Saints Expelled from Playoffs

tdmickey3 · 2026-05-21T18:43:56Z

I thought the sanctions were proposed by the independent commission but they were put forward by the EFL, the board that has a Middlesbrough director on it?

Stinks

trousers · 2026-05-21T18:45:07Z

2 hours ago, Window Cleaner said:

However the FA will be on our case, bringing the game into disrepute probably. Might even get some League 1 away days .

40 minutes ago, trousers said:

Why would the FA penalise us when they didn't penalise Bielsa / Leeds? As far as I'm aware, they don't have a new rule to play with, like the EFL did, ergo they should treat us the same? Also bearing in mind that Bielsa / Leeds had many more spying occasions to their name than we have (so far)...

11 minutes ago, Window Cleaner said:

Read the EFL spielge. At that time rule 127 did not exist.

That's an EFL rule. I'm talking about the FA here... A complety separate organisation with their own rule book. What FA rule(s) have changed, that cover this area, since they decided not to sanction Bielsa / Leeds for doing the same type of spying activities?

Edited 1 hour ago by trousers

Saint NL · 2026-05-21T18:45:17Z

Just now, tdmickey3 said:

I thought the sanctions were proposed by the independent commission but they were put forward by the EFL, the board that has a Middlesbrough director on it?

Stinks

I'm willing to bet that if we had played Hull in the playoffs then Millwall would be having legal issues right now 👀

BotleySaint · 2026-05-21T18:45:28Z

Just now, tdmickey3 said:

I thought the sanctions were proposed by the independent commission but they were put forward by the EFL, the board that has a Middlesbrough director on it?

Stinks

And one of the deciding independent judges is one of their ex-players.

This is just reinforcing my opinion the whole thing is a total stitch up by Middlesbrough.

Crab Lungs · 2026-05-21T18:45:35Z

1 minute ago, sfc4prem said:

The more I see of this, the more I think there is something to it, you know. Corruption is far worse than illegal scouting of opposition tactics.

That’s what I am alluding to in my post. We were tipped off about the security, remember the initial reports?

that part is barely mentioned now

Osvaldorama · 2026-05-21T18:45:41Z

Jesus Christ reading through the document it’s absolutely fucking ridiculous how stupid and amateur we are.

Fucking sack everyone. Absolutely pathetic.

We could still have avoided being kicked out, even after being caught, if it wasn’t for everyone involved at the club being as thick as two short planks.

Would be hilarious if it wasn’t so embarrassing

Badger · 2026-05-21T18:46:01Z

5 minutes ago, Harry_SFC said:

He is now. But used to be a footballer. David Winnie. Appears he only played 1 game for them. But still, doesn't seem right to me.

But no one saw fit to question or challenge it.

sfc4prem · 2026-05-21T18:46:17Z

1 minute ago, tdmickey3 said:

I thought the sanctions were proposed by the independent commission but they were put forward by the EFL, the board that has a Middlesbrough director on it?

Stinks

I wonder what Adam 'Villan' Blackmore would make of these trails of corruption and intrigue? Reckon he'd get off his high horse and do some investigative journalism? Nah, nae chance.

saintant · 2026-05-21T18:46:22Z

5 minutes ago, Crab Lungs said:

Would have had plenty more respect for Parsons just sticking the nut on Gibbo and telling him ‘we spy where we want’ than this charade of cuckery, bullshitting and nonsense.

The outcome would have been exactly the same other than parsons would have got to have lived every opposition fans dream.

Gibbo would have just whipped out Orville and pecked his head off.

benjii · 2026-05-21T18:46:45Z

"16.In relation to the OU Incident, the Respondent played OUFC on 26 December 2025 in an EFL Championship Fixture. The same individual was in the vicinity of OUFC’s training ground on 23 and 24 December 2025 and observed training sessions, sharing information
and footage with the Respondent.

17. MFC were made aware of this on 7 May 2026 and, subsequently, the Respondent disclosed the incident to the EFL and admitted the breaches of the Regulations. The Respondent lost the fixture 2-1. The EFL charged the Respondent in relation to the incident on 17 May 2026."

* * *

We're supposed to believe that on the same day Salt'n'shake turned up, Boro had evidence that he had been at Oxford already.

Clearly a stitch up.

Edited 1 hour ago by benjii

Gloucester Saint · 2026-05-21T18:47:41Z

6 minutes ago, Football Special said:

Middlesbrough's finger prints are all over this, from our ex analyst whistleblower to Director on EFL board and now a connection on the internal panel, corruption

Their conduct isn’t great, as Derby fans will tell you readily.

But Solak yet again has appointed senior people not up to purpose or even basic competence. His judgement is horrific whether football or non-football.

trousers · 2026-05-21T18:48:13Z

1 minute ago, BotleySaint said:

And one of the deciding independent judges is one of their ex-players.

This is just reinforcing my opinion the whole thing is a total stitch up by Middlesbrough.

Really? FFS... Gibson and co have played an absolute blinder here...

Stitch up indeed.

Ralph Fastenbüttl · 2026-05-21T18:48:21Z

How any of y'all can read that document come away thinking, "dear me, corruption is rife!" and not "fuck me, Saints are a fucking disgrace" is beyond me.

This mess is of our fucking making, not Boro's or anyone else's. The sad truth is that Tonda's regime was rotten at the core.

Morse · 2026-05-21T18:48:39Z

Parsons needs to go. Tonda was stupid, but Parsons is CEO and he should have dealt with the situation a lot, lot better from the off. Letting Middlesborough get a head of steam up in the press unoppossed, and influence the EFL unopposed and trying to appeass Gibson.

For the only time ever I wish we had little Nicolas Cortesse back as CEO, he would not have been played like Parsons and we would still be going to Wembley.

On another note we must talk about compensation for the fans: Season ticket renewals half price. 25/26 memberships, all 26/27 tickets half price.

The club should factor it in as another 'penalty'.

sfc4prem · 2026-05-21T18:48:52Z

2 minutes ago, Crab Lungs said:

That’s what I am alluding to in my post. We were tipped off about the security, remember the initial reports?

that part is barely mentioned now

I don't remember actually, remind me?

MB · 2026-05-21T18:49:01Z

Makes my fucking blood boil this

Waver thin defence, bulling internally from top down, an ex Boro player on the committee, complete shambles

fucking done with these bunch of cunts

westmidlandsaint · 2026-05-21T18:49:55Z

So the panel say the Leeds sanctions werent relevant but then go on to say they use a case from World Motorsport v Mclaren Mercedes F1 team in 2007 as an example of sporting sanctions WTF 🤔

S-Clarke · 2026-05-21T18:49:56Z

I'm sorry, but that release is so weak in many ways - from both ourselves, and the EFL. In terms of us, what a bunch of absolute prats we have defending this club.

We've been punished because we literally laid down to have our belly tickled. Had we had some balls and front we could have contested this, because there are certainly lots and lots of flimsy elements around Boro's and the EFL's approach here.

Our defence was non-existent, it was pathetic. The pile on from the EFL was equally pathetic, not even bothering to consider the Leeds incident doesn't scream fair to me, does it to anyone else?

Overall I think this shows us up as an amateur club, but we all knew that didn't we? We've been so, so stupid here. Heads will roll over this, they have to - because we have literally just let Boro tickle our tummy here, from both falling for a trap (I'm sure we were trapped into this) and then having the most weak attempt to defend I've ever seen.

I'd also end by saying Boro's games here have been equally deplorable too. An orchestrated effort all around the media to pressure the EFL into pushing for expulsion, to the point they even asked for it on their website. Sadly we had nothing about us to fight back. New leadership needed ASAP.

Edited 1 hour ago by S-Clarke

Hopper · 2026-05-21T18:50:08Z

7 minutes ago, Saint NL said:

Spors finger prints are all over it, but he's savvy enough to dump it all on Tonda imo.

We talk about Salt being young and eager to impress, but Tonda will be the same. Rather than rip up the whole org chart, find a fall guy and pin everything on them (Tonda).

Maybe I'm being naive but I'm not sure that Tonda would throw his own reputation and career away to protect Spors.

Turkish · 2026-05-21T18:50:22Z

40 minutes ago, AlexLaw76 said:

Fuck me, we spent 2 days spying on Oxford, including Xmas eve!!!

And still lost 😂

vectraman · 2026-05-21T18:50:42Z

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/articles/cdepxek43gyo

Tonda allegedly authorised to all…

trousers · 2026-05-21T18:51:28Z

2 minutes ago, sfc4prem said:

I wonder what Adam 'Villan' Blackmore would make of these trails of corruption and intrigue? Reckon he'd get off his high horse and do some investigative journalism? Nah, nae chance.

Indeed... It's not really "journalism" these days, just "reporting".... Regardless of our wrong doing, there's plenty of 'interesting' stories that could be investigated here, but you know that they won't...

AlexLaw76 · 2026-05-21T18:51:35Z

1 minute ago, S-Clarke said:

I'm sorry, but that release is so weak in many ways - from both ourselves, and the EFL. In terms of us, what a bunch of absolute prats we have defending this club.

We've been punished because we literally laid down to have our belly tickled. Had we had some balls and front we could have contested this, because there are certainly some flimsy things around Boro's and the EFL's approach.

Our defence was non-existent, it was pathetic. The pile on from the EFL was equally pathetic, not even bothering to consider the Leeds incident doesn't scream fair to me, does it to anyone else?

Overall I think this shows us up as an amateur club, but we all knew that didn't we? We've been so, so stupid here. Heads will roll over this, they have to - because we have literally just let Boro tickle our tummy here, from both falling for a trap (I'm sure we were trapped into this) and then having the most weak attempt to defend I've ever seen.

I'd also end by saying Boro's games here have been equally deplorable too. An orchestrated effort all around the media to pressure the EFL into pushing for expulsion, to the point they even asked for it on their website. Sadly we had nothing about us to fight back. New leadership needed ASAP.

remember when it was believed we stayed out of the press because we were ultra professional.

saintant · 2026-05-21T18:51:39Z

4 minutes ago, benjii said:

"16.In relation to the OU Incident, the Respondent played OUFC on 26 December 2025 in an EFL Championship Fixture. The same individual was in the vicinity of OUFC’s training ground on 23 and 24 December 2025 and observed training sessions, sharing information
and footage with the Respondent.

17. MFC were made aware of this on 7 May 2026 and, subsequently, the Respondent disclosed the incident to the EFL and admitted the breaches of the Regulations. The Respondent lost the fixture 2-1. The EFL charged the Respondent in relation to the incident on 17 May 2026."

* * *

We're supposed to believe that on the same day Still turned up, Boro had evidence that he had been at Oxford already.

Clearly a stitch up.

Assume you mean Salt but you make a good point.

benjii · 2026-05-21T18:51:44Z

3 minutes ago, Ralph Fastenbüttl said:

How any of y'all can read that document come away thinking, "dear me, corruption is rife!" and not "fuck me, Saints are a fucking disgrace" is beyond me.

This mess is of our fucking making, not Boro's or anyone else's. The sad truth is that Tonda's regime was rotten at the core.

It's both.

MB · 2026-05-21T18:51:51Z

Harvey Price would have presented a better defence than that. Absolutely ridiculous.

Gloucester Saint · 2026-05-21T18:52:39Z

Just now, Morse said:

Parsons needs to go. Tonda was stupid, but Parsons is CEO and he should have dealt with the situation a lot, lot better from the off. Letting Middlesborough get a head of steam up in the press unoppossed, and influence the EFL unopposed and trying to appeass Gibson.

For the only time ever I wish we had little Nicolas Cortesse back as CEO, he would not have been played like Parsons and we would still be going to Wembley.

On another note we must talk about compensation for the fans: Season ticket renewals half price. 25/26 memberships, all 26/27 tickets half price.

The club should factor it in as another 'penalty'.

Yep, and fund the new manager right up to the last penny of what PSR allows.

If Solak is serious about making a go out of this shambles and regaining any respect, he needs to dig very deep in his pockets or sell up. He dodged responsibility when this came to light just like he always does.
Parsons has been pathetically naive and weak, but Dragan should have flown straight in having hatched a plan with the HR, Legal Directors and employed a top tier sports legal firm before Gibson even got up and running. That moronic conversation doesn’t even happen in the first leg.

S-Clarke · 2026-05-21T18:53:26Z

1 minute ago, saintant said:

Assume you mean Salt but you make a good point.

There are so many holes in this, even a college defence could have pulled this apart. WTF have we been doing?

benjii · 2026-05-21T18:53:29Z

1 minute ago, saintant said:

Assume you mean Salt but you make a good point.

Yes, sorry!

Pengi · 2026-05-21T18:53:53Z

Southampton's Eckert authorised spying, panel says

IMAGE SOURCE, GETTY IMAGES Image caption,

Eckert admitted authorising the spying on rival teams

Published

1 hour ago

Southampton's spying on rival clubs was authorised by head coach Tonda Eckert and was a "contrived and determined plan from the top down to gain a competitive advantage", an independent disciplinary panel says.

The panel also criticised the club's "deplorable approach in its use of junior members of staff" to "conduct the clandestine observation".

Saints were expelled from the Championship play-offs after admitting observing opponents' training sessions and have been deducted four points in the Championship next season.

Written reasons explaining the panel's finding have now been published by the English Football League.

Eckert "accepted that he had specifically authorised the observations", which had "seriously violated" the integrity of the competition, the panel said when explaining why it had applied such a serious sanction.

In addition to the expulsion and point penalty punishments, a reprimand was also imposed on Southampton.

This was not just because other teams had been spied on, but "because of the way in which junior members of staff were put under pressure to carry out activities which they felt were morally wrong", the panel stated.

The whole matter only arose after a junior member of staff was spotted secretly watching Middlesbrough at their training ground.

Spygate: Who is Tonda Eckert and can he keep his job?
- Published
  
  15 minutes ago

Southampton admitted spying on three rivals' training sessions – Oxford United and Ipswich Town earlier in the season, and then Middlesbrough before the first leg of the play-off semi-finals.

Their expulsion from the play-offs meant Middlesbrough - who they beat in the semi-final – were reinstated. They will meet Hull City in Saturday's final, for a place in the Premier League.

Southampton were unsuccessful in an appeal against the decision.

In the club's initial response to the EFL, Southampton said the conduct was not part of the culture at St Mary's and that no video was captured, transmitted, shared or analysed. Southampton subsequently acknowledged this was inaccurate, said the panel, which stated the reality was that "the opposite was the case".

'A contrived and determined plan'

The first determination is perhaps the most damning. It indicated a pattern of behaviour.

The independent disciplinary commission said: "We have concluded that there was, on the part of the respondent [Southampton], a contrived and determined plan from the top down to gain a competitive advantage in competitions of real significance by deliberate attendance at opposition training grounds for the purpose of obtaining tactical and selection information.

"It involved far more than innocent activity and a particularly deplorable approach in its use of junior members of staff to conduct the clandestine observations at the direction of senior personnel.

"There was transmission and internal dissemination and analysis of footage and observations."

Southampton made submissions which they said proved the information had not altered the team selection, nor had it resulted in sporting advantage, shown by the poor first-half performance at Middlesbrough. This was rejected.

Eckert 'specifically authorised' the spying

The most damning section for the Southampton head coach was in the second determination of the judgement.

This said the German not only knew about the spying, but also had given his blessing.

Eckert was shown to have approved spying on Oxford to discover their formation after they had just changed manager.

In the case of Middlesbrough, he wanted to find out about the availability of a certain player - presumably Hayden Hackney, who had been out injured for several weeks.

The commission said: "Mr Eckert accepted that he had specifically authorised the observations to obtain information about formation (in the Oxford incident) and about the availability of a key player (in the Middlesbrough incident).

"Such information could only be sought in order to factor it into strategy, [and] whether the information confirms a strategy, is disregarded as unreliable or leads to a change of strategy does not, in our view alter the wrong which is committed when such information is sought.

"It is inherent in having information which your opponent would wish to keep private that you have a sporting advantage."

Crab Lungs · 2026-05-21T19:12:40Z

10 minutes ago, sfc4prem said:

Ahah.

And all this talk of a ‘whistleblower.

That’s who it was. The Boro and Saints ex employee tipped us off.

We were set up somewhat, but we walked right into this mess. Then made a complete cock up of our defence.

the person who broke that story is a journo in the north east, so it’s not an X rumour.

Edited 59 minutes ago by Crab Lungs

Turkish · 2026-05-21T19:12:44Z

20 minutes ago, AlexLaw76 said:

remember when it was believed we stayed out of the press because we were ultra professional.

i was one of those, i thought it was because we had some ace up our sleeve and weren't speaking out because it was all a load of bollocks and we could prove it. How wrong i was.

Turkish · 2026-05-21T19:13:11Z

1 minute ago, Harry_SFC said:

I literally cannot fathom how we have been so fucking stupid. Honestly we have seriously fucked ourselves over. Sack the club.

So he was set up then.

trousers · 2026-05-21T19:13:44Z

Saints Expelled from Playoffs

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Southampton's Eckert authorised spying, panel says

'A contrived and determined plan'

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