Saints Expelled from Playoffs

[Toadhall Saint]

5 minutes ago, RedArmy said:

Get your travel and hotels booked lads. 
 

No matter how what we did is viewed in the eyes of the EFL, they won’t allow themselves to be dictated to by Steve fucking Gibson. 

KC’s hold integrity in high regard it’s right up there with the truth and committing perjury 

[Harry_SFC]

That statement screams hissy fit to me

[Whitey Grandad]

4 minutes ago, coalman said:

I wouldn't celebrate just yet. All the panel has done is turned down a request that was never going to be accepted.

That was what my Latin teacher would call "A question expecting the answer 'No'."

[James G]

I think also by releasing a statement, it puts the story back into orbit again with all the newspapers, keeps the news frenzy going

[Midfield_General]

Whatever happens to us, once the dust has settled on this I really, really hope we come back at them and rain down on them with the full force of righteous vengeance, furious anger and fucking expensive lawyers for how they've conducted themselves.

They've made it so personal between the clubs now and have gone way beyond how most clubs would raise an issue for resolution. 

I hope we sue the fucking shit out of them, and that Dragan goes after Gibson personally. I know who I'm backing in a scrap between a Serb who's happy to go toe-to-toe with Putin, and some compo faced little cunt from Middlesbrough who looks like Jeannette Krankie without the charisma

Edited Friday at 14:52 by Midfield_General

[Toadhall Saint]

1 minute ago, Midfield_General said:

Whatever happens to us, once the dust has settled on this I really, really hope we come back on them and rain down with the full force of righteous vengeance, furious anger and fucking expensive lawyers for how they've conducted themselves.

They've made it so personal between the clubs now and have gone way beyond how most clubs would raise an issue for resolution. 

I hope we sue the fucking shit out of them

But like “stevie Gibson we bankrupted you”.

[sockeye]

1 minute ago, Midfield_General said:

They've made it so personal between the clubs now and have gone way beyond how most clubs would raise an issue for resolution. 

I feel for Mr. Salt the most through all of this

[sadoldgit]

Whilst it is poor form to send someone to look at training against EFL rules, I would suggest that it is even poorer form to demand that a team that have beaten you over two games fair and square on the pitch, get thrown out of the competition. Apart from the pathetic desperation, where is the precedent for such a relatively minor indiscretion? The hearing hasn’t even taken place yet so this is clearly an attempt to influence the outcome. Several steps on from “poor form” I would suggest. 

[James G]

1 minute ago, Midfield_General said:

Whatever happens to us, once the dust has settled on this I really, really hope we come back at them and rain down with the full force of righteous vengeance, furious anger and fucking expensive lawyers for how they've conducted themselves.

They've made it so personal between the clubs now and have gone way beyond how most clubs would raise an issue for resolution. 

I hope we sue the fucking shit out of them

I think they've tried for years to create rivalries with Sunderland and Newscastle, but have been laughed away

This is their one chance to have a rivalry with someone, somewhere 

[RedArmy]

4 minutes ago, Toadhall Saint said:

KC’s hold integrity in high regard it’s right up there with the truth and committing perjury 

I am amazed that their lawyers have allowed them to post that. 
 

I was actually getting a bit concerned about how things were moving the last couple of days and that they were being allowed to completely influence this using the media. 
 

For me, they have just fucked it all up for themselves and I have no doubt now that we are playing in that final.

[Whitey Grandad]

2 minutes ago, Midfield_General said:

Whatever happens to us, once the dust has settled on this I really, really hope we come back at them and rain down with the full force of righteous vengeance, furious anger and fucking expensive lawyers for how they've conducted themselves.

They've made it so personal between the clubs now and have gone way beyond how most clubs would raise an issue for resolution. 

I hope we sue the fucking shit out of them

Their behaviour certainly isn't 'Utmost good faith'

[Sheaf Saint]

2 minutes ago, Midfield_General said:

I hope we sue the fucking shit out of them

Think I'd probably prefer a cash payout myself.

[whelk]

2 minutes ago, Midfield_General said:

Whatever happens to us, once the dust has settled on this I really, really hope we come back at them and rain down with the full force of righteous vengeance, furious anger and fucking expensive lawyers for how they've conducted themselves.

They've made it so personal between the clubs now and have gone way beyond how most clubs would raise an issue for resolution. 

I hope we sue the fucking shit out of them

If I was a leader of a prison gang I would ensure any inmate with any links to Boro got the hiding of their lives

[Barry the Badger]

1 minute ago, sockeye said:

I feel for Mr. Salt the most through all of this

Agree with that. IF the club did send him and he was just doing what he was asked, I really hope they don't hang him out to dry.

[sadoldgit]

1 minute ago, sockeye said:

I feel for Mr. Salt the most through all of this

Don’t worry. I expect he will take it with a pinch of salt.

😉

[DH93]

2 minutes ago, Midfield_General said:

Whatever happens to us, once the dust has settled on this I really, really hope we come back at them and rain down with the full force of righteous vengeance, furious anger and fucking expensive lawyers for how they've conducted themselves.

They've made it so personal between the clubs now and have gone way beyond how most clubs would raise an issue for resolution. 

I hope we sue the fucking shit out of them

100% - Them trying to act as if this constant background noise they have been feeding to the media over the last 8 days has not affected us in the slightest makes me laugh.

[Whitey Grandad]

1 minute ago, RedArmy said:

I am amazed that their lawyers have allowed them to post that. 
 

I was actually getting a bit concerned about how things were moving the last couple of days and that they were being allowed to completely influence this using the media. 
 

For me, they have just fucked it all up for themselves and I have no doubt now that we are playing in that final.

Indeed. What on earth was the motive for it?

[CanadaSaint]

The twisted knickers suggest that they were relying heavily on being able to introduce 'evidence' that we have done this on multiple occasions. The committee will not be hearing that evidence. And, even if they were, they would want proof that it crossed the line from legal scouting into into spying.

The most relevant past behaviour is Gibson's - trying to exploit a rule infraction for personal financial gain.

[Midfield_General]

2 minutes ago, whelk said:

If I was a leader of a prison gang I would ensure any inmate with any links to Boro got the hiding of their lives

You'd be like the new Bea Smith from Prisoner Cell Block H

[Toadhall Saint]

Made it to the BBC now

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/articles/cwy2dg2w168o

[Stripey McStripe Shirt]

2 minutes ago, Whitey Grandad said:

Indeed. What on earth was the motive for it?

Gibbo's time of the month?

[hypochondriac]

It smacks of "We can't be directly involved in the case? Fine then we will release a public statement and attempt to influence things from the outside." Southampton have done wrong no doubt but since this happened, Middlesbrough have conducted themselves terribly. 

[SNSUN]

5 minutes ago, Midfield_General said:

Whatever happens to us, once the dust has settled on this I really, really hope we come back at them and rain down with the full force of righteous vengeance, furious anger and fucking expensive lawyers for how they've conducted themselves.

They've made it so personal between the clubs now and have gone way beyond how most clubs would raise an issue for resolution. 

I hope we sue the fucking shit out of them, and that Dragan goes after Gibson personally. I know who I'm backing in a scrap between a Serb who's happy to go toe-to-toe with Putin, and some compo faced little cunt from Middlesbrough who looks like Jeannette Krankie without the charisma

This will be generational mutual hatred for two teams that probably never gave much of a toss about each other before. Grandchildren of both clubs will be using their hologram avatars to fight each other and throwing faeces at their spacesuits and hover cars.

[Willo of Whiteley]

23 minutes ago, coalman said:

LOL

https://www.mfc.co.uk/news/2026/may/15/club-statement-/

Middlesbrough FC notes the decision of the Disciplinary Commission not to permit the club to intervene in the proceedings brought by the EFL against Southampton FC.

The club regrets that outcome, given we are directly affected by the matters under consideration and hold relevant factual evidence as to the events in question and their competitive impact.

The conduct at issue, namely the observation and recording of our training session ahead of a fixture of such significance, goes to the heart of sporting integrity and fair competition. In these circumstances, the only appropriate response is a sporting sanction which would prevent Southampton FC from participating in the EFL Championship play-off final.

We remain hopeful that the EFL, as regulator, will pursue such a sanction before the Disciplinary Commission in order to protect the integrity of the game, safeguard all member clubs, and deter any attempt in the future to obtain an unfair and unlawful advantage in pursuit of promotion to the Premier League.

This is desperate stuff. 
The whole point in an independent panel is that they deal with facts, not feelings.

This screams of a Boro tantrum going “WE LOST BUT LET US IN”. 

Steve Gibson is now questionable in his and their integrity in the game.

Let the panel do its job. Not try and influence it. That’s exactly what he is trying to do.

[SNSUN]

5 minutes ago, sadoldgit said:

Whilst it is poor form to send someone to look at training against EFL rules, I would suggest that it is even poorer form to demand that a team that have beaten you over two games fair and square on the pitch, get thrown out of the competition. Apart from the pathetic desperation, where is the precedent for such a relatively minor indiscretion? The hearing hasn’t even taken place yet so this is clearly an attempt to influence the outcome. Several steps on from “poor form” I would suggest. 

This is the issue the Boro fans have - that we did not beat them fair and square because we had an advantage having watched approximately 15 minutes of their kickabout 2 days before the first semi final leg where they battered the shit out of us for most of the game without scoring. 

The facts are we won, because over 210+ minutes of football, we were the better side, and would have been had no spies ever been involved.

[Thripp87]

Honestly this is getting pathetic now, I’d genuinely be embarrassed if I was a Boro fan with these pleas and begging to be reinstated.

Were obv going to the final, but in the incredibly unlikely scenario we are thrown out, Hull go up directly.

The small solace from losing to Hull will be playing these fucking morons next season and giving them another beating. 

[sockeye]

5 minutes ago, sadoldgit said:

Don’t worry. I expect he will take it with a pinch of salt.

😉

Of course - no matter what happens to him now he’ll still be less Salty than Gibson.

[Willo of Whiteley]

1 minute ago, hypochondriac said:

It smacks of "We can't be directly involved in the case? Fine then we will release a public statement and attempt to influence things from the outside." Southampton have done wrong no doubt but since this happened, Middlesbrough have conducted themselves terribly. 

I would say fine. Southampton don’t deserve to be in the final.

But neither do Middlesbrough then, because you lost over 210 minutes of football fair and square.

Riles up the media on their side.

Players on their side.

Fans on their side.

And still lost.

There is no integrity from that lot now.

I hope we have a panel of lawyers waiting to let rip back at them for after this comes to a close.

[Midfield_General]

3 minutes ago, Whitey Grandad said:

Indeed. What on earth was the motive for it?

One last roll of the dice and attempt to sway the court of public opinion (brought to you by Talksport and the Middlesbrough Gazette) because they've tried everything else and are realising that the panel aren't having their bullshit and it's not going to go their way. 

[MB]

There is a precedent to a point which should be a worry

Swindon fielded ineligible players in the EFL trophy earlier this year, the independent committee threw them out and gave a bye to Luton

this is a clearly very different but they have previous form 

[beatlesaint]

“The club regrets that outcome, given we are directly affected by the matters under consideration and hold relevant factual evidence as to the events inquestion and their competitive impact.”

The main competitive impact was that despite having 17 chances to put the tie to bed in the first half they couldn’t fkin score !!!!!

Thats your competitive impact right there you fkin morons !!!!!

Edited Friday at 14:53 by beatlesaint

[Midfield_General]

2 minutes ago, Willo of Whiteley said:

This is desperate stuff. 
The whole point in an independent panel is that they deal with facts, not feelings.

This screams of a Boro tantrum going “WE LOST BUT LET US IN”. 

Steve Gibson is now questionable in his and their integrity in the game.

Let the panel do its job. Not try and influence it. That’s exactly what he is trying to do.

Not to get political, but it's some Trumpian shit - waaah waaah waaaah I should be allowed to do whatever I like and everyone should be forced to let me 

[sadoldgit]

3 minutes ago, Toadhall Saint said:

Made it to the BBC now

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/articles/cwy2dg2w168o

If the boot was on the other foot and this statement was made from our club about them, I would be ashamed of them. If we are found to have broken the rules then there should be consequences, but they have to be proportional.

[Pamplemousse]

11 minutes ago, James G said:

I think they've tried for years to create rivalries with Sunderland and Newscastle, but have been laughed away

This is their one chance to have a rivalry with someone, somewhere 

It's worked, I fucking hate them and will do so for a long time. Hope MLG adds the rivalry for the next FM Database...

Edited Friday at 14:53 by Pamplemousse

[skintsaint]

1 minute ago, MB said:

There is a precedent to a point which should be a worry

Swindon fielded ineligible players in the EFL trophy earlier this year, the independent committee threw them out and gave a bye to Luton

this is a clearly very different but they have previous form 

Swindon played a player who was banned, and then replaced him later in the game with a bloke who wasn't even down on the teamsheet! Amazing stuff

[Whitey Grandad]

2 minutes ago, beatlesaint said:

“The club regrets that outcome, given we are directly affected by the matters under consideration and hold relevant factual evidence as to the events inquestion and their competitive impact.”

The main competitive aspect was that despite having 17 chances to put the tie to bed in the first half they couldn’t fkin score !!!!!

Thats your competitive impact right there you fkin morons !!!!!

But the outcome has not been decided yet.

[gecko]

Catching up on this thread is a full-time job - so many posts...

For all those who just want a summary of today: Boro are a bunch of bed wetters; nothing else of note has happened.

[Jimmy_D]

3 minutes ago, MB said:

There is a precedent to a point which should be a worry

Swindon fielded ineligible players in the EFL trophy earlier this year, the independent committee threw them out and gave a bye to Luton

this is a clearly very different but they have previous form 

There’s absolutely no precedent for changing the outcome of a match for any reason that doesn’t occur during the match in question.

[Midfield_General]

4 minutes ago, MB said:

There is a precedent to a point which should be a worry

Swindon fielded ineligible players in the EFL trophy earlier this year, the independent committee threw them out and gave a bye to Luton

this is a clearly very different but they have previous form 

Not really apples with apples is it - fielding ineligible players vs. standing in a bush on public land with an iphone

[Smirking_Saint]

4 minutes ago, MB said:

There is a precedent to a point which should be a worry

Swindon fielded ineligible players in the EFL trophy earlier this year, the independent committee threw them out and gave a bye to Luton

this is a clearly very different but they have previous form 

When we talk about precedents we need to evaluate like for like circumstances

Swindon fielding not one but two ineligible players doesn’t equate to watching a training session

The only two precedents there have been are Leeds and Canada women, and as such Id expect similar outcomes 

[sadoldgit]

4 minutes ago, MB said:

There is a precedent to a point which should be a worry

Swindon fielded ineligible players in the EFL trophy earlier this year, the independent committee threw them out and gave a bye to Luton

this is a clearly very different but they have previous form 

Very different offences though. You can’t just put players in the pitch who aren’t officially part of the club. It is a huge stretch to say that the relative offences are remotely comparable.

[Patrick Bateman]

37 minutes ago, RedArmy said:

https://www.mfc.co.uk/news/2026/may/15/club-statement-/

Silly drips. 

Yet again - TWENTY ONE shot attempts and 0 scored - https://www.espn.co.uk/football/match/_/gameId/401871354/southampton-middlesbrough - buy some players who can score. Train your team to have more match stamina. Bye.

 

[Thripp87]

Can someone with more brains and pull than me organise a huge tifo depicting Middlesbrough as a bunch of cry babies. I’d love to see our end unveil that at Wembley.

[Kenilworthy1959]

My worry is that the panel is not actually independent. Neil Bausor of Boro is on the EFL board. While he is not on the panel, his close working colleagues are.

[Strangely Brown]

At what point does trying unduly influence the outcome of an independent panel become an offence in its own right? 

 

[bolo]

1 minute ago, Strangely Brown said:

At what point does trying unduly influence the outcome of an independent panel become an offence in its own right? 

 

Behaving in good faith?

[Cuddles]

1 minute ago, Strangely Brown said:

At what point does trying unduly influence the outcome of an independent panel become an offence in its own right? 

 

About 40 minutes ago...

[DellBlockH]

You begin to see why Rob Edwards thought he'd be happier at a club facing almost certain relegation.

[coalman]

3 minutes ago, Strangely Brown said:

At what point does trying unduly influence the outcome of an independent panel become an offence in its own right? 

 

About 4 days ago?

[Midfield_General]

4 minutes ago, Kenilworthy1959 said:

My worry is that the panel is not actually independent. Neil Bausor of Boro is on the EFL board. While he is not on the panel, his close working colleagues are.

The panel are a completely different body, chaired by a KC

The whole point of having it done by them is that the EFL is full of conflicts of interest