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Boro vs Saints - Saturday 12.30pm - 1st leg

Pilchards

By Pilchards
in The Saints

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Disco Stu

Disco Stu

Posted
Posted (edited)
24 minutes ago, Doctoroncall said:

What was the Saintsweb reaction to the Leeds spy gate in Jan 2019?

If only this forum had a search function.

Edited by Disco Stu
Gloucester Saint

Gloucester Saint

Posted
Posted
2 minutes ago, Toadhall Saint said:

BBC report which does seem to see the funny side of events https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/articles/c1725d15p0ko

Sums up the stupidity. Bloke allegedly stood on a hillock overlooking their training pitch in a space open to the public which a local could be doing taking his dog for a shit up there.

Leeds were actually going into training grounds weren’t they? 

Load of bollocks. 

  • Like 1
trousers

trousers

Posted
Posted
3 minutes ago, Toadhall Saint said:

BBC report which does seem to see the funny side of events https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/articles/c1725d15p0ko

"What did Southampton allegedly do?

The alleged spy walked from the golf club to an area overlooking Middlesbrough's training pitches before he was spotted

Middlesbrough train on the sprawling grounds of Rockliffe Hall in Hurworth-on-Tees, just outside Darlington.

But this is not your classic training base, hidden away among trees and walled off from the prying eyes.

Rockliffe Hall is also a luxury hotel, spa and golf resort built by Boro owner Steve Gibson. The complex is open to the public.

If you want to sneak in and watch Boro training it would appear you do not have to try too hard.

According to BBC sources, this is what happened late on Thursday morning.

Both clubs have been approached for comment. So far Southampton have made no public statements on the matter.

The supposed spy, who Boro allege to be a Southampton analyst, is said to have parked at the golf club, then walked a couple of hundred yards down a road which leads to the top of a small hill.

The training pitches and golf course are next to each other with just a hedgerow separating them.

While there have been reports that the so-called spy was found hiding in bushes, the real story is apparently no so dramatic.

Sources told the BBC that the accused simply stood at the top of the hill, which slopes down to the training field and gives a clear view overlooking the pitches. Perfect for not-so-covert ops.

At one stage the suspicious individual was pointing his mobile at the training session, while wearing in-ear headphones. Boro staff believe he may have been live streaming the session via a video call.

What happens next sounds more like a comedy sketch than a cunning spy operation.

A member of Boro's staff approached, say BBC sources, but the person would not identify himself. Then, he quickly deleted some content off his phone before running off into the golf club.

He jogged into the toilets, changed his clothes and hurriedly left the site.

Boro's photographer took photos - and, allegedly, matched him to a profile on the Saints website. And, of course, the individual was all over CCTV.

Boro staff were furious and quickly reported it to the English Football League (EFL).

Southampton's squad were not due to fly to the north east until Friday, so if the so-called spy was from the club it suggests an early reconnaissance mission."

 

 

ef9d0930-4add-11f1-9eb0-1940b1e77213.png.webp

  • Like 1
  • Haha 3
Osvaldorama

Osvaldorama

Posted
Posted

The funniest part for me is that we’ve already played them twice this season. 
 

why the fuck would we need to spy on them? 
 

Has to be a wind up to sell tickets

  • Like 2
Miltonaggro

Miltonaggro

Posted
Posted
1 minute ago, Osvaldorama said:

The funniest part for me is that we’ve already played them twice this season. 
 

why the fuck would we need to spy on them? 
 

Has to be a wind up to sell tickets

Or an attempt to wind up their dimwit fans. 

  • Like 1
Gloucester Saint

Gloucester Saint

Posted
Posted
Just now, Miltonaggro said:

Or an attempt to wind up their dimwit fans. 

It wouldn’t take much if you’ve been to Middlesbrough. Newcastle and Sunderland it is not.

Good luck to any CAMRA members trying to get real ale there. Stockton on Tees is where you’ll find that. 

  • Haha 1
Dark Munster

Dark Munster

Posted
Posted
3 hours ago, saintant said:

Yeah and how do they manage to identify a junior intern from photos on our club website? - he won't be in them!

Good question. I think that would only be possible if they had been spying on our interns.

  • Like 1
trousers

trousers

Posted
Posted

If our so-called spy wasn't attempting to hide himself (according to that BBC take on events) then could the club argue that the league's rules only apply if a club tries to infiltrate a club's training sessions surreptitiously? The fact that he was seemingly not trying to hide himself might back up that theory...? Or maybe not....

  • Like 1
Danbert

Danbert

Posted
Posted
2 minutes ago, Matthew Le God said:

Cracks in the Middlesbrough account of events!

This BBC article says Middlesbrough claim to have found photos of the spy on the Saints website. It is claimed by Middlesbrough elsewhere that the person is an intern. No intern analyst at Southampton has ever had their photo on the Saints website in the staff section!

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/articles/c1725d15p0ko

 

 

It was you wasn't it

DT

DT

Posted
Posted
6 hours ago, Willo of Whiteley said:

You’re literally licking your lips at the prospect of us being knocked out purely so you can have a little scream. 🤣

We’ll be absolutely fine. Score for our first set piece then the Boro fans will be outraged and rattled.

It’ll be hilarious. Be confident laddy!

Calm down, Fareham Saint. Has James Ward-Prowse left yet? 😉 

Saint NL

Saint NL

Posted
Posted (edited)
6 minutes ago, JohnnyShearer2.0 said:

Can someone post the Telegraph article? Its currently behind a paywall.

https://archive.ph/Chmcp

 

There it is. I won't paste the whole article in here because it's really long.

Edited by Saint NL
  • Like 1
DT

DT

Posted
Posted
1 minute ago, Willo of Whiteley said:

He left a while ago. I knew you were slow but wow, on par with Boro fans

He was the one you said was staying as you had the usual 'inside info'. 

PS Saints will beat Millwall 2-1 in the final at Wembley. That's mine.

Verbal

Verbal

Posted
Posted
4 minutes ago, DT said:

Saints will beat Millwall 2-1 in the final at Wembley.

What?! We now urgently need a stand-in DT to depress the hell out of us.

  • Haha 1
Sheaf Saint

Sheaf Saint

Posted
Posted

If Boro really want anyone to take this complaint seriously then they need to release the CCTV footage and share the link to the profile pic they claim to have matched the guy to. 

I just refuse to believe we would have sanctioned this - it's absurd that we would even consider it, given the minimal gains versus the risk of repercussions.

 

  • Like 2
WinglessWonder

WinglessWonder

Posted
Posted
1 minute ago, woksaintly said:

But why does the club not issue a statement refuting these allegations if they are not true?

They are probably too busy laughing at the sheer absurdity of it all! 

  • Haha 1
Sheaf Saint

Sheaf Saint

Posted
Posted
Just now, RedArmy said:

I genuinely thought their fans couldn’t get any more OTT but this telegraph article has sent them even more mental :lol:

 

 

:suspicious:

Had to just check the date to make sure it's not actually April 1st. 

Professional surveillance equipment 🤣🤣🤣

  • Like 1
Whitey Grandad

Whitey Grandad

Posted
Posted
3 minutes ago, woksaintly said:

But why does the club not issue a statement refuting these allegations if they are not true?

What allegations?  They only have to respond to the EFL.

It is always inadvisable to respond to wild speculation in the press.

  • Like 2
Gloucester Saint

Gloucester Saint

Posted
Posted
2 minutes ago, RedArmy said:

I genuinely thought their fans couldn’t get any more OTT but this telegraph article has sent them even more mental :lol:

 

 

:suspicious:

Horrific newspaper. The word ‘news’ does heavy lifting there. Most of their section staff have been sacked and replaced by AI. 

Doctoroncall

Doctoroncall

Posted
Posted
16 minutes ago, Give it to Ron said:

Professional equipment FFS

 

IMG_3616.png

They left off this bit:

Middlesbrough have since been told by whistleblowers that this is not the first time a member of Southampton’s analyst team has been sent to record opposition training sessions this season.

  • Haha 1
RedArmy

RedArmy

Posted
Posted

“I don’t think this match should go ahead” 

 

“we should refuse to play” 

 

Fucking hell lads, listen to yourselves. Finishing 5th in a 2 horse race has turns your brains to mush. 

  • Like 1
  • Haha 1
Gloucester Saint

Gloucester Saint

Posted
Posted
3 minutes ago, Whitey Grandad said:

What allegations?  They only have to respond to the EFL.

It is always inadvisable to respond to wild speculation in the press.

It would just fuel nonsense even more. As someone else posted, it’s more than 72 hours from a game and it goes on regularly. 

  • Like 1
SNSUN

SNSUN

Posted
Posted
3 hours ago, trousers said:

😂 That's worthy of an AI meme... Over to you @SNSUN... 

I would but I left my phone at home today. 🙄

Instead here is a picture of the Detectives Boro are going to use to crack the case:

BBC - Comedy - The Detectives

  • Like 2
  • Haha 1
BarberSaint

BarberSaint

Posted
Posted
13 minutes ago, woksaintly said:

But why does the club not issue a statement refuting these allegations if they are not true?

Why do they need to when it's self-combusting?

  • Like 2
Toadhall Saint

Toadhall Saint

Posted
Posted
8 minutes ago, Sheaf Saint said:

Had to just check the date to make sure it's not actually April 1st. 

Professional surveillance equipment 🤣🤣🤣

And it had a microphone!!😂🤣

  • Haha 2
woksaintly

woksaintly

Posted
Posted

Proposed Southampton Response " We have read with some interest and amusement that we are alleged to have conducted a covert operation to ascertain the tactics and possible team selection for our match this Saturday. We understand that a  senior golfer was looking for his ball and thought it had landed in the goalmouth. Despite shouting "four" this was misunderstood and was set upon but was able to retreat to the changing room unharmed. We did not realise that golfers are treated in this way in the North East and he was still upset that he was unable to retrieve his ball . By the way we do we do not publish pictures of amateur golfers on our web site. I hope that clarifies the situation. Your humble superiors, SFC"

Gloucester Saint

Gloucester Saint

Posted
Posted
1 minute ago, Toadhall Saint said:

And it had a microphone!!😂🤣

Imagine get stirred up by clickbait from a former broadsheet newspaper turned bankrupt tabloid. They need to give their head a wobble.

EssEffCee

EssEffCee

Posted
Posted

The idea that they've completely made it up to sell tickets is just as batshit as some of what their fans are spouting imo.

I think we've definitely done something, the scale of what that is and how high up it was authorised are the unknowns for me.

  • Like 2
hypochondriac

hypochondriac

Posted
Posted

Whilst I'm not overly happy about this as I've said, "professional recording equipment with a microphone"is obviously a mobile phone probably with a clip on mic. Funny to suggest it's more.

  • Like 1
hypochondriac

hypochondriac

Posted
Posted
2 minutes ago, beatlesaint said:

Hopefully we don’t find out but If they beat us over two legs does this story go away I wonder?

Imagine if we beat them and the result gets expunged...

  • Haha 2
Patrick Bateman

Patrick Bateman

Posted
Posted
1 hour ago, trousers said:

"What did Southampton allegedly do?

The alleged spy walked from the golf club to an area overlooking Middlesbrough's training pitches before he was spotted

Middlesbrough train on the sprawling grounds of Rockliffe Hall in Hurworth-on-Tees, just outside Darlington.

But this is not your classic training base, hidden away among trees and walled off from the prying eyes.

Rockliffe Hall is also a luxury hotel, spa and golf resort built by Boro owner Steve Gibson. The complex is open to the public.

If you want to sneak in and watch Boro training it would appear you do not have to try too hard.

According to BBC sources, this is what happened late on Thursday morning.

Both clubs have been approached for comment. So far Southampton have made no public statements on the matter.

The supposed spy, who Boro allege to be a Southampton analyst, is said to have parked at the golf club, then walked a couple of hundred yards down a road which leads to the top of a small hill.

The training pitches and golf course are next to each other with just a hedgerow separating them.

While there have been reports that the so-called spy was found hiding in bushes, the real story is apparently no so dramatic.

Sources told the BBC that the accused simply stood at the top of the hill, which slopes down to the training field and gives a clear view overlooking the pitches. Perfect for not-so-covert ops.

At one stage the suspicious individual was pointing his mobile at the training session, while wearing in-ear headphones. Boro staff believe he may have been live streaming the session via a video call.

What happens next sounds more like a comedy sketch than a cunning spy operation.

A member of Boro's staff approached, say BBC sources, but the person would not identify himself. Then, he quickly deleted some content off his phone before running off into the golf club.

He jogged into the toilets, changed his clothes and hurriedly left the site.

Boro's photographer took photos - and, allegedly, matched him to a profile on the Saints website. And, of course, the individual was all over CCTV.

Boro staff were furious and quickly reported it to the English Football League (EFL).

Southampton's squad were not due to fly to the north east until Friday, so if the so-called spy was from the club it suggests an early reconnaissance mission."

 

 

ef9d0930-4add-11f1-9eb0-1940b1e77213.png.webp

That sounds more like it - guy in plain sight, saying "look you can see their training session". I mean stupid thing to do really, but it's not spying FFS. Could've just been showing his Mum / Dad / kids / Grandparents 😂

And yes, he probably then panicked, who knows. Farcical all round and a complete overreaction. 

 

  • Like 1

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