The Spygate Saga

[saintant]

I'm wondering if we'd sacked Tonda back when spygate first reared its ugly head would the FA have pursued their case against him? Yes, he'd have been out of the game but he'd still committed the crime so I guess the answer is yes they would have.

[Charlie Wayman]

1 hour ago, Jack said:

Just catching up with this. Fuck me, Parsons needs removing from his position ASAP, he’s done more than enough damage already and will only make things worse. “We’ve had to pay loads of money in court fees” isn’t going to mitigate anything, it isn’t going to get any sympathy, isn’t going to make the FA change their stance, isn’t going to wash with the fans. His video will do absolutely nothing in a positive sense and can only make things worse IMO. We got caught cheating, don’t then moan about the bills we’ve paid to try to get out of it. 
 

Tonda’s you can kind of understand, just fair enough questions about how he’s feeling and how he wants it over with. Parsons coming out to beg for leniency when the outcome is clearly already decided is pathetic. Need some proper leadership at the top to turn things around for this club, not this muppet. 

Don't you think that the CEO's statement was aimed at the media and for internal consumption rather than the FA?

[Charlie Wayman]

3 minutes ago, saintant said:

I'm wondering if we'd sacked Tonda back when spygate first reared its ugly head would the FA have pursued their case against him? Yes, he'd have been out of the game but he'd still committed the crime so I guess the answer is yes they would have.

I like your new approach to debate saintant, pose a hypothetical question then answer it yourself. Probably the best way to avoid naysayers.

[Disco Stu]

10 hours ago, skintsaint said:

Would end up with this guy just to sum the last 5 months up...

We'll need a hands on coach to motivate the players once the FA have had their way with us.

[Jack]

31 minutes ago, Charlie Wayman said:

Don't you think that the CEO's statement was aimed at the media and for internal consumption rather than the FA?

If it was, it’s still playing the victim rather than taking any responsibility or ownership. It’s just all looks so amateurish and shit. It’s decided, just have to take our medicine now. 

[Wade Garrett]

14 hours ago, LiberalCommunist said:

Remember when Hoddle took temporally charge when Jones was put on leave? From day one, there was no way back. 

Now, although different, this would be the same. 

If he goes, he completely goes. No waiting in the wings for six months. Fuck that. 

We cannot afford to be persecuted indefinitely for this issue. Its gone on too long. 

If we sacked him at the time it would have been over for the club.  This is the path the club chose to go down.

Personally, I think it’s the wrong path and have thought that from day one.

[Eire Saint]

On 21/09/2026 at 09:34, Eire Saint said:

Worked for Boro. 

In May we stayed silent, and got absolutely hammered. Don't think it's a bad idea to remind people we've already been punished twice for this. The first being probably the biggest sporting sanction in football history. The second a points deduction for this season to hamper our progress. This narrative that it's just a punishment for Tonda is bullshit, it's a third punishment for the club after the season has started. The FA pissing about for 4 months makes any punishment worse as we've no time to adjust.

The club in a no win here. Say nothing, we're weak and spineless. Come out to try to plead our case, everyone goes nuts.

I'm okay with the latter. 

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/19m9PpTrzd/

Wait a minute. That's exactly what I said.. 🤔

[Saint86]

21 minutes ago, Wade Garrett said:

If we sacked him at the time it would have been over for the club.  This is the path the club chose to go down.

Personally, I think it’s the wrong path and have thought that from day one.

It was always a gamble with respect to further punishment. Doesn't change the fact he is a very young and promising/good coach, nor that the club are entitled to handle disciplinary matters internally for their staff. Lets not for one second pretend that the punishment the club received was excessive, and anything more than a fine and a very short touchline ban for eckert would be similar... The one thing the club can't be blamed for, is being punished 3timess over a prolonged 6 week period, with each punishment being draconian. 

The absolute worst case punishment i think any realistic person could have anticipated is being kicked out of the playoffs (draconian - fine much more likely), and eckert being handed a 3-6month ban(again, extremely draconian given comparable offences for similar ban durations in the English game), it is not like he's broken the law (i.e., assaulted someone, utilized doping, or racially abused someone etc). But regardless, you plan for the worst case as a contingency, you don't operate under the expectation the worst case comes to fruition.

The rational punishment for him is a fine and sporting sanction - ranging from a suspended ban to a short touchline ban of circa 4 games max.,

Edited 2 hours ago by Saint86

[Roo1976]

were going to get hammered,and not because we were somewhat in the wrong,(plenty of cheating on the field,oh and lets not forget VARs huge fuck up) but because were not in the big club scenario and dont have bags of money to keep accepting wrong doings(Chelsea) whys has it taken so long for the outcome,afterall we were kicked out within a week of this coming to light what could possibly be the delay?

[freshen up]

Wonder if Tonda will get more than this:

https://www.skysports.com/football/news/13465881/milutin-osmajic-preston-striker-given-nine-match-ban-and-lb21-000-fine-for-alleged-racial-abuse-of-burnleys-hannibal

[Wade Garrett]

4 minutes ago, freshen up said:

Wonder if Tonda will get more than this:

https://www.skysports.com/football/news/13465881/milutin-osmajic-preston-striker-given-nine-match-ban-and-lb21-000-fine-for-alleged-racial-abuse-of-burnleys-hannibal

John Terry got 4 matches for calling Anton Ferdinand a black c*nt….

[freshen up]

1 minute ago, Wade Garrett said:

John Terry got 4 matches for calling Anton Ferdinand a black c*nt….

Jesus christ. Didn't realise it was that low.

[obelisk]

22 minutes ago, Saint86 said:

The rational punishment for him is a fine and sporting sanction - ranging from a suspended ban to a short touchline ban of circa 4 games ma

That would be sensible but we're in the hands of the General Melchett type blazers of the FA here where Tonda is the sort of sacrifice they're likely to want to pillory. That some Saints supporters seem to be looking forward to a lengthy sentence rather than a fight back totally baffles me.

[Winnersaint]

Looking back at the original incident, did Will Salt forget that Monday was a Bank Holiday and thought Thursday was Wednesday?

[LordHester]

1 minute ago, Winnersaint said:

Looking back at the original incident, did Will Salt forget that Monday was a Bank Holiday and thought Thursday was Wednesday?

I'm not sure a defence of being completely incompetent is going to help us here.

[obelisk]

2 minutes ago, Winnersaint said:

Looking back at the original incident, did Will Salt forget that Monday was a Bank Holiday and thought Thursday was Wednesday?

A handy reminder that the alleged serious crime of standing in a public place watching footballers have a kick about is allowed on one day but not the next. Makes the whole saga even more baffling to the outside world.

[SaintsLoyal]

Mentioning court fees is very tinpot and the sort of thing that i didnt want to see in any interview.

I imagine theyve done this on the basis of criticism about no media during the May saga. 

However,  back then i would have only made it known sideways in the media about the obvious Boro media disclosure esp the photo and data leak on a cash card.

 

  

[saintant]

45 minutes ago, obelisk said:

A handy reminder that the alleged serious crime of standing in a public place watching footballers have a kick about is allowed on one day but not the next. Makes the whole saga even more baffling to the outside world.

And a handy reminder that the Boro club photographer was carrying a powerful zoom lens at a training session and decided to reel off a few long range snaps of an unknown geezer stood by a tree with an I-phone. This in a public place where there is a hotel and golf course so clearly not unusual for people to be visible.

[Nordic Saint]

6 minutes ago, saintant said:

And a handy reminder that the Boro club photographer was carrying a powerful zoom lens at a training session and decided to reel off a few long range snaps of an unknown geezer stood by a tree with an I-phone. This in a public place where there is a hotel and golf course so clearly not unusual for people to be visible.

Yes the real spy in all this was the young Boro analyst who came down for a brief spell here before returning to Boro and reporting back everything about how Saints analysts operated.

Gibson's employee on the EFL Board and the ex-Boro player on the disciplinary panel saw to the rest.

Edited 47 minutes ago by Nordic Saint

[Football Special]

12 minutes ago, Nordic Saint said:

Yes the real spy in all this was the young Boro analyst who came down for a brief spell here before returning to Boro and reporting back everything about how Saints analysts operated.

Gibson's employee on the EFL Board and the ex-Boro player on the disciplinary panel saw to the rest.

Agree.

Its like a plot from a cold war spy movie 

[Midfield_General]

1 hour ago, LordHester said:

I'm not sure a defence of being completely incompetent is going to help us here.

Well that's Parsons fucked then

[saintant]

21 minutes ago, Nordic Saint said:

Yes the real spy in all this was the young Boro analyst who came down for a brief spell here before returning to Boro and reporting back everything about how Saints analysts operated.

Gibson's employee on the EFL Board and the ex-Boro player on the disciplinary panel saw to the rest.

That's how I think it unfolded. Not excusing us but there are questions marks against Boro in all of this.

[Teamsaint1]

4 minutes ago, saintant said:

That's how I think it unfolded. Not excusing us but there are questions marks against Boro in all of this.

Exactly. Disappointing that the press haven't picked up on this aspect as much as they should have.

[Saint Fan CaM]

I reckon he’s going to get a three month ban from EFL games. There’s something bent going on in all of this and behind the scenes there are Boro finger prints - the entire narrative is against the club and Parsons latest comments just show there is no competency at the club to counter the shitshow even now.

[EssEffCee]

52 minutes ago, SaintsLoyal said:

Mentioning court fees is very tinpot and the sort of thing that i didnt want to see in any interview.

I imagine theyve done this on the basis of criticism about no media during the May saga. 

However,  back then i would have only made it known sideways in the media about the obvious Boro media disclosure esp the photo and data leak on a cash card.

 

  

There was no data leak on a cash card.

[EssEffCee]

1 hour ago, obelisk said:

A handy reminder that the alleged serious crime of standing in a public place watching footballers have a kick about is allowed on one day but not the next. Makes the whole saga even more baffling to the outside world.

To be fair that applies to lots of things where there's a hard line for a limit.

Agree though that if they deem it such a serious issue there should be discussions about making it a total ban.