| Throw the book at Saints 06:45 - May 19 with 2156 views | alial |
If the outcome of Spygate 2.0 is a fine and a delayed points deduction, does it really serve as a deterrent going forward?
Rumours are Southampton will receive a 6 point deduction and a £4.5m fine. In comparison to the Leeds and Spygate 1.0 seems sufficient but in the wider context seems a classic case of the punishment being the “cost of doing business” to coin a financial phrase.
For argument sake let’s say Spurs somehow get relegated and next year finish in the play offs. It would be in their interest to do whatever they could to spy on opponents, knowing the punishment will a) not touch the balance sheet and b) will hope not to be in the Championship for a long time. The precedent will be set.
It’s the difference between “the promised land” and £195.5m or a 6 point deduction next season. I think most clubs, whilst not openly admitting it, would take the edge of knowing before a play off game:
- opponents line up (there’s a reason they get released at the same time)
- Any injuries
- Set pieces
- How a team is going to press
- Etc
Some people say “well what about diving, isn’t that cheating?” and yes, it is. But it a different form of cheating. It’s in the moment, it’s not premeditated. Spying on your opponents is premeditated. There’s no plan of “after 17 mins, I am going to take on my defender in the box and then dive” but in terms of Spygate… “We will book you into this hotel, they are training at this time, this is place to watch from…”.
The only deterrent to this happening is removing Southampton out of the play offs. Otherwise it just creates another problem for the EFL the next time this happens. Or they remove this as a rule because they can’t enforce a sufficient punishment.
The reported punishment makes sense if it was in the middle of the season, that is a deterrent. But in the play offs, this is not a deterrent, it’s not a fine… it’s a tax.
I think the book needs to be thrown at Southampton. |  | | |  |
| Throw the book at Saints on 12:46 - May 19 with 172 views | Wacko |
| Throw the book at Saints on 10:18 - May 19 by Guthrum |
That doesn't cancel out the prohibition in Rule 127, which states: "...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 scheduled to be played between those respective Clubs."
It's the act of observing which is the offence, not where it takes place. If the images of someone who is apparently a Southampton staff member live-streaming, filming or photographing with his phone are genuine, then it appears to be an open-and-shut case. We can thank Marcelo Bielsa for that.
For that matter, were they on public land (e.g. a footpath), or someone else's private property adjoining the training area? |
True but it just makes it easier to deny they were spying and deny whatever they were doing was in their capacity as a Saints employee. They could’ve been FaceTiming their family and just happened to be in shot of the training pitch…
It was part of a golf club adjacent which is also owned by Steve Gibson | |
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| Throw the book at Saints on 13:12 - May 19 with 97 views | Radlett_blue |
| Throw the book at Saints on 12:36 - May 19 by Vaughan8 |
I suppose my point is, there is so much cheating in football in every game, that seems to be acceptable.
I'm not sure how much was/is gained from viewing training unless teams are setting up completely differently etc. |
Your point is fair, but the FL put in a specific rule about this after Bielsa admitted spying & it seems clear Saints are in breach. A fine seems near pointless as the money for getting to the PL is so huge so chucking them out of the play-offs seems the only sensible outcome. |  |
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| Throw the book at Saints on 13:43 - May 19 with 55 views | Bluespeed225 |
Whens the verdict due? Are they at lunch? Feel for Hull, done their bit V Millwall, just keeping their players warm, unable to prepare for an opponent. meanwhile, Saints have probably got someone up at the Hull training ground figuring they wont get caught again! | | | |
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