obelisk

I wouldn't be so sure. There'll be redoubled efforts to not get caught for sure but it'd be interesting to see what draconian penalty might be handed down in future to match expulsion from the Championship play-off final.

So if the "spy" had been doing his scouting on Wednesday morning rather than Thursday all would be fine? It's a silly 72 hour rule that apparently nobody really adheres to but Saints still managed to get caught by a team with an owner with a grievance. The penalty of expulsion from the final is extreme and disproportionate but I don't see why that automatically allows the semi-final losers to step up rather than for Hull to just get a bye. Well I do really - it's all about money isn't it?

Saints seem to have approached these charges with the idea that an expedited mea culpa would result in a heavy fine but little more. I don't suppose they expected that they'd be carted off to the guillotine for what is after all a fairly trivial and seemingly widespread practice. Maybe sidling up to "Gibbo" to offer an admission of guilt wasn't the best idea in the world either. I'd hope that they've got some harder legal minds lined up for the appeal because they'll need to get down in the dirt if there's even a small chance of success. The likely failure of that appeal is then only going to be the start of some pretty severe ramifications. Baz in goal and Damion Downs up front might well be the best we can hope for next season.

Yeah but was that within the 72 hours arbitrary rule or not?

Goodness knows what's going to happen to Man City when all those much more serious charges are dealt with if this is what they hand down for a spot of scouting opponents.

Makes you wonder what the punishment will be for the next club caught scouting opponents if this is going to be the precedent. Just don't get caught is going to be the message.

Given that there are plenty of rumours that scouting opponents is rife it looks like Saints have been punished for being amateurishly caught out. The punishment is obviously designed to send a message and maybe its deserved for those running the club but not the fans. That team will now look very different next season. We can now look forward to a reputation as cheats while languishing in the lower reaches of the Championship. I feel sick.

The EFL have opened a right old can of worms.

Just got home. SIx and still no verdict despite leaving early. Shocking.

I'm in the pub. Nobody here gives a damn about this mountain out of a molehill. Any news?

Nearly as slow as VAR.

That's just what Mrs Obelisk is planning to consume.

Surely there's been a spot of plea bargaining by now. Can't believe that everyone turns up this morning without any sort of contact at all so far. I'm going to set off for the pub this afternoon to await the verdict.

That would be the sensible proportionate response to "Gibbo" and his gang.

Begs the question of where they might have got text messages relating to this case from.

Is that for next season after their extra summer training?

Too much fannying around. It's like waiting for a Russell team to get the ball forward. Is it possible to charge the EFL with acting in bad faith by making everyone wait so long?

If Boro carry on training through the summer they might just be fit enough to sustain a challenge next season in the Championship.

Gibbo's lot certainly guilty when it comes to that.

Any chance someone could go and have a look? 😎

I think I'd rather get this over and done with today rather than having to go through more wild speculation.

I've been away having a spot of dinner. Are we starting to accept that the rumour of £5m (or thereabouts) and points is true or is that just more bullshit? If so I still think it's way out of proportion when compared to other more serious offences.

Yes maybe. Wouldn't be the first time that someone has stumped up a large amount of dosh to make something go away. As a precedent though I imagine teams throughout the EFL will be on the lookout for people lurking behind trees on the edge of their training camp if at least 6 points is the penalty.

That seems way out of proportion to me.

Even "Gibbo" wouldn't claim that as a precedent for the alleged Saints misdemeanour. Or would he?