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Southampton spying compendium thread

maybe just me, but I can't help but feel this growing mantra of 'its not fair on Hull as they have not been able to prepare for the opponent they are now facing' is just odd.
I'd imagine most of those suggesting it were also of the mind that what Southampton did had no benefit, was easy so it was ok, 'boro were shit so it's ok etc

It's not ideal, as everyone likes certainty and they'll no doubt feel some frustration, but to suggest that they're massively disadvantaged seems a bit OTT.

Ha'way Hull.
 

I've not read all of the thread, but the change in ticketing arrangements is going to be mad.

Tickets bought now have to be cancelled. Then resold to Boro. All with only a few days before final. And even that can't happen until appeal is heard and considered.

Southampton AFC will be well and truly in the naughty corner next season with fans clubs and EFL.

EFL showpiece tarnished and an admin. nightmare.
 
I might be in the minority here but I don’t have a huge amount of sympathy for all Southampton fans. Let’s not forget there were a sizeable number that found this absolutely hilarious up until the verdict yesterday.

The way they conducted themselves in the second leg. Thousands singing “we’ll spy where we want” etc… the fancy dress outfits, the celebrations for Harwood-Bellis mocking the Boro players.

Their forum and fans on Twitter seem to have suffered some kind of collective amnesia yesterday which was like flicking a switch. A couple of weeks of having no issues with their clubs behaviour then suddenly trying to claim they were the bastions of morals and ethics.

The thread on their forum literally went from pages of memes and jokes about it to saying they were the most embarrassed they had ever been of the club - In reality they knew 99% of the details, the photos were released and that the club effectively accepted wrongdoing before yesterday and a significant proportion found it funny until they were kicked out.

Admittedly not all of them were like that and for some I have sympathy but not for the large number who had no issue with it until the consequences were known.
As with most things in football, fans will be happy with most things if it brings their team success, yet will do a complete 180 in opinion the second it all falls apart / comes back to bite them on the arse
 
Oxford being there is key, they could have tried to say Ipswich and Boro were high stakes games, the fact they spied on Oxford would go against them just doing it on key games.
Weren’t Southampton closer to the foot of the table than the top at the time they spied on Oxford though? I’m assuming by the date this was an early game in his tenure?
 
I feel bad for genuine fans, they went on a hell of a run from relegation battle to potential promotion. Especially after the embarrassment of last season as well. They get a bit of pride back and then this comes out and its all in doubt. Thrown out of the play offs, points deduction, and the whole footballing world will know they're cheats and they'll have to live with the stigma of that for a long time....

Fully deserved mind, but i cant help but feel a bit sorry for them
As I said yesterday they had been the best team in the championship for about 1/2 a season. Does make you wonder though if they’ve been up to no good during that time. Oxford. Fancy spying on Oxford and still getting beat.
 
The power of the player has never been higher than it is now. I think this is going to be disastrous for Southampton.
Yep, something i'd not considered.
I' can imagine the normal terms and conditions common in contracts in general. Then there's "bringing the club into disrepute", but i'd imagine that would be termed one way.
Has there been a case in UK of clubs damaging a players career or prospects ?
 
Also free to read in the Guardian.


They are done.
“Sources said that Southampton’s players may be able to argue that they would have expected to land increased salaries, bonuses and promotion bonus pots if they had regained their place in the top flight.”

Well, my learned friend….I will put forward the counter claim that they could very well have lost the play-off final and may have had to carry as normal, with no bonuses, not increase of salary and no promotion bonus pots. They may even had to be sold because the club lost revenue due to remaining in the Championship. Football is a sport and in sport nothing is guaranteed and any “what if” arguments are merely conjecture and not hard facts.
 
He talking shite there as it isn’t allowed in either Germany or Italy where he’s coached. He was also an analyst for the German FA so will absolutely know the rules surrounding it.
From walking out on the media, to this line of “defence” to saying they’d “only” spied against Oxford (lost & relegated) and Ipswich (drew and promoted)….

I don’t believe him. If he is lying further then he could be digging a bigger hole…

Expelled and 4 points deduction based on these 3 games. I just don’t believe the only 3 times they did they failed to win. After that mental run they went on…
 
As I said yesterday they had been the best team in the championship for about 1/2 a season. Does make you wonder though if they’ve been up to no good during that time. Oxford. Fancy spying on Oxford and still getting beat.
They've likely to have been doing it to most, if not all clubs since the manager joined.

They've just admitted ones they've not been successful against.
 
Mark McAdam saying on sky sports news Southampton confident they win appeal

Aye, and I'm sure they were 100% confident they'd never get caught cheating, how did that go for them 🤔?

No way will they win the appeal. They've admitted to three spying charges. Surprise, surprise its the three offences where messages were found. Anyone with any sense knows it'll be more and that Southampton aren't being honest. More than likely/possible it's part of each game plan that Eckert sends someone to spy on opponents.

The EFL needed to come down hard on Southampton as a giant warning to anyone else with similar ideas.
 
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What shocking timing from the rail companies mind blowing out the leg between Darlo and York on the day of the play off final, whoever made that decision needs firing out of a cannon
It wouldn’t concern Hull and Southampton fans though, would it?
Repairs and upgrades are planned well in advance and Network Rail (or whoever is in charge these days) will have had no prior knowledge that Boro would be reinstated.

Is it just for the Saturday or the whole weekend?
If it is the whole weekend, it will affect both Chelsea and the Skunks travelling on the Sunday.
 
They've likely to have been doing it to most, if not all clubs since the manager joined.

They've just admitted ones they've not been successful against.
Firmly believe there will be more. Although fair play for the EFL for booting them out fairly quickly, they will be sitting on more evidence that would have made it impossible to get the play off played. Been quite clever in the punishment so far. Oxford won so has no real impact. Ipswich promoted. Booted out because of the Boro match.
 
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