BotleySaint

This whole saga is a case study of how society has been changed by social media. You can now create for yourself an echo chamber and have your opinions validated, no matter how insane or ridiculous. You can avoid conflicting voices and in doing so, never be challenged. The validation gives you a stronger determination, sense of righteousness and ends up leading to even more insane or ridiculous thoughts. You can even get celebrity figures backing you up. Until you've lost touch with reality. And anyone who disagrees with you must burn! Whereas 20 years ago, you might go down the pub and rant to your mates, or your family, or work colleagues. Some might even agree and rant back. But you'd have to give it a rest at some point whilst you wait for the newspaper or evening news to find out the latest. A small rule breach has turned into this. Right.. I'm deleting my account

Surely each of these claims needs to be backed up by sufficient evidence. Not one picture of a guy standing near a tree...

Honestly, at this point aren't Middlesborough just opening themselves up to legal challenge? It's starting to get to the point where a fair trial simply isn't possible due to the amount of whining BS they've been spouting in the media. We'll have to be let off as it's no longer possible to reach an unbiased opinion with all that noise! BBC have really conducted themselves like idiots too. Clearly a Middlesborough fan in their ranks. I'd love to see Middlesborough try to prove how we had a competitive advantage over the two games by looking at the footage. You wouldn't even get past the first half of the first leg before concluding that's just a nonsense opinion. They were all over us!

I think the team spirit is incredible right now. Everyone is busting a gut and wants to play their part. Sometimes being up against something like this just makes them try even harder. Can't see the likes of Flynn Downes, Ryan Manning or Finn Azaz giving a flying f**k what everyone else thinks.

Or Option 3 - the evidence is reviewed and basically found to be wanting. We get no punishment and Middleborough look like even bigger idiots.

Irritatingly, does that mean we now have to wait till 19th to know if the game is happening?

Yes, I reckon so. Would be surprised now if we aren't kicked out.

I agree with you their case is pathetic and certainly doesn't warrant us being expelled from the playoffs. But they have created a media storm and the EFL may decide to cave in to the "popular" opinion.

Sorry but when I read this I just assumed it was Middlesbrough fans pretending to be Saints fans to keep building the momentum. No way to prove either way.

Bloody media talking BS as usual. Hopefully the EFL won't bow to the pressure. Would be a totally unjust punishment to say a whole seasons efforts are cancelled due to 1 alleged incident. BBC literally printing BS: There was no pitch invasion = celebrations were muted. Anyone watching or anyone there could see celebrations were not muted!

Just not happening for us.

We deserve to win. Vastly better second half and the break is the worst thing for us. Anything could happen though..

Yes even genuine fouls just ignored by ref.

Get in. F**K off Ayling!

Ref has lost control

Yep, Ayling mission accomplished

They've been the superior side. Really solid and a threat. We need to keep working hard.. but I fear we dont have enough left after the burst needed just to get into playoffs.

Unless something changes they will be out of sight by half time.

Just read the latest BBC article and assume the author is a Middlesbrough fan.

Fine result. First half awful, second half almost perfect.

True but also a dangerous part of the game where we might relax and make an error as the intensity drops

Haha ref in the way

Yet created out best chance from the Larin header.

Not quite working for Larin today. Right move to take him off.

Awful first half but all that matters is nil nil. Second half I'd fully expect us to be better. Too isolated going forward.