"Fans will be asked to stand in tribute to the man who laid the foundations of the club and who gave 66 years of unique service as player, manager, director and president.
The hope is that his gentlemanly nature will be reflected in the occasion and Saints are confident the Pompey supporters will pay their respects as solemnly as the Southampton fans did when Aaron Flahavan was killed in a car crash.
If anything, that should help encourage the kind of good-natured sportsmanship which characterised Bates himself."
It is the first competitive meeting between the two clubs since 7th January 1996, when the two clubs met in the FA Cup Third Round. A team struggling against relegation from the First went down 3-0 that night.
Portsmouth fans need no reminding that the last league meeting at The Dell resulted in a two-nil win for Alan Ball's Blues.