Saints Expelled from Playoffs

[BotleySaint]

You'd have thought the club would be working overnight on a statement to release first thing today and at least update the club website.

Even take the site down and put up a holding statement for now.

[sadoldgit]

5 minutes ago, madge said:

Every coach just have knew what was happening, sports director must have been complicit in this and not one person thought to check the rules. It’s morally wrong and not even to consult on the morality of this stinks.

Ive had to explain all this to my son. I said to him last night that after this if he chose to support someone else I couldn’t stop him, but he said he will always be a saints supporter but he’s upset by all this and knowing his favourite players will gone this summer,  it’s tough to take.

As soon as our appeal fails, dragon solak needs to come out and rip SR out of this club immediately, along with the entire coaching set up. Any that’s complicit must go. Fans must be compensated to. Season tickets?? Semi final tickets?? They can’t ignore this. My worry is that we become a bang average championship side for the next 5-10 years. Absolutely gutted. 

If it is true that everybody is doing it and we know for a fact that it isn’t even an issue in the EPL, isn’t that a bit extreme? Our crime seems to be naivety.

[benjii]

1 hour ago, James said:

But that’s exactly how plea deal works. You admit a “lesser” charge in exchange for leniency in the sentencing.

That's also why it's arguably an afront to a fair process to have the possible sanction as "anything we decide".

How can you sensibly defend yourself from that level of arbitrariness.

Would we have been better admitting nothing, refusing to cooperate with accelerated timescales and threatening court action if we didn't get our way from the off? Probably. Strange sort of ruling that results in that.

Why would any club cooperate in the future?

[millsy]

Not excusing the actions of some of our coaching staff but this shows how Middlesbrough fail to protect their training sessions. A telescopic lens from the hotel would have had a better view than an intern with an iPhone.

 

[CanadaSaint]

2 minutes ago, benjii said:

And Wrexham.

I’ve just started ro get back into Welcome to Wrexham. Now I need to figure out how to play it in reverse.

[BotleySaint]

4 minutes ago, obelisk said:

The penalty of expulsion from the final is extreme and disproportionate but I don't see why that automatically allows the semi-final losers to step up rather than for Hull to just get a bye. Well I do really - it's all about money isn't it?

Exactly. Most of the football supporting mates ive spoken to feel Boro shouldn't get a free pass. Hull should simply be promoted.

But the EFL just want the game to go ahead for the revenue.

[trousers]

1 hour ago, SaintNate said:

Not fair on Millwall either.

Why do Boro deserve another bite when they were fucking shite in the two games played?

 

Ironically, if Millwall had lost to Middlesbrough in April, rather than beaten them, that points swing would mean that Millwall would now be in the final... 

[Osvaldorama]

21 minutes ago, do i not like fizzy pop said:

As it's sunk in somewhat and having had a pretty miserable nights sleep I've come to the conclusion that as much as I can't stand him, Gibson has played an absolute blinder in all this. You've got to grudgingly doff your cap to him.

 

He has used the media to turn a very minor infraction into a cheating scandal. 
 

and the clowns running our club let him do it. Fucking embarrassing. 
 

Our legal team is a complete joke 

[LegalEagle]

4 minutes ago, Saint_clark said:

There's been no breach of contract.

Negligence giving rise to a breach. I think the club have been negligent here.

[M271]

If we had won the playoff on Saturday the ruling is very harsh and over the top but if we had lost it’s actually quite light with no financial penalty. Why did we admit to the other 2 matches, did the efl have evidence for us to answer to?

However IMO the efl / ruling panel has been overly severe in their punishment for the crime committed. If the appeal today, with different panel members, is focused on the punishment I am still naively optimistic that our expelling from the playoff will be reversed, but pessimisticly we’ll probably go on to lose in the match on Saturday anyway.

[ChristopheVAFC]

Hello everyone, in the wake of the EFL’s harsh decision, I must admit I didn’t sleep well and have been thinking a lot about this whole situation...

I know the SR board will try to defend themselves today during the appeal, but I have a lot of questions about the benefits and risks of this sort of practice...

Ultimately, even though the EFL’s decision isn’t final, the club has lost a great deal in just a few hours because of this.

- You, the supporters, are angry and disappointed

- This story is making headlines all over the world

- The players, who weren’t aware of it, are very angry

- The club will almost certainly lose a lot of money

I think the players could easily have won both matches against Boro fairly and squarely; on the pitch, we had the quality – did we not have faith in our players?

[Sheaf Saint]

15 minutes ago, Saint Billy said:

We got everything we deserved tbh. All this talk about borough using the media etc etc, we would have done the exact same thing if the ball was on the other foot. 

No statement from the club just typifies that saints fans are their cash cow and nothing else. 

This is another cluster fuck overseen by SR with total disregard to its fan base.

 

I think it's fair to say that we the fanbase would like the club to do the same, but it's obvious that those running the club are a bunch of naive, amateurish cretins who wouldnt have a clue how to play that game.

[Middlewordie]

23 minutes ago, Dr Who? said:

Yes we have done wrong and deserve punishment, but we have been thrown under the bus by the media and new media and continue to be so, and we are losing and feeling the full impact. 

The headline and the story do not match. It is just, well just if you read it! Everyone gunning for us. 

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/articles/c202gegv9qlo

No no no. Jo Tessem loves us and he nailed it. "We have rules and we need to follow them. We have been punished hard for not following very simple rules and maybe football needs to set these rules and punish hard to get people to follow them."

Saints 100% deserve to be called out on it, even if it's a tough listen.

[sockeye]

2 minutes ago, BotleySaint said:

Exactly. Most of the football supporting mates ive spoken to feel Boro shouldn't get a free pass. Hull should simply be promoted.

But the EFL just want the game to go ahead for the revenue.

And as many have mentioned already Boro have known who they were preparing for whilst Hull only did yesterday. So it’s more than a free pass, it’s giving them a blatant advantage 

[LGTL]

If you’re going to cheat, at least do it properly. Don’t send the fucking intern each time with his phone and wellies. We can’t even do that right. 

And then if you do get caught cheating, don’t go and fucking admit it to Steve Gibson. it beggars belief just how amateur we are, even when we think we’re being oh so clever. And even when that all goes wrong, at least throw wedges of cash at it and hire the best possible lawyers, rather than Paris Smith. 

It sums us up as a club, that we’re even shit at cheating. 

[die Mannyschaft]

Saints should be docked additional 2 points for not checking which teams are on EFL board, Norwich,  Preston and Middlesbrough.  And another 2 points for admitting breach on web site immediately due to Middlesbrough being on EFL board who will be the other party in the case. Saints are the most stupid football club in history of cheating. 

[Football Special]

35 minutes ago, Dr Who? said:

Yes we have done wrong and deserve punishment, but we have been thrown under the bus by the media and new media and continue to be so, and we are losing and feeling the full impact. 

The headline and the story do not match. It is just, well just if you read it! Everyone gunning for us. 

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/articles/c202gegv9qlo

I have no doubt that the "whistleblower" aka co-conspiritor with Gibson had been feeding them info about how stupid we are. Gibson seized on this opportunity to "catch us in the act" and working with the EFL board member knew exactly what to do and how to implement it to give their club the advantage and a backup route to Wembley. 

The PR war they engaged on was incredibly well coordinated I'll give them that, ensured in the court of public opinion that they were the helpless victims 

The whole thing stinks 

Makes me sick looking back spent over £160 going to Middlesborough away just for train and match ticket , what a monumental waste 

[LegalEagle]

1 minute ago, sockeye said:

And as many have mentioned already Boro have known who they were preparing for whilst Hull only did yesterday. So it’s more than a free pass, it’s giving them a blatant advantage 

And if Boro win on Saturday do Hull sue the EFL?

[Katalinic]

1 minute ago, Osvaldorama said:

 

He has used the media to turn a very minor infraction into a cheating scandal. 
 

and the clowns running our club let him do it. Fucking embarrassing. 
 

Our legal team is a complete joke 

That and the fact that under the rules we have systemically cheated.  

[hypochondriac]

At least we can hate sports republic again. If I bother with next season then lots of protests please.

[badgerx16]

1) Being excluded frm a match we could have lost is not "one of the harshest penalties ever".......

Major Match-Fixing & Corruption

• Juventus (2006): Following the Calciopoli match-fixing scandal, Juventus were stripped of two Serie A titles, relegated to Serie B, and initially hit with a massive 30-point deduction (later reduced to 9 points).
• AC Milan, Lazio, Fiorentina (2006): Also implicated in Calciopoli, these clubs avoided relegation but began the following Serie A season with severe point deductions (e.g., Milan with -8 points, Fiorentina with -15).
• Marseille (1993): Stripped of their 1992-93 French league title and relegated to Ligue 2 after their president was involved in a domestic match-fixing and bribery scandal. [1, 2, 3]

Financial Implosions & Administration

• Rangers (2012): Due to mounting debts and financial mismanagement, the Scottish giants entered liquidation. Their corporate entity was forced to restart in the Scottish Fourth Tier (Third Division), forcing a long climb back to the top flight.
• Luton Town (2008): Handed an unprecedented 30-point deduction in English League Two due to financial irregularities and entering administration, making an immediate relegation inevitable.
• Derby County (2021): Docked a combined 21 points in the Championship (12 for entering administration, 9 for financial breaches) under manager Wayne Rooney, which ultimately sealed their relegation.
• Lyon (2025): Officially relegated from Ligue 1 down to Ligue 2 by France's football financial watchdog (DNCG) due to massive, unsustainable club debts. [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]

Financial Fair Play (FFP) and PSR Breaches

• Paris Saint-Germain (2022): Handed a massive €65 million fine by UEFA for failing to meet break-even financial requirements.
• Chelsea (2025): Fined €31 million by UEFA for breaches of squad cost rules and accounting violations during the Roman Abramovich era. The club previously received a record-setting £10.75m fine and a transfer ban from the Premier League in 2026 for secret agent payments.
• Everton (2023): Deducted 10 points initially for a breach of the Premier League's Profitability and Sustainability Rules (PSR)—the largest points penalty in Premier League history. [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6]

2 ) I can cope with this situation.......

 

 

 

 

however if Bazunu is our #1 keeper next season, I'm through with this club.

[sockeye]

Just now, LGTL said:

 

If you’re going to cheat, at least do it properly.

 

I don’t even care that we spied, it’s nothing compared to the bias and cheating that happens on the pitch. but the fact we were caught in such an amateurish way and then followed up with Parsons antics with Gibson is absolutely infuriating. This moronic ownership and board have believed since day 1 they’re too smart for everyone else in every way

[Stripey McStripe Shirt]

8 minutes ago, BotleySaint said:

You'd have thought the club would be working overnight on a statement to release first thing today and at least update the club website.

Even take the site down and put up a holding statement for now.

Surely you've realised we're incompetent by now?

[Kenilworthy1959]

While I don't condone the spying I still don't really understand what influence it had on how we played. What I saw from January onwards was just good players playing really well. The only thing I can think of is that in some games we took the unusual choice of leaving two players up when defending corners.

[sadoldgit]

3 minutes ago, Middlewordie said:

No no no. Jo Tessem loves us and he nailed it. "We have rules and we need to follow them. We have been punished hard for not following very simple rules and maybe football needs to set these rules and punish hard to get people to follow them."

Saints 100% deserve to be called out on it, even if it's a tough listen.

Which is absolutely fine if it applies to every club, including the likes of Manchester City and Chelsea.

[Tom & Gerry]

Tonda reported as not knowing the rules. Why the f**ck didn't someone at the club tell him?

[Sheaf Saint]

8 minutes ago, BotleySaint said:

You'd have thought the club would be working overnight on a statement to release first thing today and at least update the club website.

Even take the site down and put up a holding statement for now.

Tye fact that the news page is STILL showing that tickets for the final are available to members is just a massive fuck you to evey single fan.

I can only imagine that the media team have downed tools in protest or something.

[trousers]

1 hour ago, Farmer Saint said:

I'm interested with the legal recourse if our appeal fails. 

Essentially the 14 day response being wiped out is not due legal process, and this could allow a civil suit to be lodged against the EFL.

 

1 hour ago, Saint_clark said:

I'm convinced we'd win a civil court case with the way this has all transpired, but that process would probably take years. 

 

1 hour ago, Weston Super Saint said:

It states in the T's & C's (rules) that the timeline can be altered whenever it's deemed it needs to be.

We signed up to that, so would not win a civil case based on that.

Unfair Contracts Terms Act...?

https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1977/50

If only we had a top notch lawyer...

Edited 2 hours ago by trousers

[hypochondriac]

One thing you can say is no one is going to do this again. From the EFL's point of view that's mission accomplished.

[James]

1 minute ago, sadoldgit said:

Which is absolutely fine if it applies to every club, including the likes of Manchester City and Chelsea.

This is precisely the frustration but there’s no point in dwelling on it. Football is corrupt and there is always going to be one rule for the big boys and another for smaller clubs that can be made an example of more easily.

[OnceaSaintalwaysaSaint]

1 minute ago, Osvaldorama said:

 

He has used the media to turn a very minor infraction into a cheating scandal. 
 

and the clowns running our club let him do it. Fucking embarrassing. 
 

Our legal team is a complete joke 

This is how I see it too. There's loads of videos to watch to see how the opposition sets up and their style of play. I don't believe for one minute that some secret master plans are worked out on the training ground three days prior to a game. It wouldn't surprise me if watching other clubs train is part and parcel of an analyst's job and yet it is being portrayed as the crime of the century.

My concern now is the club emulates Sheff Wed with all the best players leaving apart from one or two ultra loyals (Jack Stephens?). The players need to be brought on side very quickly and told that if they really want something to prove, then next season with us will be the best opportunity.

[Glasses]

I severely doubt we were the only ones spying last season. And I doubt it occuring under Tonda is the first time it's been done by Saints. Difference is we got caught doing it in the build-up to the richest game in football, and Steve Gibson is an "entrepreneur" who knows how to pull strings (and SR are a bunch of amateurs).

 

I dunno, I think we just need some perspective. 

 

Hope Middlesbrough get smashed to bits and relegated next season. 

[Divergent]

22 minutes ago, hypochondriac said:

It is never getting reversed but if it did does anyone want to go to wembley? I know I don't.

I feel exactly the same. Something broke in me as regards Saints last night and I’m not sure I’m ever going to feel the same about them again. 

[sadoldgit]

46 minutes ago, Dr Who? said:

It will all hinge on this ‘loophole’ we have suddenly allegedly found. Any loophole can bring any case down, but I’m not holding my breath. 

I’m guessing it is the 14 day thing which is just procedural and, although important, doesn’t exonerate us from breaking the EFL rules. At most I think it would just give us a stay of execution.

I think we will get the 4 points back on appeal but other than that, we are cooked.

How galling is it that Middlesbrough get beaten properly on the pitch over two games though and still get a chance to win promotion? What a joke the EFL is.

Edited 1 hour ago by sadoldgit

[Dank]

I'd be surprised if other clubs aren't spying (watching FFS). I think we should build a dossier of all the clubs doing this and request the EFL apply similar punishments, it could break the league. Interesting that neither Oxford nor Ipswich are in the championship next season. 

[Football Special]

1 minute ago, LGTL said:

If you’re going to cheat, at least do it properly. Don’t send the fucking intern each time with his phone and wellies. We can’t even do that right. 

And then if you do get caught cheating, don’t go and fucking admit it to Steve Gibson. it beggars belief just how amateur we are, even when we think we’re being oh so clever. And even when that all goes wrong, at least throw wedges of cash at it and hire the best possible lawyers, rather than Paris Smith. 

It sums us up as a club, that we’re even shit at cheating. 

Yes - wrapped up thinking we knew better but unbelievably amateur, like Carry On Spying 

[Saint_clark]

13 minutes ago, LegalEagle said:

Negligence giving rise to a breach. I think the club have been negligent here.

That would never get off the ground in a tribunal.

[Saint Scott]

Can somebody this explain to me? In what world should any club employee/director be on the EFL board!?

Surely this is a conflict of interest from a legal standpoint?

Edited 1 hour ago by Saint Scott
Typo

[LegalEagle]

2 minutes ago, Divergent said:

I feel exactly the same. Something broke in me as regards Saints last night and I’m not sure I’m ever going to feel the same about them again. 

You will. Once the cheats have been removed and SR are out of our club. 

[Kenilworthy1959]

What isn't clear to me - did the spying start when Tonda took over or was it already happening?

[Saint Scott]

29 minutes ago, hypochondriac said:

It is never getting reversed but if it did does anyone want to go to wembley? I know I don't.

I would go. Not to support the staff or the club, but the players!

[LegalEagle]

1 minute ago, Saint_clark said:

That would never get off the ground in a tribunal.

Not an employment tribunal but in a court I think that it’s a decent shout.

[SNSUN]

11 minutes ago, hypochondriac said:

At least we can hate sports republic again. If I bother with next season then lots of protests please.

I almost hate myself for this - I was never comfortable with SR running the club, whilst we were financially stable I often thought their decision making, particularly around transfers, was awful. Then we get to January and my opinion starts to change, that maybe we are starting to get somewhere, that maybe our future is bright. And now this. 

Get out SR.

[Stripey McStripe Shirt]

How many analysts work at the club?

If for instance there were half a dozen more, and all have experience from previous clubs, would be interesting to know how much they'd be willing to put their necks on the line to call it out (if it is indeed rife...). Obviously multiple wrongs, don't make a right. And wouldn't expect any analysts from other clubs to call it out at this time.

Anyway, that's my last thought on the matter. Got work today, and my train is just about to pass Wembley. Lucky me.

[Toadhall Saint]

11 minutes ago, Tom & Gerry said:

Tonda reported as not knowing the rules. Why the f**ck didn't someone at the club tell him?

Because we have no one in the position of regulation compliance currently?

[Football Special]

10 minutes ago, Sheaf Saint said:

Tye fact that the news page is STILL showing that tickets for the final are available to members is just a massive fuck you to evey single fan.

I can only imagine that the media team have downed tools in protest or something.

I think if I worked in media team or ticket office I'd be calling in sick today 

[Hamwic]

There's a lot on here about the severity of the club's punishment and comparisons with other club's misdemeanours. However, I've seen nothing about Saints breaking the 11th commandment; "thou shalt not get caught". I'm sure similar things happen across the football world; they just haven't been caught. 

[trousers]

1 hour ago, StrangelyBrown said:

Wishful thinking, but I can only hope saints have some evidence of others (hopefully Boro) doing it to us. That would then open an enormous can of worms that the EFL couldn't cope with.

They need to have a chat with @SaintlyAnd's mate! 

 

[for_heaven's_Saint]

3 minutes ago, Toadhall Saint said:

Because we have no one in the position of regulation compliance currently?

Either that or because it’s not true that Tonda didn’t know. 

[AlexLaw76]

4 minutes ago, Kenilworthy1959 said:

What isn't clear to me - did the spying start when Tonda took over or was it already happening?

first admitted offence was a about 3 weeks after he started ( think). Apparently, we put the iPhone away and did not repeat it for nearly 5 months...all whilst largely remaining unbeaten.

Ok then.