Saints Charged With Spying on Mboro Training

[Tom & Gerry]

Some have said that the lone wolf theory is improbable but for me it seems equally bonkers that someone higher up would think this was worth risking the reputation and future of the club for. As a glass half full type of person I think if this was authorised anywhere above the lowest level the EFL are going to want to make an example of us and that will be a sporting sanction that will affect our future one way or another.

[AlexLaw76]

3 hours ago, Dman said:

The EFL know better than to mess with Steve 'el chapo' Gibson.

(as derby found out when he tried to claim for 40m and wound up with about 3m. NEVER MESS WITH STEVE GIBSON)

🤣

they way some are describing him, he must be like the Paul Castellano of football owners. The Chairman and Chairman of sorts 

🤣

[Midfield_General]

24 minutes ago, Disco Stu said:

Hopefully not. But we were meant to have a clean bill of health last Saturday according to Tonda so I'll take it with a pinch of salt 

But... but... no club has ever told a fib about which players may or may not be available for a big game have they? 

Because if so, that wouldn't be 'acting in the utmost good faith towards other clubs', and as we all know, the punishment for that is death by hanging for everyone involved. 

Football is clean as a whistle and everyone upholds every single rule at all times and just holds hands and sings kumbayaa, it's beautiful. 

[Dman]

4 minutes ago, hypochondriac said:

Look like a bit of reality might have started to penetrate slightly: 

 

"Hate to say it chaps... But I think we're in a bit of a bubble here.

The general consensus I can gather from other fan forums, social media, talksport etc is that they're more on Southampton's side than ours. As in they're more like 'Bit naughty you got caught! Small fine it is' rather than thinking this is some massive cheating scandal.

Only my observation and gut feel... But anyone thinking they'll be kicked out the play offs is away with the fairies. It's probably going to fire their players/fans up if anything."

I've seen so many of them saying stupid things like "the whole of the footballing world want us to win now" 

From what I've seen, other than press in the north east, former players, fans and 'the voice of reason' Troy Deeney noone else really seems to care all that much. 

[Ken Tone]

What strikes me is that we clearly didn't gain anything from any information gained. We played our usual team, in our usual formation...... no changes to counteract any tactic or formation of theirs. 

About the only potentially useful thing we might have learnt was that Hackney(?)  wasn't fit. If he had been, maybe we'd have detailed someone to man mark him.... maybe 

[JohnnyShearer2.0]

7 minutes ago, hypochondriac said:

Look like a bit of reality might have started to penetrate slightly: 

 

"Hate to say it chaps... But I think we're in a bit of a bubble here.

The general consensus I can gather from other fan forums, social media, talksport etc is that they're more on Southampton's side than ours. As in they're more like 'Bit naughty you got caught! Small fine it is' rather than thinking this is some massive cheating scandal.

Only my observation and gut feel... But anyone thinking they'll be kicked out the play offs is away with the fairies. It's probably going to fire their players/fans up if anything."

I'm so confused now.

Boro will be fired up at the injustice. 

Saints will be fired up for being demonised. 

Boro manager will have set up something new for the team. 

Tonda will have countered it (not via spying....)

Dont we just end up at square one?!

Edited 1 hour ago by JohnnyShearer2.0

[Willo of Whiteley]

The only people crying about it now are Boro fans, and I mean crying!

West Ham v Arsenal has taken some of the light back on the “chosen league”.

[RedArmy]

1 hour ago, Saint In Cornwall said:

hackney will play no part tomorrow

 

https://www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/sport/football/middlesbrough-fc/middlesbrough-fc-boss-kim-hellberg-provides-update-on-hayden-hackney-ahead-of-southampton-play-off-second-leg-8516602

 

 

If he plays now they should be relegated!!!! And reported to the police!!! 

 

 

[TheAlehouseBrawlers]

“Cry in a minute, they’re gonna cry in a minute, cry…”

Their fans and manager may have to get used to hearing that a bit now

[Miltonaggro]

On 09/05/2026 at 19:26, The Wyvern said:

From their forum thread on welcoming the coaches 🤣 

“I was in Southampton visiting extended family. When this started, a couple of them leaned over to me and said '**** me, I wish we had support like that, today is gonna be hard'.

Never have I beamed so much for my peeps in a small town in Europe.”

Definitely filed in that big folder of things that never happened. 

As I said last week, no animosity towards Boro before this bollocks started, and genuinely boot on the other foot I wouldn't have given a shit.  However, the level of fantasy of their dinlo supporters aided and abetted by what passes for the media had reached Lord of the Rings set in Chernobyl levels.  Fuck them and all who sail in them henceforth! 

[EssEffCee]

I still can't believe just how many of them are convinced we'll be chucked out of play offs. Setting themselves up for a mighty fall.

If we win tomorrow and then only get a fine their forum is going to be glorious.

[Saint In Cornwall]

AWC 721 Titan Airways leaving Teesside shortly bound for Southampton.

[Toadhall Saint]

3 minutes ago, EssEffCee said:

I still can't believe just how many of them are convinced we'll be chucked out of play offs. Setting themselves up for a mighty fall.

If we win tomorrow and then only get a fine their forum is going to be glorious.

Bad gateway?

[Willo of Whiteley]

4 minutes ago, EssEffCee said:

I still can't believe just how many of them are convinced we'll be chucked out of play offs. Setting themselves up for a mighty fall.

If we win tomorrow and then only get a fine their forum is going to be glorious.

I thought some Pompey fans were bad, but this is a whole new level of meltdown

[Miltonaggro]

2 minutes ago, Saint In Cornwall said:

AWC 721 Titan Airways leaving Teesside shortly bound for Southampton.

Is Gibbo piloting it?

[Toadhall Saint]

1 minute ago, Saint In Cornwall said:

AWC 721 Titan Airways leaving Teesside shortly bound for Southampton.

Thought it would be a Vulcan bomber - loaded with A to G ordinance 

[skintsaint]

 

[Saint In Cornwall]

Even the pilot doesn’t want to go anywhere near the shitpit that is Middlesbrough 

[DellBlockH]

52 minutes ago, hypochondriac said:

Look like a bit of reality might have started to penetrate slightly: 

 

"Hate to say it chaps... But I think we're in a bit of a bubble here.

The general consensus I can gather from other fan forums, social media, talksport etc is that they're more on Southampton's side than ours. As in they're more like 'Bit naughty you got caught! Small fine it is' rather than thinking this is some massive cheating scandal.

Only my observation and gut feel... But anyone thinking they'll be kicked out the play offs is away with the fairies. It's probably going to fire their players/fans up if anything."

Listened to the Guardian Football Weekly podcast today for the first time in ages. The journos there, while finding it incredibly funny, seemed to agree that us being thrown out of the competition  (I'm not sure if they meant the play offs or the whole league) would not be unjust or unexpected. It surprised me that they actually gave credence to the theory that our upturn in form over the last part of the season could be because of spying, rather than astute management of each game.

[Secret Site Agent]

28 minutes ago, TheAlehouseBrawlers said:

“Cry in a minute, they’re gonna cry in a minute, cry…”

Their fans and manager may have to get used to hearing that a bit now

I think we should sing:

"It always feels like somebodies watching me, 

And they know we can't play Hakney

Woh oh oh"

[Toussaint]

44 minutes ago, JohnnyShearer2.0 said:

I'm so confused now.

Boro will be fired up at the injustice. 

Saints will be fired up for being demonised. 

Boro manager will have set up something new for the team. 

Tonda will have countered it (not via spying....)

Dont we just end up at square one?!

We kind of started at square one, in that I don't know what huge advantage was gained from "spying" . The teams would have been announced over an hour before kick of, any formation tweaks or tactical changes would have become apparent within minutes and we have a smart manager and a depth of squad that could easily have adapted.

 

As it played out, Boro had the advantage because we were like rabbits in the headlights for the first half.

 

Conclusion, Boro can forfeit the game and pay me compensation for stressing me out, and all the journos and pundits who piled on will get sued for libel / slander / hate crime. 

[AlexLaw76]

If we beat them tomorrow, I think we should all avoid the internet for a while, it will get pretty wild from their lot

[kwsaint]

4 minutes ago, DellBlockH said:

Listened to the Guardian Football Weekly podcast today for the first time in ages. The journos there, while finding it incredibly funny, seemed to agree that us being thrown out of the competition  (I'm not sure if they meant the play offs or the whole league) would not be unjust or unexpected. It surprised me that they actually gave credence to the theory that our upturn in form over the last part of the season could be because of spying, rather than astute management of each game.

My guess is that ‘Why Southampton might get thrown out of the playoffs.’ would get more views than ‘Why Southampton will get a large fine.’

[trousers]

6 minutes ago, AlexLaw76 said:

If we beat them tomorrow, I think we should all avoid the internet for a while, it will get pretty wild from their lot

Why would we want to deny ourselves free and glorious entertainment?

Edited 15 minutes ago by trousers

[bpsaint]

4 minutes ago, kwsaint said:

My guess is that ‘Why Southampton might get thrown out of the playoffs.’ would get more views than ‘Why Southampton will get a large fine.’

Indeed, it’s all about engagement and likes these days, create a bit of drama to make a bit of money.

[Willo of Whiteley]

8 minutes ago, AlexLaw76 said:

If we beat them tomorrow, I think we should all avoid the internet for a while, it will get pretty wild from their lot

I disagree, I think the meltdown should be documented 

[AlexLaw76]

Just now, Willo of Whiteley said:

I disagree, I think the meltdown should be documented 

Fair point. Could be studied as part of wider research into insane ramblings of tribalistic football fans

[LegalEagle]

12 minutes ago, DellBlockH said:

Listened to the Guardian Football Weekly podcast today for the first time in ages. The journos there, while finding it incredibly funny, seemed to agree that us being thrown out of the competition  (I'm not sure if they meant the play offs or the whole league) would not be unjust or unexpected. It surprised me that they actually gave credence to the theory that our upturn in form over the last part of the season could be because of spying, rather than astute management of each game.

The Guardian seem to have an agenda here. Their reporting of this from the start has been one sided. Is Gibson a Labour Party donor? That might explain it.

[Saint NL]

24 minutes ago, Miltonaggro said:

Is Gibbo piloting it?

Nah he's busy, there was an incorrect offside call in a girls under 14s game in South Africa so he's over there single handedly solving all sporting injustices 

[sfc4prem]

7 minutes ago, LegalEagle said:

The Guardian seem to have an agenda here. Their reporting of this from the start has been one sided. Is Gibson a Labour Party donor? That might explain it.

 

[AlexLaw76]

 

[Sunglasses Ron]

Were we even ‘spying’? It sounds like we were merely observing (albeit some hours after we’re technically allowed to do so).

I also question why we have two charges, as surely the one relating to observing trumps the woolly one about treating fellow clubs fairly.

Also, can anyone remind me what Liverpool’s punishment was when they blatantly tapped up Virgil van Dijk and effectively ended his Southampton career a few months before he eventually moved?