#Spygate

[Saint NL]

I just read someone claim that the Boro players were tired in both games because "they had to do extra training to learn the new secret tactics because of the spying"

 

I'm now convinced everyone in Middlesbrough got together to orchestrate a huge wind up and Ant and Dec will jump out of the Bargate shortly and shout Gotcha

[egg]

43 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.

They're a disgrace. 

The club, the manager, the fans, should be embarrassed trying to get promotion this way. 

 

[RedArmy]

2 minutes ago, coalman said:

About 4 days ago?

Longer than that. Will Salts name came out instantly. That wasnt just from a few eagle eyed boro fans finding his LinkedIn. 

Edited 1 hour ago by RedArmy

[SNSUN]

11 minutes ago, gecko said:

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.

It has been a slow work day.

But in essence - Boro fans have legit gone insane, Boro themselves are throwing tantrums, the hearing is today to which Boro are not invited, and Saints have started selling tickets and travel packages to STH.

[Jimmy_D]

1 minute ago, Saint NL said:

I just read someone claim that the Boro players were tired in both games because "they had to do extra training to learn the new secret tactics because of the spying"

 

I'm now convinced everyone in Middlesbrough got together to orchestrate a huge wind up and Ant and Dec will jump out of the Bargate shortly and shout Gotcha

And then they’ll take masks off and reveal that they’ve both been Noel Edmonds all along.

[beatlesaint]

Two things have boiled their piss even more today.

1. They have been refused permission to attend the hearing

2. They have seen tickets go on sale for the final.

[Colinjb]

Are 'Boro acting in good faith, requesting a punishment not befitting of the crime of a single kid on an iPhone, standing at a position on the training ground which would yield minimum benefit.

Had they been able to finish anything more substantial then their dinners in the first 45 minutes at the riverside this would have disappeared.

They are now just sore losers.

[Zorba]

1 hour ago, coalman said:

3-0 is the standard score if a game is forfeit as Boro would know after they didn't show up for a game in the EPL.

They didn’t show up for two second halves.. Does that count?

[Toadhall Saint]

They are literally moaning about a process they instigated and knew they would not be party too. Any and all evidence needed in regard to the rule breaking needed to be provided to the EFL in good time (which has passed). Perhaps if they had got all the evidence together instead of trying to manipulated public opinion they may have stood a better chance - bit of an own goal there (and no amount of observation can help with those).

[Smirking_Saint]

 

[macca155]

What the hell is that statement, ridiculous. 

The rest of the football world will just laugh at them.

They lost an (extended) game of football. Clearly no material advantage to Saints, whatever skulduggery we were involved in. They are losing all dignity doing this.

They've gone very high on my list now.

[pingpong]

I know someone else said this but couldn't see an answer.

Is it mandatory refunds if we get thrown out or if I buy a ticket, can I use it regardless?  I imagine that would cause issues with Boro and saints fans all being mixed together?

What do our ticket T and C's say?

 

[Saint_clark]

9 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.

My understanding is that "independent" means they aren't affiliated with the EFL at all and are instead a panel of legal experts examining the ruling and the events that are alleged to have occurred.

[CB Fry]

It's the letter equivalent of surrounding the referee waving imaginary red cards.

Which, wouldn't you know, is against the rules.

[richardc]

isnt it EFL rules that if a player tries to get the ref to give a card for a foul then thats an automatic card to that player - EFL should apply the same rules here and boot MFC out for trying to get us booted out 

[Toussaint]

32 minutes ago, James G said:

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

Or the Rectum faced Gibbo, throwing a massive paddy, I expect over his life he has become accustomed to getting exactly what he wants. 

[Matthew Le God]

28 minutes ago, Barry the Badger said:

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.

If that was the case he should have said 'no, Im not doing that'. If my boss told me to do something that shouldn't be done, I'd take it to his boss.

Edited 1 hour ago by Matthew Le God

[Saint_clark]

1 minute ago, Matthew Le God said:

If that was the case he should have said 'no, Im not doing that'. If my boss told me to do something that shouldn't be done, I'd take it to his boss.

Unless as an intern he wasn't aware of the 72 hour rule. 

Edited 1 hour ago by Saint_clark

[ChrisPY]

2 minutes ago, pingpong said:

I know someone else said this but couldn't see an answer.

Is it mandatory refunds if we get thrown out or if I buy a ticket, can I use it regardless?  I imagine that would cause issues with Boro and saints fans all being mixed together?

What do our ticket T and C's say?

 

I wouldn’t bother either way. Bazunu’s not eligible.

[coalman]

1 minute ago, Matthew Le God said:

If that was the case he should have said 'no, Im not doing that'. If my boss told me to do something that shouldn't be done, I'd take it to his boss.

The EFL is the only league with this rule. It's possible he simply didn't know the 72 hours rule.

[hypochondriac]

3 minutes ago, pingpong said:

I know someone else said this but couldn't see an answer.

Is it mandatory refunds if we get thrown out or if I buy a ticket, can I use it regardless?  I imagine that would cause issues with Boro and saints fans all being mixed together?

What do our ticket T and C's say?

 

If we get kicked out they won't be playing the final on the 23rd.

[Smirking_Saint]

1 minute ago, Matthew Le God said:

If that was the case he should have said 'no, Im not doing that'. If my boss told me to do something that shouldn't be done, I'd take it to his boss.

Tbh Id imagine it was an instruction from the lead analyst, and there will be some form of disconnect between him and Spoors or Tonda which will allow the club to have a level of deniability atleast from a legal sense

[Jimmy_D]

2 minutes ago, pingpong said:

I know someone else said this but couldn't see an answer.

Is it mandatory refunds if we get thrown out or if I buy a ticket, can I use it regardless?  I imagine that would cause issues with Boro and saints fans all being mixed together?

What do our ticket T and C's say?

 

No chance they’d be letting Saints fans in with Boro fans, it’d be all tickets automatically void and an automatic refund.

[stfrancisofbenali]

6 minutes ago, egg said:

They're a disgrace. 

The club, the manager, the fans, should be embarrassed trying to get promotion this way. 

 

I think we need to be careful about calling another club a disgrace until we know the extent and validity of the charges against us.

[coalman]

Just now, Smirking_Saint said:

Tbh Id imagine it was an instruction from the lead analyst, and there will be some form of disconnect between him and Spoors or Tonda which will allow the club to have a level of deniability atleast from a legal sense

Particularly if, as we've heard from a number of places, the analysts basically just go scout each other and it's business as usual.

[sfc4prem]

7 hours ago, Gloucester Saint said:

Quite. 

The anger towards SFC/the individual - I get.

The anger and pure volume of bile towards us, Tonda, THB = unnecessary and worse than anything I’ve ever seen. Saints v Pompey is bitter during the game, and at most 1-2 days before and after. But fundamentally most on both sides know its banter and there are reasonable limits. Like most local rivalries.

Because Middlesbrough don’t have a local rival who is bothered about them and their town is really suffering from Brexit, a lot of built up fury is coming our way which is crazy for a single incident which has happened in the sport before. Look at Leeds v Derby - a few chants, bit of verbals and died down. 

 

I walked past the Middlesbrough cordon outside St Mary's on Tuesday. I had two peeking through a gap in the material around the fence, screaming "cunt" and "you cheating bastard, you know what you are". I chuckled. The level of animosity is mind-boggling.

[Whitey Grandad]

4 minutes ago, richardc said:

isnt it EFL rules that if a player tries to get the ref to give a card for a foul then thats an automatic card to that player - EFL should apply the same rules here and boot MFC out for trying to get us booted out 

It's dissent. And treated as such. At least, it should be. 

[Saint_clark]

1 minute ago, Jimmy_D said:

No chance they’d be letting Saints fans in with Boro fans, it’d be all tickets automatically void and an automatic refund.

We all know this is the case, but the idea of there being no tickets for Boro fans and 35000 saints fans turning up to cheer on Hull is pretty hilarious.

[sadoldgit]

I’d say trying to influence a panel whose job it is to be impartial is pretty disgraceful no matter what we have or haven’t done.

[Plastic]

5 minutes ago, pingpong said:

I know someone else said this but couldn't see an answer.

Is it mandatory refunds if we get thrown out or if I buy a ticket, can I use it regardless?  I imagine that would cause issues with Boro and saints fans all being mixed together?

What do our ticket T and C's say?

 

Thing is, Wembley couldn't accommodate a re-arranged final. They are booked up months or years in advance. The only outcome possible in this scenario would be to cancel and give it to Hull. Boro don't have a chance IMO, despite their whining. 

[hypochondriac]

Just now, Plastic said:

Thing is, Wembley couldn't accommodate a re-arranged final. They are booked up months or years in advance. The only outcome possible in this scenario would be to cancel and give it to Hull. Boro don't have a chance IMO, despite their whining. 

Some suggestion was a random Tuesday this month. 

[coalman]

[hypochondriac]

If/when we don't get booted out, the level of salt pouring from Boro fans is going to be glorious. Almost worth signing up to their forums for. 

[Matthew Le God]

5 minutes ago, Saint_clark said:

Unless as an intern he wasn't aware of the 72 hour rule. 

 

5 minutes ago, coalman said:

The EFL is the only league with this rule. It's possible he simply didn't know the 72 hours rule.

If he didn't think it was an issue, he wouldn't be hiding behind a tree.

[Pamplemousse]

1 minute ago, Plastic said:

Thing is, Wembley couldn't accommodate a re-arranged final. They are booked up months or years in advance. The only outcome possible in this scenario would be to cancel and give it to Hull. Boro don't have a chance IMO, despite their whining. 

The following weekend is the Rugby League Challenge Cup final so that's out. And of course the pitch would need to be prepared in time.

[sadoldgit]

3 minutes ago, sfc4prem said:

I walked past the Middlesbrough cordon outside St Mary's on Tuesday. I had two peeking through a gap in the material around the fence, screaming "cunt" and "you cheating bastard, you know what you are". I chuckled. The level of animosity is mind-boggling.

As someone said previously, they have royally f*cked up their season and need someone to blame. In truth they have no one to blame but themselves.

[Matthew Le God]

The Middlesbrough statement today asking for us to be kicked out is the equivalent of a player doing a tackle and the opponents surrounding the ref and demanding he give a red card! Acting like that isn't allowed on the pitch, nor should it be off it.

[LGTL]

The very fact they’ve had to release a statement means it’s over chaps, book your trains. 

They are cementing their place as the most pathetic, ludicrous, embarrassing club in the land. Fuck ‘em. 

Edited 1 hour ago by LGTL

[Smirking_Saint]

Honestly what is it with Boro fans and this weird belief that Gibson is some sort of Don Corleone type figure that is able to pull strings everywhere 

I genuinely begun last Thursday feeling sorry for them and being embarrassed for what has happened but after this whole fiasco they might be one of my least favourite fan bases… theres nothing to them, no humour, no credit… just whine whine whine

[offsidetrap]

5 minutes ago, Saint_clark said:

Unless as an intern he wasn't aware of the 72 hour rule. 

As a genZ brought up by genX parents he was probably told a thousand times that his folks worked 48 hours a day to get where they are today. This is where the misunderstanding occurred. 

[egg]

5 minutes ago, stfrancisofbenali said:

I think we need to be careful about calling another club a disgrace until we know the extent and validity of the charges against us.

Two different issues. 

We may have acted disgracefully. 

Boro, with the smear campaign, attempt to hijack our legal process, and blatant attempts to get under the skin of the tribunal, all to get something that they were not good enough to get in the field of play, are a disgrace. 

[Mboto Gorge]

2 minutes ago, LGTL said:

The very fact they’ve had to release a statement means it’s over chaps, book your trains. 
 

They are cementing their place as the most pathetic, ludicrous, embarrassing club in the land. Fuck ‘em. 

It really is unbelievable. Like I’ve said before, even our rivals down the road wouldn’t have stopped to the levels they have and gone as over the top as this. Absolute jokers 

Edited 1 hour ago by Mboto Gorge

[S-Clarke]

The fact they thought it was a legitimate ask to be on the panel is just crazy. Do they not understand how this all works? The EFL are always the broker in these situations, same as Fifa, same as the FA, same as the EPL.

If a club lodges a complaint with the respective authority, the authority then becomes the broker between the 2 parties. It gathers evidence from both sides, and the alleged will have a chance to fight the allegations. Boro aren't fighting the allegations, we are. Having clubs going to 'war' against each other in these ways would not create the fair and INDEPENDANT nature of this hearing.

What planet are these guys living on? What the fuck is all this. This is basically shaping up to be a Steve Gibson sue everyone special, I can smell it a mile away. 

[Nordic Saint]

2 minutes ago, sadoldgit said:

I’d say trying to influence a panel whose job it is to be impartial is pretty disgraceful no matter what we have or haven’t done.

They are trying to break the rules of an independent inquiry. That's like a player trying to get an opponent sent off, only on a much larger scale. They should be punished for it.

[Whitey Grandad]

3 minutes ago, Matthew Le God said:

 

If he didn't think it was an issue, he wouldn't be hiding behind a tree.

Hardly 'hiding' was he?

Leaning against it to get a steady photo perhaps.

[hypochondriac]

2 minutes ago, Smirking_Saint said:

Honestly what is it with Boro fans and this weird belief that Gibson is some sort of Don Corleone type figure that is able to pull strings everywhere 

I genuinely begun last Thursday feeling sorry for them and being embarrassed for what has happened but after this whole fiasco they might be one of my least favourite fan bases… theres nothing to them, no humour, no credit… just whine whine whine

They have wildly overestimated his abilities. 

[Farmer Saint]

#prayforboro

[Turkish]

1 hour ago, RedArmy said:

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

What a bunch of bitter, snivelling pricks. Publicly stating they want saints kicked out the play offs is pretty disgraceful. Pretty clear they’re trying to bully their way into the play offs. 

[Football Special]

16 minutes ago, macca155 said:

What the hell is that statement, ridiculous. 

The rest of the football world will just laugh at them.

They lost an (extended) game of football. Clearly no material advantage to Saints, whatever skulduggery we were involved in. They are losing all dignity doing this.

They've gone very high on my list now.

Turning themselves into a laughing stock now, fucking mentalists 

Temper tantrum toddler behaviour 

Edited 1 hour ago by Football Special

[egg]

Just now, Farmer Saint said:

#prayforboro

To be fair, the people that live there, and have that excuse of a football club in their manor, need all the help they can get.