunity to finish higher, supporters look forward even more to the confrontation which I'm sure will be the case with Pompey followers tomorrow.

The changes we talk about include the arrival of many more players from abroad, and I'm still not convinced that they fully understand how important these derbies are, especially for supporters for whom bragging rights mean so much.

If you win, you get back to work especially early on a Monday morning just so you can wait and watch the opposition's supporters coming in with their heads down!

But tomorrow's game means much more than that even.

Saints have flirted with relegation in recent years but I don't think it has ever been as serious as their current plight.

And of all fixtures, this is the last one any manager would want at this stage.

New Pompey boss Alain Perrin probably saw some heated exchanges while he was at Marseilles.

I well remember when we played them in European Cup Winners Cup at their place, having beaten them 4-0 at The Dell. The atmosphere for the second leg was hostile.

One of the linesmen narrowly escaped serious injury when an iron railing sailed through the air like a javelin, missing him by inches. And bricks were thrown through the dressing room and our team bus windows after the game.

But Alain possibly will be surprised at how passionate the feeling is in his first derby match in England.

He's lucky to have Joe Jordan at his side to prepare him as well as possible.

I have said many times that it is good for the south coast that we have two Premiership clubs.

I would even have been happy to share a 40,000-seater stadium at Stoneham, where supporters would not have to see each other most of the time. After all, Pompey already train at Eastleigh.

I would remind Portsmouth supporters in particular how on at least three occasions I took Saints over to Fratton Park to play testimonial games for ex-players and staff and show some goodwill.

Be competitive certainly and vocal and desperate for your team to win, but leave it in the ground. Some of the scenes last year outside Fratton, with police involved in running battles, did no one any good.

I feel in particular for Harry Redknapp, who will be hoping to be left to concentrate on the massive job of getting the team through the last four games intact and still in the Premiership without all the extra media attention he will surely receive this weekend.

And so I suppose it will be down to the poor old referee again.

We saw what happened when Fulham were denied a win by a controversial last-minute penalty at Middlesbrough. It illustrated vividly how refs can get the same highs and lows as managers.

Just a day earlier Hampshire's Rob Styles had been granted this year's FA Cup final, the pinnacle of an English referee's career, and congratulations to him for that honour.

But he was then widely castigated for giving a spot-kick for an offence which occurred a yard outside the box. Those two points lost to Fulham could have ensured their own survival.

So let us remember it is not just managers under pressure and sympathise with the men in black.

But not too much, mind, as managers can get the sack if they get it wrong!