| Spying 09:16 - May 9 with 2040 views | Defender110 |
I see Southampton have been charged with spying on the training at Middlesbrough, contravening EFL rules.
Given their recent winnings run and their seemingly amazing ability to change formation/tactics each game, is it fair to say they might have cheated? Does it really make that much difference?
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| Spying on 09:21 - May 9 with 1995 views | DarkBrandon |
You’d think it could make quite a difference. Certainly if the opposition were training with a different formation, or trying out free-kick routines.
Hard to think of a suitable punishment. During the season a points deduction maybe, but I’d come down pretty hard on this sort of thing. I’d probably boot them out of the play-offs entirely.
That could have some funny effect on the final … where Boro wouldn’t have played for a while and might be rusty … or might be a lot fresher than the other side … but a fine doesn’t seem to cut it to me. |  | | |
| Spying on 09:49 - May 9 with 1928 views | SuperKieranMcKenna |
It’s a bit sad isn’t it the parachute team spying. Maybe it gives them a small edge but surely there’s only so much you can learn from a training session.
It will be interesting though to see who is in whose head now. It does make me want Boro to beat them. | | | |
| Spying on 10:07 - May 9 with 1848 views | Blue_Heath |
They should dock two goals so they start play offs on a -2 score. | |
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| Spying on 10:08 - May 9 with 1851 views | gosblue |
Saints Performance Analyst charged with being thick. If that had been me I would have turned up in a golf outfit including cap and sunglasses. Or better still.a golf outfit with dark glasses and Middlesbrough baseball cap. | | | |
| Spying on 10:25 - May 9 with 1768 views | Cafe_Newman |
| Spying on 10:07 - May 9 by Blue_Heath |
They should dock two goals so they start play offs on a -2 score. |
Saints should have a 3-goal penalty or Eckert should be replaced by Russell Martin for both legs. |  |
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| Spying on 10:40 - May 9 with 1695 views | WeWereZombies |
| Spying on 10:25 - May 9 by Cafe_Newman |
Saints should have a 3-goal penalty or Eckert should be replaced by Russell Martin for both legs. |
Hmmm, a three goal penalty seems a bit lenient to me but replacing Eckert with Martin is way over the top. |  |
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| Spying on 10:42 - May 9 with 1694 views | John_Warks_Willy |
It really is pathetic and just pure cheating. How people actually get to the decision that this is a good and acceptable idea is beyond me [Post edited 9 May 10:54]
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| Spying on 10:51 - May 9 with 1661 views | Cafe_Newman |
| Spying on 10:42 - May 9 by John_Warks_Willy |
It really is pathetic and just pure cheating. How people actually get to the decision that this is a good and acceptable idea is beyond me [Post edited 9 May 10:54]
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Signs of desperation too. It's a long trek from Southampton to Middlesbrough. What were they thinking? | |
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| Spying on 10:55 - May 9 with 1637 views | Mercian |
| Spying on 09:21 - May 9 by DarkBrandon |
You’d think it could make quite a difference. Certainly if the opposition were training with a different formation, or trying out free-kick routines.
Hard to think of a suitable punishment. During the season a points deduction maybe, but I’d come down pretty hard on this sort of thing. I’d probably boot them out of the play-offs entirely.
That could have some funny effect on the final … where Boro wouldn’t have played for a while and might be rusty … or might be a lot fresher than the other side … but a fine doesn’t seem to cut it to me. |
It that were to happen the whole play off structure would need to change. If one team was to get a bye into the final it should be Millwall not Boro. [Post edited 9 May 11:36]
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| Spying on 10:57 - May 9 with 1614 views | DarkBrandon |
| Spying on 10:55 - May 9 by Mercian |
It that were to happen the whole play off structure would need to change. If one team was to get a bye into the final it should be Millwall not Boro. [Post edited 9 May 11:36]
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Hmm. That’s a good point.
Probably all too late. The Wrexham players are probably all on the beach now. Literally. So swapping them in for Saints wouldn’t work. [Post edited 9 May 10:59]
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| Spying on 11:00 - May 9 with 1588 views | LandOfMickyStockwell |
In the spirit of possible wacky punishments:
Southampton will have to nominate where they're going to kick the ball on their first six set pieces (free kicks / corners / penalties).
Boro's complaint seems to imply they were trying a plan B which they didn't bother to deploy during their end of season collapse. In reality, I expect the only difference Boro could have is whether Hackney is fit to play or not. |  | | |
| Spying on 11:18 - May 9 with 1507 views | FrimleyBlue |
Apparently, Boro are going to prove that Southampton have done it at other clubs. |  |
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| Spying on 11:22 - May 9 with 1487 views | WeWereZombies |
| Spying on 11:18 - May 9 by FrimleyBlue |
Apparently, Boro are going to prove that Southampton have done it at other clubs. |
Oh, this is looking good. Immediate points deduction for Southampton gets them relegated alongside Leicester thereby reprieving Matt Bloomfield's Oxford United. An unfit Wrexham get tonked by Middlesborough today in front of the full Hollywood media circus expecting their fairy tale ending. | |
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| Spying on 11:47 - May 9 with 1441 views | BloomBlue |
6 point deduction at the start of next season for that. |  | | |
| Spying on 11:54 - May 9 with 1402 views | Illinoisblue |
Saints claiming their analyst was a lone wolf is laughable. The EFL are in an impossible situation now regarding punishment. What a mess |  |
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| Spying on 12:03 - May 9 with 1366 views | FrimleyBlue |
| Spying on 11:54 - May 9 by Illinoisblue |
Saints claiming their analyst was a lone wolf is laughable. The EFL are in an impossible situation now regarding punishment. What a mess |
if found guilty, they should be disqualified from play offs
as if an analyst would travel from southampton to boro midweek within 72 hours of a game, with equipment without the club knowing
If boro are also proving he's done it at other clubs ( im assuming they've sent his photo to other clubs who have verified his visits on their own cctvs) then there isn't any other option but to disqualify them.
19 games unbeaten, what if the last 7 of those their analyst worked alone... | |
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| Spying on 13:31 - May 9 with 1226 views | Mercian |
| Spying on 11:47 - May 9 by BloomBlue |
6 point deduction at the start of next season for that. |
Then i hope they go up. | | | |
| Spying on 14:40 - May 9 with 1137 views | Churchman |
I gather the perpetrator was a bloke with a brummie accent, dinky beard and a coffee cup glued to his hand. He said when questioned that he was doing a bit of scouting for a newly promoted Premier League club because he does all of that before signing all the rubbish players. The penalty for building the aeroplane while in flight. Hmmmm, I wonder who it might be? Allegedly.
As it goes, the story is hilarious as was the Saints fans doing the imaginary binoculars. If there is any truth in it, which I doubt, what is the benefit? These teams have seen each other over 46 games and what they dont know about each other isn't worth knowing.
Crazy. [Post edited 9 May 14:43]
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| Spying on 14:57 - May 9 with 1087 views | Exiled2Surrey |
| Spying on 11:00 - May 9 by LandOfMickyStockwell |
In the spirit of possible wacky punishments:
Southampton will have to nominate where they're going to kick the ball on their first six set pieces (free kicks / corners / penalties).
Boro's complaint seems to imply they were trying a plan B which they didn't bother to deploy during their end of season collapse. In reality, I expect the only difference Boro could have is whether Hackney is fit to play or not. |
That is my guess - that they wanted to know whether Hackney was going to play. | | | |
| Spying on 15:46 - May 9 with 1032 views | WeWereZombies |
AI tells me that this is not the first instance of a team 'spying' on another team and the shocking thing is that the first time it happened the perpetrator was a team normally so fair minded, balanced and pure that you can scarcely believe it of them:
'The Original "Spygate" (2019): Leeds United was fined £200,000 for observing a Derby County training session, which prompted a change in regulations.
Rule 127: Following the 2019 incident, the EFL introduced a rule stating that "no club shall directly or indirectly observe (or attempt to observe) another club's training session in the period of 72 hours prior to any match".
Other Instances: Outside of England, this tactic has appeared elsewhere, including the 2024 Olympic Games, where the Canadian women’s football team was sanctioned for using drones to spy on New Zealand's training sessions. ' | |
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