| Southampton Spy Gate 15:45 - May 9 with 1860 views | kizaitfc |
Surely the thing the FA need to consider is, is this the first time they have done it.
It's the first time they have been caught but have they been gaining this advantage over teams all season. Gonna be a very tough decision given where we are at in the season but it would seem the only option here is a points deduction should they lose in the 2nd leg or potentially removing them from the final and therefore Boro automatically proceed.
A fine would not seem sufficient given it is two blatant breaches of the rules and if they were to go up any fine is going to be peanuts. Also they could claim as Leicester did that they wouldn't be under efl rules any more. |  |
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| Southampton Spy Gate on 16:01 - May 9 with 1807 views | Swansea_Blue |
They closed the loophole on avoiding sanctions between leagues, but yes there does need to be an investigation to find out if there's any evidence of a pattern of cheating.
I'd want to see them kicked out of the POs if there is. That doesn't leave much time to get to the bottom of it though, so that's probably not realistic/not going to happen. |  |
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| Southampton Spy Gate on 21:22 - May 9 with 1583 views | pointofblue |
It unfortunately does put a question mark over their form since Eckert took over. How long has this been going on? Who ordered for it to take place? Have they been benefiting from it? Understandable why Hellberg said other Championship clubs should be angry - especially Wrexham. | |
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| Southampton Spy Gate on 21:37 - May 9 with 1545 views | Freddies_Ears |
| Southampton Spy Gate on 21:22 - May 9 by pointofblue |
It unfortunately does put a question mark over their form since Eckert took over. How long has this been going on? Who ordered for it to take place? Have they been benefiting from it? Understandable why Hellberg said other Championship clubs should be angry - especially Wrexham. |
You are quite right. If Southampton cheated to reach the play-offs, I.e. not just this one time at Boro, then Wrexham have been denied a pop at the Premier League.
Just as, all those years Chelsea & Man C cheated, it denied clubs such as Villa (and others) a crack at the Champions League and £100m's of income.
There is no adequate compensation or punishment likely to be handed out. In Southampton's case, automatic relegation to League 1, but that doesnt compensate Wrexham [though there suggestions they misappropriated Welsh govt funds... ah...] | | | |
| Southampton Spy Gate on 21:42 - May 9 with 1525 views | FrimleyBlue |
Im intrigued by boro apparently saying they have proof they have done it at other clubs this season
Considering the 19 game unbeaten run they could come under some serious scrutiny.
Did anyone notice the boro manager looking really annoyed in the first half. I noticed him at one point gesturing to someone when Southampton were prepping for a goal kick and it appeared to counter the way boro had pressed. After the game he said in the first half he set boro up differently to any other game and there was only one way southampton would know that. |  |
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| Southampton Spy Gate on 21:50 - May 9 with 1500 views | Bigalhunter |
| Southampton Spy Gate on 16:01 - May 9 by Swansea_Blue |
They closed the loophole on avoiding sanctions between leagues, but yes there does need to be an investigation to find out if there's any evidence of a pattern of cheating.
I'd want to see them kicked out of the POs if there is. That doesn't leave much time to get to the bottom of it though, so that's probably not realistic/not going to happen. |
Am I only person who actually finds the whole thing utterly amusing?
Conjures up images of Dad’s Army types disguising themselves as hedges whilst watching the set piece routines of the enemy.
In all seriousness, surveillance capabilities being what they are nowadays, I’m amazed it doesn’t happen far more often, particularly in the Championship play offs where the prize money is off the scale.
I’d have thought Southampton might have invested in something a little more technologically robust than a spotty lad standing on a hill and filming it on his mobile…
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| It used to great on here when people let me say whatever I wanted and giggled along - (Rough translation of post from un-named TWTD contributor, 2026) | | Poll: | September 2025. Which one? |
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| Southampton Spy Gate on 23:25 - May 9 with 1416 views | Churchman |
| Southampton Spy Gate on 21:50 - May 9 by Bigalhunter |
Am I only person who actually finds the whole thing utterly amusing?
Conjures up images of Dad’s Army types disguising themselves as hedges whilst watching the set piece routines of the enemy.
In all seriousness, surveillance capabilities being what they are nowadays, I’m amazed it doesn’t happen far more often, particularly in the Championship play offs where the prize money is off the scale.
I’d have thought Southampton might have invested in something a little more technologically robust than a spotty lad standing on a hill and filming it on his mobile…
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No, I’m with you and have found the whole thing hilarious.
Here they are paying thousands a week to players and the best they can do is a pillock with a camera phone? For what? Inside knowledge that Middlesbrough might start with eleven players?
I suspect we will soon hear the whole thing was a load of nonsense. |  | | |
| This could really hurt Saints - Boro club, manager and local press… on 00:21 - May 10 with 1321 views | unstableblue |
… really doubling down and indeed escalating the story, accusations and the apparent damage done to the Boro team effectiveness
Saints media manager had to stop post match presser with their manager |  |
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| Southampton Spy Gate on 08:09 - May 10 with 1168 views | brogansnose |
| Southampton Spy Gate on 21:50 - May 9 by Bigalhunter |
Am I only person who actually finds the whole thing utterly amusing?
Conjures up images of Dad’s Army types disguising themselves as hedges whilst watching the set piece routines of the enemy.
In all seriousness, surveillance capabilities being what they are nowadays, I’m amazed it doesn’t happen far more often, particularly in the Championship play offs where the prize money is off the scale.
I’d have thought Southampton might have invested in something a little more technologically robust than a spotty lad standing on a hill and filming it on his mobile…
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Yes, it is amusing and completly daft but if M'boro have evidence that Southampton have been doing this elsewhere and, it happened to them before when Bielsa was at Leeds, why in chuff did they not do anything to stop this especially for such a key match ? |  | | |
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| Southampton Spy Gate on 09:13 - May 10 with 1066 views | GlasgowBlue |
| Southampton Spy Gate on 08:09 - May 10 by brogansnose |
Yes, it is amusing and completly daft but if M'boro have evidence that Southampton have been doing this elsewhere and, it happened to them before when Bielsa was at Leeds, why in chuff did they not do anything to stop this especially for such a key match ? |
Wasn’t it Derby who Bielsa spied on? |  |
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| Southampton Spy Gate on 09:31 - May 10 with 1018 views | brogansnose |
| Southampton Spy Gate on 09:13 - May 10 by GlasgowBlue |
Wasn’t it Derby who Bielsa spied on? |
Apparently Bilesa admitted to sending spies out to everyone but one of the members of Leeds MI5 were caught at M'boro. I'd be quite surprised if this wasn't a bit more widespread. | | | |
| Southampton Spy Gate on 09:33 - May 10 with 1004 views | GlasgowBlue |
| Southampton Spy Gate on 09:31 - May 10 by brogansnose |
Apparently Bilesa admitted to sending spies out to everyone but one of the members of Leeds MI5 were caught at M'boro. I'd be quite surprised if this wasn't a bit more widespread. |
Really? They got a £200k fine. Saints will get much the same plus inflation imo. | |
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| Southampton Spy Gate on 09:41 - May 10 with 970 views | brogansnose |
| Southampton Spy Gate on 09:33 - May 10 by GlasgowBlue |
Really? They got a £200k fine. Saints will get much the same plus inflation imo. |
Thing is balance a fine of say 400 G, for example, with potential Premier league cash and it becomes very tempting to spy to get an edge on your opponent. Add to that the longer a team stays in the Championship after being relegated the harder it is to get out. | | | |
| Southampton Spy Gate on 11:20 - May 10 with 849 views | pointofblue |
| Southampton Spy Gate on 08:09 - May 10 by brogansnose |
Yes, it is amusing and completly daft but if M'boro have evidence that Southampton have been doing this elsewhere and, it happened to them before when Bielsa was at Leeds, why in chuff did they not do anything to stop this especially for such a key match ? |
From what I read, their training ground is downhill from a hotel and health spa so it's very difficult to set up fences etc. to prevent filming. It sounds like the Southampton analyst booked a room at the hotel and was all but filming from the car park. | |
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| Southampton Spy Gate on 11:21 - May 10 with 848 views | GeoffSentence |
| Southampton Spy Gate on 09:33 - May 10 by GlasgowBlue |
Really? They got a £200k fine. Saints will get much the same plus inflation imo. |
When Leeds were fined there were no specific regulations on spying. Southampton will be hit harder. |  |
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| Southampton Spy Gate on 11:31 - May 10 with 808 views | GeoffSentence |
How much has been made of this on social media by opposition fans? During the season proper there were lots of salty fans claiming we were cheating our way to results because we got a number of penalties. Has as much been as made of this allegation of actual cheating? | |
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| Southampton Spy Gate on 11:44 - May 10 with 796 views | ParisBlue |
| Southampton Spy Gate on 21:50 - May 9 by Bigalhunter |
Am I only person who actually finds the whole thing utterly amusing?
Conjures up images of Dad’s Army types disguising themselves as hedges whilst watching the set piece routines of the enemy.
In all seriousness, surveillance capabilities being what they are nowadays, I’m amazed it doesn’t happen far more often, particularly in the Championship play offs where the prize money is off the scale.
I’d have thought Southampton might have invested in something a little more technologically robust than a spotty lad standing on a hill and filming it on his mobile…
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The spotty lad apparently had some quite sophisticated technology on him including microphones capable of picking up what Helberg was saying.
I hope the EFL throw the book at them. It would help the EFL enormously if Boro were to beat Saints on Tuesday. |  |
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