The Spygate Saga

[Tommy Mulgrew]

2 minutes ago, Willo of Whiteley said:

Mr Benn is ready with an outfit to takeover on the touchline for the Pompey match should it be needed

Nah; it’ll be Bill.
 

 

[hypochondriac]

I'm sorry but this is now a farce. The FA announced they were investigating this on the 21st of May. 134 days ago. 

They charged Tonda on the 22nd of July 72 days ago and he was given until the 28th of July to respond (66 days ago) 

It has now been over ten weeks since he was charged with something that he has accepted the charges of. How can it possibly take this long to resolve?

[DellBlockH]

4 minutes ago, hypochondriac said:

I'm sorry but this is now a farce. The FA announced they were investigating this on the 21st of May. 134 days ago. 

They charged Tonda on the 22nd of July 72 days ago and he was given until the 28th of July to respond (66 days ago) 

It has now been over ten weeks since he was charged with something that he has accepted the charges of. How can it possibly take this long to resolve?

It's gone to VAR.

[Tamesaint]

4 minutes ago, hypochondriac said:

I'm sorry but this is now a farce. The FA announced they were investigating this on the 21st of May. 134 days ago. 

They charged Tonda on the 22nd of July 72 days ago and he was given until the 28th of July to respond (66 days ago) 

It has now been over ten weeks since he was charged with something that he has accepted the charges of. How can it possibly take this long to resolve?

Easy. Our learned friends are now involved. 

[Ted Bates Statue]

3 minutes ago, hypochondriac said:

I'm sorry but this is now a farce. 

If your threshold has only just passed, you're a lot more patient than most of us.

My ITK source (voice in my head) tells me he's getting banned after we get promotion. So if he bombs the rest of the season with us then we're lumbered with him (and our current away form) indefinitely.

 

[Willo of Whiteley]

11 minutes ago, DellBlockH said:

It's gone to VAR.

Good chance of being overturned then

[Midfield_General]

What’s the latest @MB - what are you hearing? 

[johnnyboy]

1 hour ago, Turkish said:

Look closer and make of it what you will

Thanks for the pm , things will definitely be clearer wit THAT information, 

[bugenhagen]

9 minutes ago, Ted Bates Statue said:

If your threshold has only just passed, you're a lot more patient than most of us.

My ITK source (voice in my head) tells me he's getting banned after we get promotion. So if he bombs the rest of the season with us then we're lumbered with him (and our current away form) indefinitely.

 

Yeah, my first thought too: NOW it has just turned into a farse? 😄

My IKT source tells me he is (or will be) banned for a year. Just relax and come to terms with it: The Tonda experiment is over, and our promotion push probably as well.

[hypochondriac]

15 minutes ago, Tamesaint said:

Easy. Our learned friends are now involved. 

Even if that is true, it still took them a ridiculous amount of time to even get to this point. Particularly when you consider that the EFL case was done and dusted in a week (I'm aware they had time pressures.)

[obelisk]

1 hour ago, Turkish said:

here's a clue

And maybe we got lost in translation
Maybe I asked for too much
But maybe this thing was a masterpiece 'til you tore it all up
Running scared, I was there
I remember it all too well

And you call me up again just to break me like a promise
So casually cruel in the name of being honest
I'm a crumpled up piece of paper lying here
'Cause I remember it all, all, all
Too well

What sort of clue is that? 

 

[trousers]

11 minutes ago, bugenhagen said:

My IKT source

Internet Kitten Tracker...?

[trousers]

4 minutes ago, obelisk said:

What sort of clue is that? 

 

 

[Tamesaint]

10 minutes ago, hypochondriac said:

Even if that is true, it still took them a ridiculous amount of time to even get to this point. Particularly when you consider that the EFL case was done and dusted in a week (I'm aware they had time pressures.)

Very true and it is ridiculous but remember Man City's lawyers kicked their can down the road for several years.

[egg]

6 minutes ago, obelisk said:

What sort of clue is that? 

 

I think it's Turkish crying for help to sort out his musical taste.

[LegalEagle]

6 minutes ago, egg said:

I think it's Turkish crying for help to sort out his musical taste.

All too Well

[Turkish]

34 minutes ago, obelisk said:

What sort of clue is that? 

 

If you can’t see it ask yourself why that is. It’s not my fault you can’t see what’s so obvious 

[Midfield_General]

2 hours ago, Turkish said:

here's a clue

And maybe we got lost in translation
Maybe I asked for too much
But maybe this thing was a masterpiece 'til you tore it all up
Running scared, I was there
I remember it all too well

And you call me up again just to break me like a promise
So casually cruel in the name of being honest
I'm a crumpled up piece of paper lying here
'Cause I remember it all, all, all
Too well

That does line up with AB’s DM from the other night.

Still find it surprising, and it’s gutting to hear, but makes sense really. 

Cheers mate 👍

[qwertyell]

1 hour ago, hypochondriac said:

I'm sorry but this is now a farce. The FA announced they were investigating this on the 21st of May. 134 days ago. 

They charged Tonda on the 22nd of July 72 days ago and he was given until the 28th of July to respond (66 days ago) 

It has now been over ten weeks since he was charged with something that he has accepted the charges of. How can it possibly take this long to resolve?

Not to go into bat for the FA, but they govern over 40000 clubs across more than 600 leagues. That's a lot of games and a lot of disciplinary cases raised, heard, and appealed since May - and no doubt a backlog of cases being processed from before May.

Here are September's just released adjudications, with charges dating back to February. https://www.thefa.com/news/2026/oct/02/fa-charges---september-2026-0201026

We're not being treated differently to anyone else. The system as it currently stands moves slowly.

[LiberalCommunist]

Same with Cormac taking six months to fix a bit of road, and then screwing up the fix. They are busy, there's a lot of roads. Be patient. 

[bugenhagen]

57 minutes ago, trousers said:

Internet Kitten Tracker...?

I work with a company called IKT Consulting (might explain the mix-up) and I will get back to you as soon as I have got the latest info and snippets from them!

[for_heaven's_Saint]

1 hour ago, Tamesaint said:

Very true and it is ridiculous but remember Man City's lawyers kicked their can down the road for several years.

If we can delay it for a couple of years he probably won’t be our manager anymore anyway. 

[hypochondriac]

1 hour ago, qwertyell said:

Not to go into bat for the FA, but they govern over 40000 clubs across more than 600 leagues. That's a lot of games and a lot of disciplinary cases raised, heard, and appealed since May - and no doubt a backlog of cases being processed from before May.

Here are September's just released adjudications, with charges dating back to February. https://www.thefa.com/news/2026/oct/02/fa-charges---september-2026-0201026

We're not being treated differently to anyone else. The system as it currently stands moves slowly.

This isn't fc bumbledown in the dog and duck league. This is the second biggest league in the country with multiple millions at stake. Of course serious decision about large high profile cases in the top leagues should be prioritised.

[Daft Kerplunk]

2 hours ago, obelisk said:

What sort of clue is that? 

 

A swift one

[Toadhall Saint]

1 hour ago, qwertyell said:

Not to go into bat for the FA, but they govern over 40000 clubs across more than 600 leagues. That's a lot of games and a lot of disciplinary cases raised, heard, and appealed since May - and no doubt a backlog of cases being processed from before May.

Here are September's just released adjudications, with charges dating back to February. https://www.thefa.com/news/2026/oct/02/fa-charges---september-2026-0201026

We're not being treated differently to anyone else. The system as it currently stands moves slowly.

Oh well that’s ok then. 

[qwertyell]

18 minutes ago, hypochondriac said:

This isn't fc bumbledown in the dog and duck league. This is the second biggest league in the country with multiple millions at stake. Of course serious decision about large high profile cases in the top leagues should be prioritised.

Well, we're evidently not special, no matter what mummy says. 

Edited 4 hours ago by qwertyell

[obelisk]

16 minutes ago, Daft Kerplunk said:

A swift one

A Wurzels one might make more sense.

[Weston Super Saint]

19 minutes ago, Daft Kerplunk said:

A swift one

I found it to be very tailored towards the update.

[cambsaint]

I consider ir as an absolute disgrace to keep a man's career in doubt for so long.

A decision like this should have been reached much sooner even allowing for legal opinion.

There are laws regarding employment and the FA must abide by them.

As well as that there is a legal tenet that any penalty must be reasonable and proportionate.

There is a saying "Justice delayed is justice denied" which must surely apply to Tonda.

He must be under very great stress and the FA are solely responsible for any damage to his or his families mental health by their delay.

I have completely lost confidence in the FA and consider that they must now completely review their entire disciplinary process , a belief greatly enhanced by the Man City fiasco, which I now hope they lose.

 

 

[AlexLaw76]

4 minutes ago, cambsaint said:

I consider ir as an absolute disgrace to keep a man's career in doubt for so long.

A decision like this should have been reached much sooner even allowing for legal opinion.

There are laws regarding employment and the FA must abide by them.

As well as that there is a legal tenet that any penalty must be reasonable and proportionate.

There is a saying "Justice delayed is justice denied" which must surely apply to Tonda.

He must be under very great stress and the FA are solely responsible for any damage to his or his families mental health by their delay.

I have completely lost confidence in the FA and consider that they must now completely review their entire disciplinary process , a belief greatly enhanced by the Man City fiasco, which I now hope they lose.

 

 

If there was any worry about his mental health the club are the entity employing him, not the FA.

 

[JSpeake]

So with all the silence and the clues provided by the ITK’s, do we think that SFC have already been informed of the FA decision, that the ban is punitive (ie over 6 months total ban, possibly even 12 months with no hope of an appeal getting it down to a manageable level) and that TE has already left the club ?

Also that SFC are tied down by a non disclosure so cannot make the announcement as yet and are concentrating on finding a replacement (temporary one initially).

I don’t know, but the lack of information is not a good sign.

[AlexLaw76]

Just now, JSpeake said:

So with all the silence and the clues provided by the ITK’s, do we think that SFC have already been informed of the FA decision, that the ban is punitive (ie over 6 months total ban, possibly even 12 months with no hope of an appeal getting it down to a manageable level) and that TE has already left the club ?

Also that SFC are tied down by a non disclosure so cannot make the announcement as yet and are concentrating on finding a replacement (temporary one initially).

I don’t know, but the lack of information is not a good sign.

Like City knew the outcome a few months, back, same with Chelsea way before it was announced, I am sure the club know what the FA want to happen and are pushing back......

[Willo of Whiteley]

NDA’s have no doubt been signed.

I think everyone just needs to be patient.

Effectively, we’ll know a bit more in a weeks time, it’ll be interesting if he’s in the dugout for Pompey, if he isn’t that will be telling.

[JSpeake]

But if TE has already left the club (a big if) - because he has assessed that there is no hope of appealing the ban, or he’s had enough and fancies his chances in Germany, where they couldn’t care less for EFL’s peculiar rules - then what are we pushing back against ?

[AlexLaw76]

Just now, JSpeake said:

But if TE has already left the club (a big if) - because he has assessed that there is no hope of appealing the ban, or he’s had enough and fancies his chances in Germany, where they couldn’t care less for EFL’s peculiar rules - then what are we pushing back against ?

because he may not have left the club (yet)?

[Lighthouse]

12 minutes ago, cambsaint said:

I consider ir as an absolute disgrace to keep a man's career in doubt for so long.

A decision like this should have been reached much sooner even allowing for legal opinion.

There are laws regarding employment and the FA must abide by them.

As well as that there is a legal tenet that any penalty must be reasonable and proportionate.

There is a saying "Justice delayed is justice denied" which must surely apply to Tonda.

He must be under very great stress and the FA are solely responsible for any damage to his or his families mental health by their delay.

I have completely lost confidence in the FA and consider that they must now completely review their entire disciplinary process , a belief greatly enhanced by the Man City fiasco, which I now hope they lose.

If you think a legal process which takes four months is an 'absolute disgrace' then I have absolutely no idea what you're comparing it to. I once had to deal with a pretty straightforward car insurance claim, which took more than double that because the other party was dragging their heels and disputing various details. 

[hypochondriac]

13 minutes ago, Willo of Whiteley said:

NDA’s have no doubt been signed.

I think everyone just needs to be patient.

Effectively, we’ll know a bit more in a weeks time, it’ll be interesting if he’s in the dugout for Pompey, if he isn’t that will be telling.

Well obviously. I'd hope we'd find out prior to the game starting! The press conference for one.

[Turkish]

5 hours ago, Pamplemousse said:

Something strange is going on, it's not normal to wait this long for a sanction when the party has accepted the charges.

I can confirm something if DEFINITELY going on 

[CB Fry]

16 minutes ago, Turkish said:

I can confirm something if DEFINITELY going on 

I'm worried for your sake that you have already said too much but yeah, this all chimes with what I have heard 👍

[JSpeake]

Ok - I’m definitely not ITK - but just testing a theory - if I was TE, just had a new child, spent the summer being told to have a SFC minder drive you around because of all the threats hitting you online on a daily basis, the pressure of SpyGate, now being told by the FA that you are getting a 12 month total ban (don’t know but just a theory), but at the same time being seen as the best young manager prospect, cut your teeth in the Championship (with a year of excellent results so proven), recognised by Bundesliga clubs (and possibly approached) who couldn’t care less for their 72hour rule, then how long does you patience last for ?  Just a question 

[Turkish]

2 minutes ago, CB Fry said:

I'm worried for your sake that you have already said too much but yeah, this all chimes with what I have heard 👍

I just hope my sources haven’t seen my posts as they might cut me off and that would ruin it for you all

[TheAlehouseBrawlers]

38 minutes ago, Willo of Whiteley said:

Effectively, we’ll know a bit more in a weeks time, it’ll be interesting if he’s in the dugout for Pompey, if he isn’t that will be telling.

If he’s in the skates dugout then something has gone badly wrong…that’s a punishment too far

[Weston Super Saint]

2 minutes ago, JSpeake said:

Ok - I’m definitely not ITK - but just testing a theory - if I was TE, just had a new child, spent the summer being told to have a SFC minder drive you around because of all the threats hitting you online on a daily basis, the pressure of SpyGate, now being told by the FA that you are getting a 12 month total ban (don’t know but just a theory), but at the same time being seen as the best young manager prospect, cut your teeth in the Championship (with a year of excellent results so proven), recognised by Bundesliga clubs (and possibly approached) who couldn’t care less for their 72hour rule, then how long does you patience last for ?  Just a question 

You know of he quits he gets no money, but if he's fired he gets a big payout, right?

Maybe that answers your question?

[JSpeake]

These things tend to be mutually agreed, so he would get his pay off.

[Pamplemousse]

I suspect we'd sack him for gross misconduct if he received a massive ban and we wouldn't need to pay him off

[JSpeake]

Maybe - but given how SFC have backed him to date, I’m not so sure they would cut him off so brutally. Company boards tend to look after senior management.

[suewhistle]

34 minutes ago, JSpeake said:

Ok - I’m definitely not ITK - but just testing a theory - if I was TE, just had a new child, spent the summer being told to have a SFC minder drive you around because of all the threats hitting you online on a daily basis, the pressure of SpyGate, now being told by the FA that you are getting a 12 month total ban (don’t know but just a theory), but at the same time being seen as the best young manager prospect, cut your teeth in the Championship (with a year of excellent results so proven), recognised by Bundesliga clubs (and possibly approached) who couldn’t care less for their 72hour rule, then how long does you patience last for ?  Just a question 

Oh, for goodness sake!

Please use the subjunctive: " if I _were_ TE'.

Thank you..

Anybody with any other news?

 

 

[Gloucester Saint]

21 hours ago, Zorba said:

I hope you bathed in Dettol before you came back on here.

Bought a bullet proof vest for his Saturday night out in Middlesbrough town centre more like.

Edited 2 hours ago by Gloucester Saint

[MB]

5 hours ago, Midfield_General said:

What’s the latest @MB - what are you hearing? 

Appeal lodged 

[trousers]

6 hours ago, JSpeake said:

Look closer and make of it what you WILL

And you call me up again just to break me like a promise
So casually cruel in the name of being honest

Has Will Salt been dragged back into it, and more allegations made ?

 

 

1 hour ago, JSpeake said:

So with all the silence and the clues provided by the ITK’s, do we think that SFC have already been informed of the FA decision, that the ban is punitive (ie over 6 months total ban, possibly even 12 months with no hope of an appeal getting it down to a manageable level) and that TE has already left the club ?

Also that SFC are tied down by a non disclosure so cannot make the announcement as yet and are concentrating on finding a replacement (temporary one initially).

I don’t know, but the lack of information is not a good sign.

 

1 hour ago, JSpeake said:

But if TE has already left the club (a big if) - because he has assessed that there is no hope of appealing the ban, or he’s had enough and fancies his chances in Germany, where they couldn’t care less for EFL’s peculiar rules - then what are we pushing back against ?

 

52 minutes ago, JSpeake said:

Ok - I’m definitely not ITK - but just testing a theory - if I was TE, just had a new child, spent the summer being told to have a SFC minder drive you around because of all the threats hitting you online on a daily basis, the pressure of SpyGate, now being told by the FA that you are getting a 12 month total ban (don’t know but just a theory), but at the same time being seen as the best young manager prospect, cut your teeth in the Championship (with a year of excellent results so proven), recognised by Bundesliga clubs (and possibly approached) who couldn’t care less for their 72hour rule, then how long does you patience last for ?  Just a question 

 

47 minutes ago, JSpeake said:

These things tend to be mutually agreed, so he would get his pay off.

 

38 minutes ago, JSpeake said:

Maybe - but given how SFC have backed him to date, I’m not so sure they would cut him off so brutally. Company boards tend to look after senior management.

"Interesting first 6 posts for an account that was created 2 years ago and laid dormant until now" klaxon...