Bragging rights to be decided as south coast derby rolls into town

READY FOR BATTLE:  Bournemouth caretaker manager Gary O'Neil, who maintains his focus is only on the next game amid speculation around a possible takeover. Pic: PA

When is a derby a derby? And when it is a rivalry? It’s a conundrum that football has struggled to solve and one which comes into focus as Bournemouth face their south coast neighbours Southampton today.

The two teams are based only 48km apart, they are both in the Premier League and there will be a fiery atmosphere at the Vitality Stadium as they go head-to-head. But not even fans of the two clubs can agree on how to describe the fixture.