Southampton spying compendium thread

[Mackemansj1]

The EFL Championship concluded prior to the play-offs. The play-offs are a separate competition with a shield presented to the winner.
Southampton broke the rules deliberately in seeking an unfair advantage. They were on fair warning following Leeds and the rule change to prevent reoccurrence.
Southampton are given a free ticket by every opposition club for their scout(s) to attend games either to “ scout” a player or “scout” tactics of the opposition.
If they had sent the spy 24 hours earlier (he may well have done) it would not have been illegal and no rules broken. What was gold dust to them was the penalty practice session both in names and preferences ( together with any injured players).
My own view was that Middlesbrough knew in advance of the likely mission ( ex Southampton whistleblower) and set the trap as late as possible. I don’t for one minute believe it was a photographer who inadvertently saw him as he scanned bushes. Good on them.
Just my opinion, which like arseholes everyone has one.

Agree even if boro had set the trap to catch them it’s good they did or they’d have gotten away with it. I do wonder if this is some people bias towards boro like. I mean I don’t really care either way about them now if this were the mags I do wonder if I’d be saying it’s harsh

 

[Ron Swanson]

They’re in for a horrible summer.

I’m looking forward to it.

It’s just a shame that the people who suffer the most will be the supporters. Players will leave and get more money & get better opportunities elsewhere (Hardwood-Bellis), people will be sacked or suspended but get pay offs, all whilst supporters are left being embarrassed and made a joke of for years

 

[Julio Mackemo]

People thinking the punishment is harsh are missing one point.

Say you fine Southampton a million quid it basically says to everyone that if you get to the play offs then you should spy on your opponents. In a game worth so much money it’s cheap for any advantage.

You need to set a president that other clubs don’t do it again.

Absolutely agree 100%

 

[ned_werby]

Actually, I think the punishment would have been more severe mid-season. They would probably have been docked points for every offence.

I think the panel believed the hype about the £200 million game, and didn't treat it as an ordinary fixture - as they should have done. Docking just 4 points next season is pathetic. (That said, if everyone implicated is sacked before the start of the season, there'd be a case for reducing the sanction for next season, and limiting the punishment to the play-off suspension and any financial costs - compensation of fans, players, and rival clubs - they'll have to bear as a result.)

Not so sure of that personally. They've been deducted 66% of the available points for each confirmed offence during the regular season. Extrapolate that if there are further confirmed instances and it becomes a hefty punishment in reality. There should be no reductions at all, whatever in-house actions follow imo.

 

[SAFC Wilks]

It’s just a shame that the people who suffer the most will be the supporters.

They are the only ones I feel sorry for. Especially the young ones who’d have been looking forward to seeing their club at Wembley.

Club have massively let their supporters down here.

 

[ned_werby]

I was comparing it to Man City who cheated for nine years so nope.

You have no evidence of that at all.

 

[molthemackem]

Yes but the validity of the result between Boro and Southampton has been called into question- but as a systemic issue it calls into question all of Southampton's results. So the only two fair outcomes I can see are Wrexham and Middlesbrough playing a semi and Hull playing the winner or hull playing Boro.

Ultimately Hull have to face someone I think (though they should probably have a case for a postponement).

That being the case, I don't agree by the way, as the facts state it wasn't only that result. I would have fully expected that Southampton be kicked out of all League competitions they competed in this past season.. However it doesn't ,does it. Southampton have been sanctioned under the League rules brought in after the Leeds Utb/Bielsa fiasco of the same regarding spying on opponents DURING the Play Off part of the season and is therefore only applicable to the end of the season games.
They after been found guilty on their admission the League should have expelled them completely.
If on the other hand you subscribe to the SKY Sports propaganda agenda by this Kahve Solekol bloke, this was not a good enough reason to expel the Saints ( that word "Saints" seems a bit hollow to attach to them now) from the play offs.
No, They have got what was coming and its not over yet.

 

[MadMackem10]

I don't like this argument of Hull just being granted promotion. The argument being Boro lost over two legs but are already out but the issue is with Southampton admitting to cheating the first leg at least is compromised. Even just finding the spy will have had an impact on Boro and their prep. Even though they were poor, it's impossible to know how much of an extent the spying affected them but it for sure had a non-zero impact.

Boro weren't given a 100% fair two leg semi final, of course they should be the one to go through. In an ideal world the final should have been put back a week or so giving Hull plenty of time to prepare. Hull's legal challenge should be with Southampton not the EFL

 

[FoldingStars]

Of course it's relevant.

Is Lance Armstrong the same as someone hanging onto a car for a few seconds for a boost?

They are both cheats, the difference is Lance Armstrong can’t ride even on a local city race whereas Josh Tarling (Ineos rider) is just kicked out of Paris Roubaix 2024 for holding onto the car. Not all punishments are the same but they are both cheats.

 

[Mackemansj1]

I think what he says is fair enough. The fans and players have a right to feel done over. It's unlikely either of those groups had the slightest idea of what was going on. What they do need to do though, now they know, is hold those responsible internally to account.

I’d agree with fans they’d have zero idea, players I’m not so sure. They spend more time at the training ground and around the staff than their own families and I’m sure they’d have heard rumours etc. The way some have acted since and some of their interviews during the season makes me think they maybe knew something was going on. Maybe they thought it wasn’t dodgy who knows.

 

[SAFC11]

Easiest way to view it so it seems less harsh (a lot of comments by employers etc and Southampton fans), is the cheating should have voided the first game and awarded to Boro as a victory. Like in most knockout competitions.
Southampton were obviously hoping efl would take their time so they had the chance to be promoted and complicate it more, should they have won.
Well done EFL. Shite for decent fans of Southampton, but also shite for boro fans suddenly having to sort things a few days before.
Shite all round for Hull with the uncertainty and now complete waste of a weeks preparations.

 

[ATS]

So because City have got away with(so far) with cheating more, then Southampton's punishment for cheating is too harsh?

Someone on the Southampton message board thinks it is

You must be logged on to see external links

 

[Mackemansj1]

I don't like this argument of Hull just being granted promotion. The argument being Boro lost over two legs but are already out but the issue is with Southampton admitting to cheating the first leg at least is compromised. Even just finding the spy will have had an impact on Boro and their prep. Even though they were poor, it's impossible to know how much of an extent the spying affected them but it for sure had a non-zero impact.

Boro weren't given a 100% fair two leg semi final, of course they should be the one to go through. In an ideal world the final should have been put back a week or so giving Hull plenty of time to prepare. Hull's legal challenge should be with Southampton not the EFL

Agree I really thought they’d try and get something done in that period between the two games maybe a default 3-0 boro win or something. But given at least three other counts of it and no doubt more to come I guess it was bigger than just the boro game and needed treat as such.

 

[si73]

This is the beginning of a long, long fall for Southampton imho.

They'll have all of their best players leaving due to "breach of contract" issues or putting transfer requests in. No one will be wanting to stick around and be further connected with cheating. Although most, with even a shard of commonsense, will have had at least an inkling something a bit fishy was going on. The rumour that there's apparently a photo from Dec 2025 showing Salty Bill photoshopped as a sniper, which is alleged to have been circulated around squad members, suggests that it wouldn't have been hard to add things up.

Some of the players might even try to get money from them through legal means. It'll be interesting to see which if any do, as the club will probably try to claim that the players were complicit as a defence against this. A real old can of worms and the potential to be of huge damage to what little remains of the club's reputation. Also further damages their ability to attract signings...which has been squashed flat.

The FA will almost certainly be forced to take action against coaching staff, probably also management at the club if the evidence suggests they knew. And they will have known. Eckert will not have just gone off his own back to start doing this and even if he did at some point it must have been discussed at a higher level than him, especially if things like the 'sniper' photo were doing the rounds on WhatsApp accounts connected to the club.

The club and team will rightly get pelters from EVERY single fan base they play against next season. This will massively effect morale and impact hugely on the terraces. I doubt it can be much fun if every game is just a torrent of piss taking and abuse. And you best believe every team they play will be wanting their scalp as pay back.

You might see a seige mentality develop but it could just as easily create an enormous disconnect and gulf between the support, club owners and players. Add into the mix anymore potential claims of cheating from other clubs who feel aggrieved. This happens and theres a higher than average chance that Southampton could see more points deducted for the start of the season if complaints are upheld. Starting from -4 isn't the end of the world, might stymie a promotion challenge a bit but doesn't guarantee relegation either. Get a few more examples of cheating brought up and a -10 or more deduction added and you're fecked.

I cannot see Wrexham, and their Yank owners, being happy to accept whats happened thus far if they can find evidence to support a complaint. Other clubs are also threatening court action too including Hull who are keeping their options open if they don't win on Sarrada.

While I have sympathy for the fans, a visible proportion of them seemed to be revelling in it! I doubt they're finding it as amusing this morning.

 

[Julio Mackemo]

I wonder if Keane has had anything to say to Harwood-Bellis ?...

 

[SAFC Wilks]

Someone on the Southampton message board thinks it is

You must be logged on to see external links

That must be their manager’s account on the forum.

 

[Gloucester]

They’re in for a horrible summer.

I’m looking forward to it.

They should enjoy their summer holidays because they have no idea how hostile away grounds will be for them next season. They and their fans will become nowhere.

Of course their fans are innocent up to the play off semi final but if they try to blame anyone bar their club staff and players then they become guilty too.

 

[SAFC Wilks]

I wonder if Keane has had anything to say to Harwood-Bellis ?...

Probably shook his head in disappointment when he saw the celebration.

“Do me a favour.”

 

[MadMackem10]

Agree I really thought they’d try and get something done in that period between the two games maybe a default 3-0 boro win or something. But given at least three other counts of it and no doubt more to come I guess it was bigger than just the boro game and needed treat as such.

Yeah realistically they should have provisionally awarded Boro the home tie 3-0. At least then the scheduled final would have been Hull/Boro all along. Then after the other two came out the punishment could have been upgraded to explusion plus points deduction.

 

[Blyth_Pirate]

This is the beginning of a long, long fall for Southampton imho.

They'll have all of their best players leaving due to "breach of contract" issues or putting transfer requests in. No one will be wanting to stick around and be further connected with cheating. Although most, with even a shard of commonsense, will have had at least an inkling something a bit fishy was going on. The rumour that there's apparently a photo from Dec 2025 showing Salty Bill photoshopped as a sniper, which is alleged to have been circulated around squad members, suggests that it wouldn't have been hard to add things up.

Some of the players might even try to get money from them through legal means. It'll be interesting to see which if any do, as the club will probably try to claim that the players were complicit as a defence against this. A real old can of worms and the potential to be of huge damage to what little remains of the club's reputation. Also further damages their ability to attract signings...which has been squashed flat.

The FA will almost certainly be forced to take action against coaching staff, probably also management at the club if the evidence suggests they knew. And they will have known. Eckert will not have just gone off his own back to start doing this and even if he did at some point it must have been discussed at a higher level than him, especially if things like the 'sniper' photo were doing the rounds on WhatsApp accounts connected to the club.

The club and team will rightly get pelters from EVERY single fan base they play against next season. This will massively effect morale and impact hugely on the terraces. I doubt it can be much fun if every game is just a torrent of piss taking and abuse. And you best believe every team they play will be wanting their scalp as pay back.

You might see a seige mentality develop but it could just as easily create an enormous disconnect and gulf between the support, club owners and players. Add into the mix anymore potential claims of cheating from other clubs who feel aggrieved. This happens and theres a higher than average chance that Southampton could see more points deducted for the start of the season if complaints are upheld. Starting from -4 isn't the end of the world, might stymie a promotion challenge a bit but doesn't guarantee relegation either. Get a few more examples of cheating brought up and a -10 or more deduction added and you're fecked.

I cannot see Wrexham, and their Yank owners, being happy to accept whats happened thus far if they can find evidence to support a complaint. Other clubs are also threatening court action too including Hull who are keeping their options open if they don't win on Sarrada.

While I have sympathy for the fans, a visible proportion of them seemed to be revelling in it! I doubt they're finding it as amusing this morning.

Aye those fans with binoculars and ghilly suits etc, it was them taking the mickey as if it was soft behaviour by the smoggies. Karma is a beautiful thing.