Sports Republics response to “Spygate”

[trousers]

This is a fair point to me... Given the EFL's insistence on accelerating the due process, it was always going to lead to rushed statements that would inevitably contain holes and gaps. The EFL wanted a hasty statement, and they duly got one.... Twats.

Edited 3 hours ago by trousers

[Shufty Zubrik]

So basically we were screwed over and held to account to the highest standards of behaviour by an organisation that didn't hold to those standards. Had we been more streetwise and less gullible at the outset we could have done better. Move on, deal with it, keep as many of the players as possible, do good deals, keep Tonda at all costs and go again with at least a top 8 target.

[hypochondriac]

7 minutes ago, trousers said:

Ha, indeed... I've thought all along this could be one possible outcome... An actual benefit of the multi-club system maybe...?  (assuming FIFA didn't get involved too of course)

Although the primary benefit of sacking him would be the club being proactive about trying to put this behind us. If the FA ban him and force us to sack him then it's the worst of all worlds- instability at the worst time, players more pissed off losing a manager they want to play for and have a relationship with and none of the benefit we would get from sacking him because it wasn't our doing. I hope we are confident he isn't getting banned...

[woksaintly]

With regard to an FA ban I cannot see it happening. We broke Championship rules and were unfairly punished.These rules do not apply to other competitions that the FA administer. The FA should investigate the Arbitration board however for lack of disclosure and only allowing one day to appeal. That was not justice but coercion to suit the agenda of the Championship play off money making machine

[trousers]

6 minutes ago, hypochondriac said:

Although the primary benefit of sacking him would be the club being proactive about trying to put this behind us. If the FA ban him and force us to sack him then it's the worst of all worlds- instability at the worst time, players more pissed off losing a manager they want to play for and have a relationship with and none of the benefit we would get from sacking him because it wasn't our doing. I hope we are confident he isn't getting banned...

I can't believe Solak would have come out with his statement today if he felt there was a likelihood of Tonda being banned.... That said, I thought the same about us being chucked out of the competition when the club were being brazen in the lead up to the play off semi-finals and final... 😳

Edited 3 hours ago by trousers

[Sheaf Saint]

26 minutes ago, Turkish said:

Right Dragon has spoken. Tonda and his team are staying, he’s apologised. Stop whinging and whining get behind them you bunch of drips. siege mentality all season

Good times create weak men, weak men create bad times, bad times create strong men.

Stop being fannies and get on with it now

All good points Turks. Dragan has given his full backing, so as long as everyone else inside the club is on board with it then let's bring it on.

But...

Tonda clearly still has questions to answer about the way he conducted himself throughout all of this. The report released yesterday by the EFL doesn't show him in a particularly good light, and the FA investigation might uncover more that hasn't yet been made public.

So while Dragan's full support is welcome, I really hope he isn't putting all his eggs in one basket and that he and Spors have a decent backup plan in the likely event of Tonda getting a lengthy ban.

[There when Franny scored]

With the continued mention that the punishment was disproportionate, do we think Saints are gearing up for a Section 68 challenge to the Decision? 
 

May he why they have hired Clifford chance if that’s true.

Worth a read - https://www.insideworldfootball.com/2026/05/26/op-ed-sir-nicholas-mostyn-kc-soutampton-fc-admiral-byng-is-shot-again/

[obelisk]

5 minutes ago, trousers said:

This is a fair point to me... Given the EFL's insistence on accelerating the due process, it was always going to lead to rushed statements that would inevitably contain holes and gaps. The EFL wanted a hasty statement, and they duly got one.... Twats.

A response inside 12 hours? The EFL seem to have been determined from the outset that Gibbo's cry-babies were going to get to Wembley. They seem to have totally ignored their own damn rules and if it were me in Dragan's position I'd be suing their arses.

[hypochondriac]

2 minutes ago, trousers said:

I can't believe Solak would have come out with his statement today if he felt there was a likelihood of Tonda being banned.... That said, I thought the same about us being chucked out of the competition when the club were being brazen in the lead up to the play off semi-finals and final... 😳

Don't want to keep repeating myself but the clubs expectation was that there wouldn't be an FA ban. Sounds to me like that feeling is still there. 

[saintant]

1 hour ago, Football Special said:

 

BBC continue to join in the pile on and you have to wonder what their agenda is against our football club. Could some of it possibly stem from the fact that Rishi Sunak is a fan and they clearly hate all conservatives?

[trousers]

28 minutes ago, egg said:

I can't agree with that. The approach to panels and arbitrations is the same as it is for the judiciary.

Judges frequently hear cases involving former partners or colleagues from their firms if they were solicitors, or colleagues from chambers if they were barristers, even former trainees/pupils of theirs, their mates, etc. None of that ordinarily gives the judge a sufficient interest in the case to have to recuse themselves.

Sure, I get how it looks, but this Winnie lad kicking ball for Boro a million years ago does not get close to being challengeable. 

I don't think (m)any people are saying it would have altered the outcome, rather  it's a simple case of asking: given a choice between a panel member with zero links to one of clubs involved and a panel member with any kind of link to one of the clubs,which do you think would be the most sensible/ logical one to choose? I think we can probably all agree on the answer to that question...?

[trousers]

2 minutes ago, hypochondriac said:

Don't want to keep repeating myself but the clubs expectation was that there wouldn't be an FA ban. Sounds to me like that feeling is still there. 

Yup, agreed 👍🏻

[Sheaf Saint]

6 minutes ago, woksaintly said:

With regard to an FA ban I cannot see it happening. We broke Championship rules and were unfairly punished.These rules do not apply to other competitions that the FA administer. 

Wrong I'm afraid. The fact that the rule doesn't exist outside the EFL is irrelevant. The fact is that a rule was broken, systematically and repeatedly, and untruths were told in trying to cover it up initially.

The EFL impose the sanctions on clubs found guilty of rule-breaking, but the conduct of individuals is the responsibility of the FA as the overall parent body.

Anyone who thinks it won't happen is as much in denial as most of us were about the possibility of being expelled from the playoffs.

[Sheaf Saint]

3 minutes ago, hypochondriac said:

Don't want to keep repeating myself but the clubs expectation was that there wouldn't be an FA ban. Sounds to me like that feeling is still there. 

The same people that fully expected to get away with just a fine from the EFL?

[trousers]

1 minute ago, Sheaf Saint said:

Wrong I'm afraid. The fact that the rule doesn't exist outside the EFL is irrelevant. The fact is that a rule was broken, systematically and repeatedly, and untruths were told in trying to cover it up initially.

The EFL impose the sanctions on clubs found guilty of rule-breaking, but the conduct of individuals is the responsibility of the FA as the overall parent body.

Anyone who thinks it won't happen is as much in denial as most of us were about the possibility of being expelled from the playoffs.

Count me in the "in denial" club in that case... In fact, the last time I was this much in denial was when I went swimming in Egypt... 

(I'm here all week, sadly )

[trousers]

Just now, Sheaf Saint said:

The same people that fully expected to get away with just a fine from the EFL?

It's almost as if it's possible to be wrong on one occasion and not wrong on another occasion...

[hypochondriac]

Just now, Sheaf Saint said:

The same people that fully expected to get away with just a fine from the EFL?

This was after the initial punishment tbf

[RedArmy]

One thing that I noticed reading those WhatsApp messages is how much it came across that this wasn’t a regular occurrence. 
 

I’ve been of the opinion that we were more than likely doing this every week, we just got caught/admitted to 3 times, but the reluctance and the way the reluctance is articulated doesn’t make it sound like something that’s being done routinely. 
 

I could be wrong though. 

[saintant]

54 minutes ago, trousers said:

 

 

Great words from Dragan.

[egg]

38 minutes ago, Turkish said:

Right Dragon has spoken. Tonda and his team are staying, he’s apologised. Stop whinging and whining get behind them you bunch of drips. siege mentality all season

Good times create weak men, weak men create bad times, bad times create strong men.

Stop being fannies and get on with it now

Yep, spot on. 

Although I don't accept that Tonda wouldn't have known the rule, and that his position probably is untenable, there comes a point where you've got to pick a lane and either back your man or otherwise. 

Decision made. Move on. 

[Sheaf Saint]

Just now, trousers said:

It's almost as if it's possible to be wrong on one occasion and not wrong on another occasion...

True. But if they were capable of being so complacent about the outcome of the hearing, what makes you think their confidence in Tonda escaping a FA ban has any stronger basis? 

[egg]

8 minutes ago, trousers said:

I don't think (m)any people are saying it would have altered the outcome, rather  it's a simple case of asking: given a choice between a panel member with zero links to one of clubs involved and a panel member with any kind of link to one of the clubs,which do you think would be the most sensible/ logical one to choose? I think we can probably all agree on the answer to that question...?

I genuinely don't think anyone saw it as an issue...he may have hated Boro for only giving him one game, who knows, but the point is that he had no interest in the case thus he could sit. I take your point though, this discussion was easily avoided. 

[obelisk]

2 minutes ago, Sheaf Saint said:

True. But if they were capable of being so complacent about the outcome of the hearing, what makes you think their confidence in Tonda escaping a FA ban has any stronger basis? 

I think people were looking at the precedence where a fine was previously deemed sufficient. Maybe it wasn't expected that the EFL would cave in to Gibbo's campaign to actually reverse the result of an actual football match and have a suspect panel throw a nuclear bomb at Saints.

Besides all that, the unprecedented and severe punishment has been handed down so let's move on while throwing barbed comments at the incompetent EFL and their friendly hacks.

[saintant]

21 minutes ago, Shufty Zubrik said:

So basically we were screwed over and held to account to the highest standards of behaviour by an organisation that didn't hold to those standards. Had we been more streetwise and less gullible at the outset we could have done better. Move on, deal with it, keep as many of the players as possible, do good deals, keep Tonda at all costs and go again with at least a top 8 target.

I think this should be in the present tense because the EFL clearly do not hold to those standards. It's clear that they don't because they make zero effort to do anything about all the onfield cheating that goes on in every game of football. It's double standards and they should be taking a good long look in the mirror because they wont like what they see reflected back.

[trousers]

7 minutes ago, egg said:

I genuinely don't think anyone saw it as an issue...he may have hated Boro for only giving him one game, who knows, but the point is that he had no interest in the case thus he could sit. I take your point though, this discussion was easily avoided. 

👍🏻

[saintant]

15 minutes ago, Sheaf Saint said:

Wrong I'm afraid. The fact that the rule doesn't exist outside the EFL is irrelevant. The fact is that a rule was broken, systematically and repeatedly, and untruths were told in trying to cover it up initially.

The EFL impose the sanctions on clubs found guilty of rule-breaking, but the conduct of individuals is the responsibility of the FA as the overall parent body.

Anyone who thinks it won't happen is as much in denial as most of us were about the possibility of being expelled from the playoffs.

There is zero proof of this.

[andrew7610]

Is an FA ban, which everybody seems to have accepted as coming, actually likely?

Where I work, bullying interns to do shit they don't want to would be an internal disciplinary matter.  The regulatory board we answer to wouldn't get involved. If the acts were illegal and due legal process had taken place (like it has with us and the EFL) that would be the end of it.

'Bringing the game into disrepute' is basically a victimless crime the FA uses to be seen to be doing something. 

 

Fuck the FA. Fuck the EFL. Fuck Middlesboro. Fuck Pompey. Fuck 'em all. We are the Saints.

[hypochondriac]

These statements are welcome but I do wonder why they couldn't have made them last week?

[trousers]

Loving the hysterical comments on Dan Roan's tweet this morning... As some might say: "unhinged!"

 

 

[trousers]

4 minutes ago, hypochondriac said:

These statements are welcome but I do wonder why they couldn't have made them last week?

I guess they were waiting for the final EFL report in order to draw a line under the EFL side of things... i.e. best for the club to have the 'last word' in that regard...? Seems like the right chronology to me, in retrospect, despite my own clamour for a statement from Solak much earlier in the process.

Edited 2 hours ago by trousers

[badgerx16]

1 minute ago, trousers said:

Loving the hysterical comments on Dan Roan's tweet this morning... As some might say: "unhinged!"

 

 

For those of us who avoid SM like the plague, could you possbly post a selection ?

[Teamsaint1]

2 minutes ago, trousers said:

Loving the hysterical comments on Dan Roan's tweet this morning... As some might say: "unhinged!"

 

 

There do seem to  be a lot of  strange fans of other clubs ( on social media at least ) who think that, even after  disciplinary processes, it is somehow their business who our manager is.

 

[trousers]

11 minutes ago, andrew7610 said:

Is an FA ban, which everybody seems to have accepted as coming, actually likely?

I've still not seen an official statement from the FA outlining their scope and terms of reference for their investigation. All I've seen is media reports citing an "FA spokesman" that an investigation was underway. Anyone got a link today the official FA statement?.(I asked for one yesterday, but nothing forthcoming)

Edited 2 hours ago by trousers

[LeBizzier69]

Watching that Solak statement has made me almost beat my chest and shout "come on" very loudly. People around me wouldn't like it. I'm more "fuck the lot of them and lets have it next season" than ever. 

[trousers]

3 minutes ago, badgerx16 said:

For those of us who avoid SM like the plague, could you possbly post a selection ?

 

[Dman]

1 hour ago, obelisk said:

I'd love to be a fly on the wall when "Gibbo" meets Dragan next season.

I'll be fuming If that rat is allowed within 20 miles of St Mary's 

[Turkish]

20 minutes ago, egg said:

Yep, spot on. 

Although I don't accept that Tonda wouldn't have known the rule, and that his position probably is untenable, there comes a point where you've got to pick a lane and either back your man or otherwise. 

Decision made. Move on. 

Exactly, i thought the message from Tonda was authentic, not scripted and honest. We've been punished, take the medicine and move on. People make mistakes, yes this was a fucking big one and the club have been kicked in the bollocks and then kneed in the face as we went down but let him without sin cast the first stone. Back him and get on with it.

[Colinjb]

We've had our punishment. Now f**k the lot of them.

[saintstowin]

I like the interview.

We as Saints fans might be very tuned in to outside responses, but even taking this into account there has been a sense that we're taking on blame from the football community (particularly some journalists, pundits, and a few clubs who don't like us) for things outside of this particular event. 

These people are looking either to sensationalise the events and/or (and I think this is definitely happening) use this case to feel better about the obvious problems in football that include cheating and disparity that is everyday.

There's a product to defend. You only have to listen to 606 for example when a smaller club fan dares to point out that it's ok to defend deeply against a top team, or say that money brings success. There's little appetite for bigger clubs to be called to account because that exposes the ridiculous state of the game. Ok I've gone a little off topic there but for me it's all connected. And I expect a backlash if little Saints dare to keep Tonda or stick up for ourselves. Because of the above reasons.

For me, Solak, and most of us, are thinking and saying 'you've done us so with utmost politeness go away now and find your next high horse'.

[Dman]

Just now, Turkish said:

Exactly, i thought the message from Tonda was authentic, not scripted and honest. We've been punished, take the medicine and move on. People make mistakes, yes this was a fucking big one and the club have been kicked in the bollocks and then kneed in the face as we went down but let him without sin cast the first stone. Back him and get on with it.

We'd be in a significantly worse place next season without Tonda / Spors that we will be with them. 

[Winnersaint]

2 minutes ago, badgerx16 said:

For those of us who avoid SM like the plague, could you possbly post a selection ?

You're better off not knowing. Suffice to say a lot of sack Tonda comments, some relegate us comments, one or two kick us out the EFL altogether. Cov and Ipswich fans seem to have a lot to say as well as having northern monkeys all over it. Proper unhinged SM stuff.

[ChristopheVAFC]

Hello everyone.

So, this morning, Dragan spoke out, and it was important for him to do so in order to answer the questions many of us have.

As expected, Tonda retains the confidence of the board and, barring any FA sanctions, will be the Saints' manager next year.

I think that despite the situation, it's a good decision because I also believe Tonda remains the club's best chance of returning to the Premier League next year. He knows the club, had an excellent second half of the season, and even did better than Russell, I think. Keeping him saves time because he understands the squad's needs for next year.

Next year, however, the board will need to implement monitoring tools to prevent this kind of thing from happening again. The integrity of the club is now at stake.

I certainly hope this affair won't have repercussions on Sport Republic's investments in Goztepe and Valenciennes, as they'll need to make up for the financial losses in Southampton.

We must be vigilant, because money is the lifeblood of any club, especially regarding the club's sponsors, who represent a significant source of revenue.

Now, what will the team be like next year? The work begins now...

For the fans, the hardest part will be regaining their trust; it will take time, a lot of time...

Best of luck to everyone.

[Saint Pete]

31 minutes ago, trousers said:

I can't believe Solak would have come out with his statement today if he felt there was a likelihood of Tonda being banned.... That said, I thought the same about us being chucked out of the competition when the club were being brazen in the lead up to the play off semi-finals and final... 😳

I personally doubt we have any insight into what the outcome of the FA investigation will be. But I'm relieved that at last, we have a line coming out of the leadership/ownership with some active decision making and backbone attached to it. Whether the backing of Tonda will stand up to whatever comes back from the FA, only time will tell. I would like to think Dragan will still be preparing contingency plans for if Tonda gets a long ban, but at least he is nailing his colours to the mast and providing a direction for the club to follow now. 

[AlexLaw76]

Just now, Winnersaint said:

You're better off not knowing. Suffice to say a lot of sack Tonda comments, some relegate us comments, one or two kick us out the EFL altogether. Cov and Ipswich fans seem to have a lot to say as well as having northern monkeys all over it. Proper unhinged SM stuff.

What we did was wrong and ridiculous, but English footballs holier than thou stance is fucking hilarious 

[Willo of Whiteley]

The responses to his video from Middlesbrough fans.

Obsessed!

[trousers]

29 minutes ago, Sheaf Saint said:

True. But if they were capable of being so complacent about the outcome of the hearing, what makes you think their confidence in Tonda escaping a FA ban has any stronger basis? 

Just a gut feel really, plus a fair amount of 'reading between the lines'... I don't think anyone can say with any certainty that "a ban is inevitable"... Yes, we can't rule it out, of course, but the vibes to me are that the FA will deem that the club (and therefore the people that work there) have been punished enough. As I say, just a hunch and, yes, my hunches have been wrong plenty of times before! 🙂

Time will tell who gets the "told you so" medal...

Edited 2 hours ago by trousers

[egg]

20 minutes ago, hypochondriac said:

These statements are welcome but I do wonder why they couldn't have made them last week?

My guess is that they've been taking legal advice to see if there was enough procedural irregularity to litigate. Having been told no, they had a public moan about the panel to get their thoughts out there, and followed it up with a "let's move on" message from Solak.

[LeBizzier69]

9 minutes ago, Winnersaint said:

You're better off not knowing. Suffice to say a lot of sack Tonda comments, some relegate us comments, one or two kick us out the EFL altogether. Cov and Ipswich fans seem to have a lot to say as well as having northern monkeys all over it. Proper unhinged SM stuff.

Agree with this, i've been on X and have started a reply post and then quickly deleted it.....going to remove myself before i get too wound up!

[trousers]

[23rdSaint]

3 minutes ago, trousers said:

I see Blackmore's now bending over and prising his cheeks