Fasten your seatbelts - Pompey have joined Saints in the Premiership.

Saints now have the prospect of two derbies with their arch rivals, the first since 1996, as well as European football next season following Portsmouth's 1-0 win against Burnley at Fratton Park last night, writes SIMON WALTER.

Svetoslav Todorov's 20th goal of the season secured Pompey's place in the top flight after a 15-year absence.

And the final whistle prompted scenes not seen at Fratton Park since Pompey's run to the FA Cup semi finals 11 years ago.

It ended chairman Milan Mandaric's four-year quest to reach the promised land of the Premiership and several years of hurt for Saints' south coast neighbours.

Pompey have been more used to escaping relegation on the last day of recent seasons but together with Saints' FA Cup run, this campaign, the best for a decade at Fratton Park, has breathed new life into south coast football.

Paul Merson's 15th minute missed penalty - he struck the bar after Gianluca Festa had been upended - made it a tense night for the 19,441 crowd.

Sheffield United's win at home to Nottingham Forest meant anything less than a win for Pompey would end their chances of sealing promotion in front of their own fans.

Pompey, with Festa an unlikely left wing back, laid siege to the Burnley goal in the second half but the FA Cup quarter finalists looked set to pull off a goalless draw until Todorov turned home Nigel Quashie's left flank ball at the far post at the Fratton End.

With Portsmouth now two points clear of Leicester, a first trophy since winning the championship in 1950 is now a distinct possibility.

Victory in front of the Sky cameras at Portman Road on Friday evening will give Pompey a club record 92 points.

But Redknapp insisted: "Anything else now is just a bonus. If we don't win the league, there won't be any long faces, we won't be sulking because we've got Premiership football here.

"We'll give it a good go next season but I hear we're already 6-4 favourites for relegation!"

Redknapp took some persuading before taking over as manager a year ago. Now the hope for Portsmouth is that last night's scenes will persuade Mandaric to stay on.

Redknapp added: 'I didn't want to get back into management but this is right up there with the best moments in my career.

"I took Bournemouth up to the old Second Division when people never thought we would and took West Ham back into Europe but this is something else, the fans here are incredible, it's their life and promotion is for them and Milan.

"I remember watching Pompey lose the penultimate game of two seasons ago at home to Crystal Palace when they looked certs to go down so this is wonderful for the fans."

Serb billionaire Mandaric's fortune has been on the wane since 9/11 but confirmation that he will stay next season would be more welcome to Pompey fans than the championship trophy.

Last night the 64-year-old preferred to savour the moment.

He said: "I feel a bit numb but I feel great, especially for our supporters, I'm so happy that I've participated in their lives for three years.

"We've got four games left now and we've got to finish it off. We've got to win the championship."