Saints Expelled from Playoffs

[Whitey Grandad]

1 minute ago, Sheaf Saint said:

You honestly think those are the only three teams we spied on?

Or that we were the only team doing it?

[S-Clarke]

2 minutes ago, Lighthouse said:

You think this club can’t possibly sink any lower. You watch us last season, signing mid table Championship players to play in the PL, finish on 12 points and think, "surely we can’t get any more pathetic than this."

 

Then we go and do something like this. Now we’re not even honest in our incompetence. The bloke was f**king standing there next to a tree, videoing a training session for a game which was worth £100m. What on earth did the people who authorised think was going to happen?! Boro just wouldn’t notice him there and we’d get away with it?

 

A lot of people need sacking for this, probably Tonda included. It’s inexcusable. How much of an absolute tw*t does THB look now, with his binoculars celebration, gloating about being caught cheating.

I actually feel sorry for THB, he was probably on the side of us fans - totally unaware of what had been going on in the true detail, just thought it was a bit of a misdemeanour at Boro. And now he will have this hanging over his career for ever.

The punishment is clearly too severe, but there's nothing we can do about it. The club put us in this place, and we'll forever be known for this - this won't shake off after a summer or 3, it will take decades to re-establish ourselves as a genuine serious football club now. Maybe the outside world can appreciate how incompetent our owners are now.

[sadoldgit]

17 minutes ago, stfrancisofbenali said:

Genuine question, would you prefer me not to share future info with fellow fans on this forum if I have it? Seems like you get upset if you don’t like the facts. 

Fair play to you, you got it right and I got it wrong. I’m not a betting man but would have splashed out a whole fiver on us not getting kicked out this late in proceedings. I guess the other breaches against Ipswich and Oxford didn’t help  but given the little information we can get from watching a bit of training against the hours of video we can look at, why bother. If the other outings were as amateurish as the Middlesbrough outing we have lost a great deal for not much gain. The rule is dumb. Do it at 73 hours and it is fine. Do it an hour later or more and face one of the biggest hits in world football! Really? The rule is so dumb that not even the EPL, the home of serial cheaters, doesn’t bother with it.

I’m not sure what is more sickening, the punishment or Gibbo getting another bite of the cheery after bottling it in the league and losing the semi over two legs. His heavy duty lobbying has paid off handsomely.

I guess we might get the four points back in appeal but having gone nuclear I can’t see that being overturned. This will long be remembered as the most disproportionate fine ever.

I’m not sure what the club can say to placate us, but if it is true that everybody does it and we have just been poor enough at it to get court, what can you say?

Any way, again I am prepared to eat humble pie and apologise to everyone to whom I said was talking rubbish about expulsion.

I still can’t actually believe it.

WTF?

[sfc4prem]

Pissed off that theyve besmirched our club and this season. The lot of them need to go. Sports Republic any any other fuckers that were in on it. It wasn't just a bellend with an iPhone. My daughter's day out at Wembley taken away. Needs a proper gutting, our club. Root and fucking stem.

[Football Special]

6 minutes ago, Sheaf Saint said:

At best we'll get next season's points deduction reduced. That's about the best we can hope for I reckon.

https://www.theguardian.com/football/2019/jan/16/marcelo-bielsa-leeds-spied-every-opponent

[tdmickey3]

Ridiculous thing to do by the club, utterly stupid

Ridiculously heavy punishment handed out, far exceeding the crime

[skintsaint]

[Lee On Solent Saint]

Am stunned. Ok, so its questionable if the punishment is over the top, but what the fuck was the club thinking? I could maybe get over it if was a one off, but for us to do it three times and probably more is just a kick in the balls. This whole season has been a complete waste of time and effort, I've wasted money supporting this club for nothing. Think the club has way under estimated this, and will more than likely lose a lot of fans because of it. 

[bolo]

Spying at 73 hours is fine....

Spying at 71 hours is writing off your whole season... How does that make any sense.....

[saints1988]

1 minute ago, Whitey Grandad said:

Or that we were the only team doing it?

This…..we have just been caught and have been made an example off.

And the thing that stinks is the example is way over the top and opens up a whole can of worms.

There should be something in place to say that if you are found to be guilty of breaking rules then this is the punishment 

[Sarcoidevo]

Sorry but why would we freely admit to spying on Oxford & Ipswich if there is no concrete evidence .... have I missed something? .... was there a whistleblower? .... did Oxford & Ipswich know about it and complained and the League kept it under wraps? 

Something doesnt add up .... are we admitting it because to these ectra breaches because we know by owning up and thru appeal we will get a lesser punishment? .... have we cut a deal in order to set a precedent? .... so its now clear for clubs in the future what to expect? 

Its a crazy punishment for an intern standing in a public accessible space with a phone camera that probably filmed 5 mins of fck all 

I am not buying it just yet 

[Saint_clark]

10 minutes ago, trousers said:

Ladies and gentlemen, I give you our first "told you so" medal winner! Bravo Maggie, Bravo! 

Think you'll find I told you that I told you so before him 😉

[Turkish]

2 minutes ago, Lighthouse said:

You think this club can’t possibly sink any lower. You watch us last season, signing mid table Championship players to play in the PL, finish on 12 points and think, "surely we can’t get any more pathetic than this."

 

Then we go and do something like this. Now we’re not even honest in our incompetence. The bloke was f**king standing there next to a tree, videoing a training session for a game which was worth £100m. What on earth did the people who authorised think was going to happen?! Boro just wouldn’t notice him there and we’d get away with it?

 

A lot of people need sacking for this, probably Tonda included. It’s inexcusable. How much of an absolute tw*t does THB look now, with his binoculars celebration, gloating about being caught cheating.

Yep, we've had 9-0 losses humiliating relegations and lets be honest none of us wanted to believe this was true. We all though it was a bit of a joke, a kid by a tree on his phone, It would all blow over, we'd go to Wembley, win and try and stay up next year but just when you thought SRs ownership couldn't get any lower it does

Imagine being a player who'd worked your bollocks off for a manager you thought was a genius only to find out he'd duped you, why would you stick around?

We finally like we had a team we could love and it was all bollocks. Maybe the punishment was over the top, it feels like the harshest ever at the moment but the fact we even put overselves in position in the first place is whats shameful. 

[badgerx16]

OS still not carrying this.

[Gloucester Saint]

1 minute ago, scumbag said:

Same. Just had to explain to my son. I say 'explain', but I couldn't really. 

This is what gets me. I’ve not been to SMS for 9 years after being driven away by Pellegrino’s football and not wanting association with an owner who failed FAPP. So it should be said that living 100 miles away that I’ve not got much skin in the game.

But I think of my 15 year old self who would be distraught beyond measure. And all of you who have travelled far and wide for games like I used to in the 90s, 00s and 10s. 

The injustice is that Boro should never be re-instated, Hull get a bye. But my long-dwindling affection for SFC has just probably gone and certainly the city’s MPs should be saying on the quiet ‘Dragan, sell up mate, this is going to get ugly’.

The economic and reputationally impact for the city of my birth will be difficult too. Doesn’t help the council bidding for funds, universities, OS, major firms for contracts etc.

[Convict Colony]

7 minutes ago, Willo of Whiteley said:

TSP was a good listen just now.

Pretty much echos what we all think.

Club pretty spineless to still not put anything out.

Do you not think they are waiting for the appeal tomorow ?

[DrSuess1979]

1 minute ago, Turkish said:

Yep, we've had 9-0 losses humiliating relegations and lets be honest none of us wanted to believe this was true. We all though it was a bit of a joke, a kid by a tree on his phone, It would all blow over, we'd go to Wembley, win and try and stay up next year but just when you thought SRs ownership couldn't get any lower it does

Imagine being a player who'd worked your bollocks off for a manager you thought was a genius only to find out he'd duped you, why would you stick around?

We finally like we had a team we could love and it was all bollocks. Maybe the punishment was over the top, it feels like the harshest ever at the moment but the fact we even put overselves in position in the first place is whats shameful. 

This 

in a nut shell 

[Doctoroncall]

12 minutes ago, Stevejb said:

What does everyone think will happen with our appeal?

Get a couple of points back for next season perhaps. 
 

The trouble is there were multiple breaches. Maybe even more than the three reported for this IDC. 
 

Also need to see if the FA ban any staff. 

[Badger]

Ridiculous and unnecessary. More angry about our involvement in this episode rather than the punishment. 
 

Bunch of cunts.

[HedgeEnder]

3 minutes ago, st john moor said:

🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣😂😂😂😂🤣🤣🤣😂😂😂😂😂🤣🤣🤣😂😂😂😂🤣🤣😂😂🤣

 

Utfb. Stevie gibson. He's one of our own. Messed with the wrong guy fellas.

 

Feel sorry for the young saints fans that won't be there genuinely.. however.. the delusion from some (not all) on this board has been has been staggering. 

 

Enjoyed watching it all unfold. 😂😂😂

 

Cry me a river t.h.b and finn.. 🤣🤣🤣

Win or lose we don't care.  Southamptons hierarchy got what they deserve.

 

Is tonda restricted to 100 blinks a day 👀

Fuck off

[OnceaSaintalwaysaSaint]

The punishment needs to fit the crime. Leeds get £200k and we get potentially £200million + 4 points. Absolute nonsense. This is such a massive over reaction. Like Sheff Wed, Reading...we're an easy target.

I said last week, we needed to be more pro-active in public. Bully boys win in this world and we relied on the due process.

Tonda wanted to say something after the Middlesbrough game but was obviously told to keep quiet. Bet he wish he's said his piece now. Shame because I was actually starting to like him.

Having spent a mini fortune going around the country watching Saints this season, I wonder if I can claim compensation! 

 

[tdmickey3]

1 minute ago, Saint_clark said:

Think you'll find I told you that I told you so before him 😉

You are actually pleased you were right, what an utter prick you are

[O_Lord_Marian]

Questions are now, who sanctioned it, who applied it and how they can now fuck off from the club. Not exaggerating, but surely the end of the club. Leo, THB, Shea, Peretz, Jander will want out. Then, who will want to sign for this shambles. Catastrophic day for this football club. 

[Tanlee]

Fucking knew it was too good to be true,  shambles - brilliant - enevitable shambles returns. 

Fuck them all off 

[sfc4prem]

Just now, Turkish said:

Yep, we've had 9-0 losses humiliating relegations and lets be honest none of us wanted to believe this was true. We all though it was a bit of a joke, a kid by a tree on his phone, It would all blow over, we'd go to Wembley, win and try and stay up next year but just when you thought SRs ownership couldn't get any lower it does

Imagine being a player who'd worked your bollocks off for a manager you thought was a genius only to find out he'd duped you, why would you stick around?

We finally like we had a team we could love and it was all bollocks. Maybe the punishment was over the top, it feels like the harshest ever at the moment but the fact we even put overselves in position in the first place is whats shameful. 

Exactly that. They knew the (vague and a strangely infer-spying-is-ok-outside-72-hours) rules and did it anyway. Embarrassing is the word. 

It just adds to the fucking stain that SR have put on our club over the years. 

[S-Clarke]

1 minute ago, Football Special said:

https://www.theguardian.com/football/2019/jan/16/marcelo-bielsa-leeds-spied-every-opponent

This is the precedent and why our sanctions feel so, so, so out of whack. What we've been hit with is the equivalent of match fixing or fielding ineligible players, it doesn't feel proportonate.

I appreciate that the rule wasn't in place when Leeds did it, but it's also not in place in the EPL. I just can't quite get my head around the severity of it, because this punishes the fans of all clubs more than it punishes the club.

I'm not downplaying what we've done, I said it above that I'm done with the fuckers - but the EFL are a bit incompetent here. They've allowed us to keep selling tickets up until this afternoon, knowing fans would be arranging travel and accommodation. They've now made this decision which means Boro now have to rush through and arrange accommodation and tickets themselves.

And a thought for Hull here too - they've spent the week preparing for us (not spying on us I'll add), but analysing our matches, planning for our shape etc. They've now got to rip up everything they've worked on to focus on Boro with just 2 full training days. The EFL have made an utter mess and it's the fans who suffer, not our incompetent owners.

I'm all for accepting punishment for this, but punish the club, punish the individuals. All this does is punish the fans.

[Miltonaggro]

Goodness me, what an absolute mess.  I think the position for most of us was that this was a one off, an aberration, but by the look of it it was systemic, planned and remarkably admitted to in the written submission to the hearing - hence the radio silence, culpability likely known from the outset.  You can only assume that by admitting to breaching the rules in three games we failed to win, the club were advised that they would likely be shown leniency.  Until the report is published or the club make a statement we are kept guessing on the facts.  Admission means that we are appealing against a disproportionate sanction tomorrow morning, and it is clearly disproportionate, though the best case there is that they might waive the four point deduction.  Likelihood is that litigation commences as soon as the appeal concludes including an injunction in terms of postponing the final but the linkage / admission means that there is diminished chance of success here.  Litigation between SFC and the EFL will rumble on for financial compensation but the supporters are unlikely to see any benefit from this. 

I feel gutted, genuinely sorry for fellow Saints fans, and the players that sweated to get us to Wembley.  Back to criminal law for me, I feel more comfortable in reading the people there.  

 

[Jack]

Agree with the lads on TSP mainly, time for Sport Republic to fuck off and break something else. Just when you think they’ve finally made a good decision with Tonda, or even a lucky one, they’ve dragged us back down further than we’ve been since before the Leibherr reprive. Such a shame for the fans and players, just as we felt we could start looking up. Cunts. 

[sotonjoe]

18 minutes ago, ChrisPY said:

Everyone sneaking into Staplewood tomorrow to get answers? 

Good plan

[sfc4prem]

Just now, Turkish said:

Yep, we've had 9-0 losses humiliating relegations and lets be honest none of us wanted to believe this was true. We all though it was a bit of a joke, a kid by a tree on his phone, It would all blow over, we'd go to Wembley, win and try and stay up next year but just when you thought SRs ownership couldn't get any lower it does

Imagine being a player who'd worked your bollocks off for a manager you thought was a genius only to find out he'd duped you, why would you stick around?

We finally like we had a team we could love and it was all bollocks. Maybe the punishment was over the top, it feels like the harshest ever at the moment but the fact we even put overselves in position in the first place is whats shameful. 

Exactly that. They knew the (vague and a strangely infer-spying-is-ok-outside-72-hours) rules and did it anyway. Embarrassing is the word. 

It just adds to the fucking stain that SR have put on our club over the years. 

[HedgeEnder]

3 minutes ago, st john moor said:

🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣😂😂😂😂🤣🤣🤣😂😂😂😂😂🤣🤣🤣😂😂😂😂🤣🤣😂😂🤣

 

Utfb. Stevie gibson. He's one of our own. Messed with the wrong guy fellas.

 

Feel sorry for the young saints fans that won't be there genuinely.. however.. the delusion from some (not all) on this board has been has been staggering. 

 

Enjoyed watching it all unfold. 😂😂😂

 

Cry me a river t.h.b and finn.. 🤣🤣🤣

Win or lose we don't care.  Southamptons hierarchy got what they deserve.

 

Is tonda restricted to 100 blinks a day 👀

Fuck off

[tdmickey3]

1 minute ago, Saint_clark said:

Think you'll find I told you that I told you so before him 😉

You are actually pleased you were right, what an utter prick you are

[skintsaint]

3 minutes ago, badgerx16 said:

OS still not carrying this.

Probably waiting for confirmation as EFL said the fixture could still change again.

 

[SotonianWill]

5 minutes ago, st john moor said:

🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣😂😂😂😂🤣🤣🤣😂😂😂😂😂🤣🤣🤣😂😂😂😂🤣🤣😂😂🤣

 

Utfb. Stevie gibson. He's one of our own. Messed with the wrong guy fellas.

 

Feel sorry for the young saints fans that won't be there genuinely.. however.. the delusion from some (not all) on this board has been has been staggering. 

 

Enjoyed watching it all unfold. 😂😂😂

 

Cry me a river t.h.b and finn.. 🤣🤣🤣

Win or lose we don't care.  Southamptons hierarchy got what they deserve.

 

Is tonda restricted to 100 blinks a day 👀

Fair enough. You did lose though.

[stknowle]

How thoroughly, thoroughly embarrassing this is. I’m not THAT bothered we don’t get to potentially have a crack at beating our own low points record next season (FWIW I don’t think we would beat it, although equally would expect us to probably not stay up). I fucking well AM THAT BOTHERED about now being damned by association with this wincingly embarrassing scandal.

[sotonjoe]

18 minutes ago, ChrisPY said:

Everyone sneaking into Staplewood tomorrow to get answers? 

Good plan

[Convict Colony]

7 minutes ago, Willo of Whiteley said:

TSP was a good listen just now.

Pretty much echos what we all think.

Club pretty spineless to still not put anything out.

Do you not think they are waiting for the appeal tomorow ?

[Jack]

Agree with the lads on TSP mainly, time for Sport Republic to fuck off and break something else. Just when you think they’ve finally made a good decision with Tonda, or even a lucky one, they’ve dragged us back down further than we’ve been since before the Leibherr reprive. Such a shame for the fans and players, just as we felt we could start looking up. Cunts. 

[sfc4prem]

Just now, Turkish said:

Yep, we've had 9-0 losses humiliating relegations and lets be honest none of us wanted to believe this was true. We all though it was a bit of a joke, a kid by a tree on his phone, It would all blow over, we'd go to Wembley, win and try and stay up next year but just when you thought SRs ownership couldn't get any lower it does

Imagine being a player who'd worked your bollocks off for a manager you thought was a genius only to find out he'd duped you, why would you stick around?

We finally like we had a team we could love and it was all bollocks. Maybe the punishment was over the top, it feels like the harshest ever at the moment but the fact we even put overselves in position in the first place is whats shameful. 

Exactly that. They knew the (vague and a strangely infer-spying-is-ok-outside-72-hours) rules and did it anyway. Embarrassing is the word. 

It just adds to the fucking stain that SR have put on our club over the years. 

[Number9]

This is the biggest sporting sanction in football history.  This will not wash over in a season or two and we'll forever be a trivia quiz question. We're infamous now.

All those involved in this mess must go immediately and I suspect our best players will be off too.

We'll be a shell of a club next season, struggle to attract any good players and will probably end up doing a Leicester.

Gutted. 

[obelisk]

Given that there are plenty of rumours that scouting opponents is rife it looks like Saints have been punished for being amateurishly caught out. The punishment is obviously designed to send a message and maybe its deserved for those running the club but not the fans. That team will now look very different next season. We can now look forward to a reputation as cheats while languishing in the lower reaches of the Championship. I feel sick.

 

[Bazzyfryer]

Last season was the utmost embarrassment but this takes the biscuit by far utterly embarrassing and shameful heads will roll

[saint francis]

Appeal the points deduction.  Sort out the absurdity that lead us here (pretty easily done I would think). Apologise to the supporters.  Invest further in the team to ensure a normal automatic promotion next season.  

[Pamplemousse]

3 minutes ago, Number9 said:

This is the biggest sporting sanction in football history.  This will not wash over in a season or two and we'll forever be a trivia quiz question. We're infamous now.

All those involved in this mess must go immediately and I suspect our best players will be off too.

We'll be a shell of a club next season, struggle to attract any good players and will probably end up doing a Leicester.

Gutted. 

We won't struggle to attract good players, we still have more resources than most teams and ultimately people only care about money.

[sadoldgit]

20 minutes ago, S-Clarke said:

I actually feel sorry for THB, he was probably on the side of us fans - totally unaware of what had been going on in the true detail, just thought it was a bit of a misdemeanour at Boro. And now he will have this hanging over his career for ever.

The punishment is clearly too severe, but there's nothing we can do about it. The club put us in this place, and we'll forever be known for this - this won't shake off after a summer or 3, it will take decades to re-establish ourselves as a genuine serious football club now. Maybe the outside world can appreciate how incompetent our owners are now.

It’s even worse for THB. He is getting married soon and his father in law will be Roy Keane!

Edited 2 hours ago by sadoldgit
Typo

[trousers]

@SaintlyAnd needs to get his friend to whistleblow to the EFL sharpish I reckon...

 

[SNSUN]

13 minutes ago, Turkish said:

Yep, we've had 9-0 losses humiliating relegations and lets be honest none of us wanted to believe this was true. We all though it was a bit of a joke, a kid by a tree on his phone, It would all blow over, we'd go to Wembley, win and try and stay up next year but just when you thought SRs ownership couldn't get any lower it does

Imagine being a player who'd worked your bollocks off for a manager you thought was a genius only to find out he'd duped you, why would you stick around?

We finally like we had a team we could love and it was all bollocks. Maybe the punishment was over the top, it feels like the harshest ever at the moment but the fact we even put overselves in position in the first place is whats shameful. 

Exactly this. It’s like dating the perfect woman for months that you proudly tell your mates about only to find out she’s a dirty, cheating whore who has been banging your mates behind your back.

But that’s enough of my history… 😝

[trousers]

[Gloucester Saint]

Just now, Pamplemousse said:

We won't struggle to attract good players, we still have more resources than most teams and ultimately people only care about money.

I agree, but it also shows what football and society today is like. 

[S-Clarke]

Just now, saint francis said:

Appeal the points deduction.  Sort out the absurdity that lead us here (pretty easily done I would think). Apologise to the supporters.  Invest further in the team to ensure a normal automatic promotion next season.  

They'll sell off anyone worth a dollar, cash the money, we'll end up with noddies and struggle in the league. I don't trust anything SR do, they need to go yesterday.

We aren't recovering from this any time soon with SR at the helm. This is catastrophic for the entire club. We need a sale, new owners and a new identity because we've been trashed here.