Saint Fan CaM

FFS - we’ve paid a huge price collectively for whatever you conceive that we’ve done. There does not need to be any further self-beating. Assuming Tonda is not banned by the FA and the players rally round, keep him…come out fighting.

Hope Gibbons loses his shirt on all the legal fees that must be winding their way to him. What a fucking loser. i was listening to a Boro supporter who phoned into Talksport (brave soul). Was complaining that their Manager insisted on playing Pep style possession and didn’t move the ball forward enough to create chances. And I’m thinking, oh you mean like Saints did under our previous 3 managers leading to a relegation and near 2nd relegation before Tonda came in?!? Perhaps you shouldn’t have spied on us? 🤣🤣🤣

Southampton FC statement The Board have concluded their internal investigation into what the media have dubbed ‘spygate’ following the sanctions levied against the club by the EFL. One of the key strengths of the club is its belief in our motto of ‘marching on together’ and this applies during good and bad times. That has always meant collective responsibility in all matters and so the Board strongly feel that continued support for all our staff, including our coaches, analytical staff and management is of paramount importance going forwards. The learning, healing and improvement process can only be a success if the club as a whole unit comes together to act as one. The significant sanctions levied against the club are certainly of an order that are considered an holistically sufficient punishment, therefore after careful consultation with ALL footballing department staff it has been decided to retain all members of the team that brought about 21 unbeaten games of football including wins against two Premiership sides in Fulham and Arsenal. We are united in our determination to improve both our own performance and contribute to ensuring a fair and just professional football environment. To our supporters around the World, we would like to extend an unconditional apology for the disappointment endured in not taking part in the EFL Play-Off Final. The Board will be considering ways in which we can compensate fans, not least by making the 2026-27 season an unqualified success. WE MARCH ON TOGETHER! 😉🤞- ok, so it’s fake news, but for me…we’ve paid a huge price collectively. Tonda proved his credentials without ‘spying’ in the cup games. Time to grow some big boy balls and come out fighting FFS.

I’d love it if Gibbo had the audacity to put the EFL on trial because they lost and then got absolutely stuffed with a massive points deduction for being utter cutns.

My fear now is that we don’t keep our best players, get a shit manager and get turned over twice by Boro. Dragan - you need to ensure we’re in tip top condition now - you owe the fans.

If ever there was justice - couldn’t watch most of the game but started around 80 minutes in. The Hull Chairman ramped up the pressure by threatening legal action if Boro won and I thought then…yes, have some of your own medicine! I kinda wanted to see what that would look like, but Hull had other ideas. We would have smashed Hull, but hey ho…

Some of these names! Who of any note is going to step into this club now? It’s going to to be the 2026 version of Wigley - step forward Lallana.

Exactly. Didn’t stop Boro (and other club) fans giving it large when the story first broke without all the facts…one rule etc. Some points to add to the mix… 1. Boro have effectively used ‘EntrapGate’ to extract our shit from the general huge pile of stinking shit that is endemic cheating in football, including the use of a community of junior interns to go on ‘scouting expeditions’ to other clubs. It feels like Saints have attempted to protect most of the other clubs in the league by not ratting. 2. I don’t entirely buy the narrative that Eckhert bullied Salt. An equally sound theory is the lad got taken in by the Boro friendly ex-Saints coach, went to Eckhert/Spors for approval for a field trip and it was given. To save his own rep the lad then claimed under duress that he was bullied into the job. Eckhert said he knew of the ‘spying’…not that he bullied him into doing it. Did Salt complain when he went to Oxford? Lastly, my position on this whole sorry saga is that I’m more angry with the ineptitude of the club’s senior management team for allowing Boro to use a clearly manufactured story, allowing the EFL to be steered by Boro and willingly gifting them success on a plate by Parsons idiocy and a weak legal team, than I am with the club ‘spying’ when it’s reportedly an overlooked, commonly used practice across modern pro football worldwide. A scapegoat or two will be sacrificed on the alter of Boro’s media outrage undoubtedly. I kind of hope Boro win and that triggers a Hull/Wrexham/Millwall/Saints lawsuit that rinses the EFL and Boro, with their cronies being dragged through the dirt. Now that would be true justice.

@Crab Lungs Surely a forensic examination of Boro’s entrapment starts with an interview with Salt where he’s asked if he’s been in contact with Taylor and further did he receive a tip-off to visit Boro’s ground from Taylor? Or is that too straightforward? If that’s true, perhaps he then went to Eckhert for approval to go citing the tip-off and Eckhert sanctioned it?

Not sure - ‘spyjng’ is not against the rules in the Premiership or so we’re told, so not seen as gaining an unfair advantage, however the FA govern the entire English game so will want to be seen to acting to protect their reputation too I guess.

I see there’s a report (BBC?) that the FA are now looking at the evidence. Does that mean they have the power to impose further sanctions on the club such as a fine or even more points deduction? It really wouldn’t surprise me - there seems to be an endemic, corporate desire to bring the club to its knees.

I thought it had been said that it’s only the Championship where this rule applies, but I guess it’s across the whole EFL then? Nevertheless, I still find it strange that these are the only two clubs that Boro had ‘evidence’ from in terms of gathering a case in readiness for their defeat in the semi’s - no coincidence really.

Yes that’s likely true, but don’t you think it’s strange that the two clubs presented to the panel were the two clubs definitely not in the Championship next season? I suspect there’s other clubs who are somewhat nervous revealing their hand and exposing their own weaknesses in terms of gaining competitor advantage (I’d bet on there being other ‘interesting’ practices in the profession we’re not aware of).

This is an excellent reflection of the realities of the situation - very well said SOG. The more I reflect on what’s happened the more I thoroughly believe the club needs to act quickly and decisively to dress the wound. To not do so risks the entire club structure collapsing in on itself in a spiral of self-harm. That will likely mean the sacking of one or more scapegoats, but that should be it…the club (Dragan) protects and nurtures all other assets including playing staff (who should get their % salary cut re-instated). Despite Boro’s antics. Despite the EFL, its sham board and the obvious cheating that exists at all levels of the game. All this talk about sacking everyone is like throwing the baby out with the bath water. Circle the wagons…take a deep breath and let’s fucking show ‘em we’re worthy of promotion the hard way. The alternative is further capitulation to an unjust punishment and the potential demise of our wonderful club.

Also…and it’s been said before on here…it’s strange is it not that the two other instances are Ipswich and Oxford who are both out of the Championship now and therefore not concerned about any reveal of the extent many other teams ‘spy’ on opponents. No other teams want to get involved because they too could be implicated. That’s why Parsons clever wording around helping to ensure the rules are widely applied and understood in the future could have significant meaning today.