Gillingham manager Neil Harris putting friendships aside at the weekend as he comes up against Danny and Nicky Cowley at Portsmouth

There will be a rivalry made in Essex on the sidelines at Fratton Park this Saturday.

Gillingham manager Neil Harris comes up against his friends Danny Cowley and brother Nicky, the management team in charge of weekend hosts Portsmouth.

Prior to making the leap into full-time football management, the Cowley brothers were PE teachers at the The FitzWimarc School in Rayleigh, where among the pupils were Harris’ children.

The football coaches have been friends for many years and come face to face when the Gills go looking for a win at Portsmouth this Saturday, one which would give them a massive chance of staying in League 1 this term.

“They taught my children,” said Harris, when talking of his weekend rivals. “I know them very well. They were exceptional PE teachers, with a winning mentality, right up my street!

“(They are) great characters, infectious, driven, I can’t praise Danny (Portsmouth manager) and Nicky (his assistant) highly enough as men, as friends and as football people. They built it up from Concord Rangers, to go through to Braintree, Lincoln, Huddersfield and now Portsmouth, fair play to them.

“Danny I speak to a lot, they are really good men.”

Things haven’t gone quite to plan for Portsmouth this season under the Cowley brothers. Their promotion hopes are officially over after a 1-1 draw at Gills’ relegation rivals Morecambe on Monday. With three games left, Pompey are 10 points adrift of the play-off places.

Harris doesn’t expect the opponents to be taking it easy this weekend, however.

“A side under the Cowleys are driven 24/7,” Harris said. “That is their nature, they are infectious characters that drive you on.

“We are going against a Portsmouth side who have a lot to play for.

“(Relegation threatened)