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EFL Playoffs 25/26 (Saints booted out of final and given 4 point deduction - pg34)
Comments
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CL is an excellent forum!eastterrace6168 said:
D'ya know what, the more of these "other" forums I read just makes CL look really good and well laid out...robroy said:If anyone fancies a read of their forum when the S&*t hit the fan, here we go.
Saints Expelled from Playoffs - The Saints - SaintsWeb
Some excellent reading on there haha
I am on it with the maxim of WC Fields who said
"I wouldn't want to be a member of any club (forum) that would have me as a member"......0 -
I think this is the big risk for Southampton. The FA will investigate to find out who was involved in the decision making, who did the spying, and whether the coaches were aware of how the information was gathered. Anyone involved will get a personal punishment. But in doing this, they’ll no doubt find out whether it was only three teams spied upon, or whether it was more widespread. That evidence will be in their report, at which point the EFL can visit any additional example, and they’ve set a precedent, 2 points for each infraction. If this was systemic and frequent, they’ll be relegated before they kick off next season.letthegoodtimesroll said:I’d guess the issue for those involved is, if the FA considers they are guilty they will take action based upon those findings, which presumably means that if something else were to subsequently come to light after that they could then re-investigate and take further action. Making sure everything is disclosed from the start might have a better long term outcome for them. Obviously if that means there were other games for instance not already confessed to then the EFL would probably want to revisit the 4 points penalty already imposed. Pandora’s box may have well and truly been opened.7 -
Groucho Marx wasn't it?CharltonManor1966 said:
CL is an excellent forum!eastterrace6168 said:
D'ya know what, the more of these "other" forums I read just makes CL look really good and well laid out...robroy said:If anyone fancies a read of their forum when the S&*t hit the fan, here we go.
Saints Expelled from Playoffs - The Saints - SaintsWeb
Some excellent reading on there haha
I am on it with the maxim of WC Fields who said
"I wouldn't want to be a member of any club (forum) that would have me as a member"......1 -
Boro absolutely should take Soton’s place but they have been very fortunate to be in with a chance still. Their run since March has been awful and Soton were the better team in the second leg. I’m not defending the decision, I fully agree with it; merely pointing out that in terms of Boro’s end product on the pitch of late, they really are lucky to have a crack at going up
Of course the spying may have given Soton some advantages re; understanding set play routines and how they may be setting up, but the spying didn’t materially contribute to the result.My preference would be for Hull to go up as a) they beat the scum; and b) after everything that’s transpired, for me anyway, it just feels like the most just outcome given the disruption to their plans as well.2 -
We're a great bunch of lads to be fairCharltonManor1966 said:
CL is an excellent forum!eastterrace6168 said:
D'ya know what, the more of these "other" forums I read just makes CL look really good and well laid out...robroy said:If anyone fancies a read of their forum when the S&*t hit the fan, here we go.
Saints Expelled from Playoffs - The Saints - SaintsWeb
Some excellent reading on there haha
I am on it with the maxim of WC Fields who said
"I wouldn't want to be a member of any club (forum) that would have me as a member"......1 -
Que sera, seraKillarahales said:
“You’re not spying any more…you’re not spying any more”WRICURKINCAM said:eastterrace6168 said:
They'll be getting that back in spades next season and some...gringo said:
they should be punished for doing the "binoculars eyes" at other fans alone!Todds_right_hook said:
Individual culprits representing the club. It’s a club issue and the club should be punishedBedsaddick said:As much as it will benefit us , giving Southampton an increased points deduction after the punishment already received is just wrong . What have the fans done to deserve that ? Punish the individual culprits by all means .Every breath you take
And every move you make
Every bond you break
Every step you take
I'll be watching youEvery single day
And every word you say
Every game you play
Every night you stay
I'll be watching you
whatever will be, will be
You didn’t go to Wembley
Que sera, sera
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Hull's form has been pretty mediocre too, to be fair. In the last 10 games form table, Hull are 12th and Boro 16th, whereas Southampton are 1st and Millwall 4th.cabbles said:Boro absolutely should take Soton’s place but they have been very fortunate to be in with a chance still. Their run since March has been awful and Soton were the better team in the second leg. I’m not defending the decision, I fully agree with it; merely pointing out that in terms of Boro’s end product on the pitch of late, they really are lucky to have a crack at going up
Of course the spying may have given Soton some advantages re; understanding set play routines and how they may be setting up, but the spying didn’t materially contribute to the result.My preference would be for Hull to go up as a) they beat the scum; and b) after everything that’s transpired, for me anyway, it just feels like the most just outcome given the disruption to their plans as well.
Kind of further highlights the stupidity of it by Southampton as, imo, they just did not need to do it - they've been arguably the best side in the division in the second half of the season were plenty good enough to beat Boro and Hull (and probably Millwall) without needing to do any of this.
When was the last time we had a 5th vs 6th Championship play-off final? Goes to show the team finishing 8th next year will have a chance, however crazy it would be to get promoted from 8th place.1 -
Makes me laugh when people ask about the managers involvement. I'm sure he would have been a key part in this whole thing.3
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So how do you explain our lack of goals across the whole season? We didn’t practice any alternatives again? 😆MuttleyCAFC said:Just of the top of my head, I started out our first game of the season against Watford. The usual scuffling in the box from a corner, Doc steps in front of the player scuffling with Jones who drifts beyond the far post totally free. The corner comes in deep which Jones heads back into the box and Knibbs puts it away. That was definitely worked out on the trainig ground and if Watford knew we were going to do that, they would have stopped it. There is an advantage knowing these set piece plans.0 -
Did the EFL actually say it was two points for each separate spying incident? I don’t remember seeing that.SomervilleAddick said:
I think this is the big risk for Southampton. The FA will investigate to find out who was involved in the decision making, who did the spying, and whether the coaches were aware of how the information was gathered. Anyone involved will get a personal punishment. But in doing this, they’ll no doubt find out whether it was only three teams spied upon, or whether it was more widespread. That evidence will be in their report, at which point the EFL can visit any additional example, and they’ve set a precedent, 2 points for each infraction. If this was systemic and frequent, they’ll be relegated before they kick off next season.letthegoodtimesroll said:I’d guess the issue for those involved is, if the FA considers they are guilty they will take action based upon those findings, which presumably means that if something else were to subsequently come to light after that they could then re-investigate and take further action. Making sure everything is disclosed from the start might have a better long term outcome for them. Obviously if that means there were other games for instance not already confessed to then the EFL would probably want to revisit the 4 points penalty already imposed. Pandora’s box may have well and truly been opened.1 -
Sponsored links:
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https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/articles/cdepxek43gyoJ BLOCK said:Makes me laugh when people ask about the managers involvement. I'm sure he would have been a key part in this whole thing.
Seems he was, not surprised tbh. Think this will run and run.
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All part of the master plan, don’t practice scoring goals so the spies won’t be able to report back on how to stop us 😉valleynick66 said:
So how do you explain our lack of goals across the whole season? We didn’t practice any alternatives again? 😆MuttleyCAFC said:Just of the top of my head, I started out our first game of the season against Watford. The usual scuffling in the box from a corner, Doc steps in front of the player scuffling with Jones who drifts beyond the far post totally free. The corner comes in deep which Jones heads back into the box and Knibbs puts it away. That was definitely worked out on the trainig ground and if Watford knew we were going to do that, they would have stopped it. There is an advantage knowing these set piece plans.2 -
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He will surely be made a scapegoat and fired for this.Big William said:
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/articles/cdepxek43gyoJ BLOCK said:Makes me laugh when people ask about the managers involvement. I'm sure he would have been a key part in this whole thing.
Seems he was, not surprised tbh. Think this will run and run.
On today's Football Ramble podcast, they were discussing the idea that some of the Southampton players will have a legal claim against the club. Logic being they had relegation wage reductions in their contract that would be reinstated if promoted back to the Prem, but they have been denied the opportunity to earn that increase through no fault of their own as they had no knowledge of the spying.
Not sure what I think of that, but it doesn't sound like an outlandish case to test in court.
So many potential things to unravel from this. I'm sure Oxford are looking at this and wondering what they can do, although their case would be weakened by the fact that the 2 extra points they could argue they may have won against Soton would not have made them safe. Imagine if they'd been relegated by a point or on goal difference though?
A team finishes on zero points, a team that won the Premier League 10 years ago suffers back-to-back relegations with the largest playing squad budget in the division, and now and team is expelled from the playoffs a few days before the final. Weird old season.
Even weirder that we aren't one of the clubs caught up in any of it - usually we are a prime target for these kinds of calamities!5 -
Oxford beat Soton in the game where there was spying!Exiled_Addick said:
He will surely be made a scapegoat and fired for this.Big William said:
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/articles/cdepxek43gyoJ BLOCK said:Makes me laugh when people ask about the managers involvement. I'm sure he would have been a key part in this whole thing.
Seems he was, not surprised tbh. Think this will run and run.
On today's Football Ramble podcast, they were discussing the idea that some of the Southampton players will have a legal claim against the club. Logic being they had relegation wage reductions in their contract that would be reinstated if promoted back to the Prem, but they have been denied the opportunity to earn that increase through no fault of their own as they had no knowledge of the spying.
Not sure what I think of that, but it doesn't sound like an outlandish case to test in court.
So many potential things to unravel from this. I'm sure Oxford are looking at this and wondering what they can do, although their case would be weakened by the fact that the 2 extra points they could argue they may have won against Soton would not have made them safe. Imagine if they'd been relegated by a point or on goal difference though?
A team finishes on zero points, a team that won the Premier League 10 years ago suffers back-to-back relegations with the largest playing squad budget in the division, and now and team is expelled from the playoffs a few days before the final. Weird old season.
Even weirder that we aren't one of the clubs caught up in any of it - usually we are a prime target for these kinds of calamities!3 -
We've had quotes from the Ramble and Barry Glendenning on this thread. Love that.
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Probably in our midfield. They wouldn’t be ablesam3110 said:Where would you base yourself to spy on Charlton anyway? In the UoG campus? Up on Avery Hill Park? In Footscray playing fields?
to stop me.
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This is appears to be premeditated cheating and no matter how amateurish the spying appeared I doubt the application of knowledge gained was. It seems unlikely that these incidents were isolated and that there may be more to come. It’s fairly implausible that staff beyond the spy and head coach were unaware and I hope this is investigated. Any senior staff involved (not the junior ones who were pressured) should be sacked and banned and the club should face further action and points deductions, if further incidents emerge.
My sympathy is for those clubs who were victims of cheating, not Southampton or its fans - Would we be sympathetic if we had been relegated knowing that five points were lost in the games against this team?
Let’s hope City finally get rewarded next week! And why we are considering the possibility, how do Chelsea run £262 million losses???
These kind of issues strike at the very heart of our game. Zero tolerance!0 -
My mistake, I thought they drew. Even less of a case then, on the face of it. Still, they'd be stupid if they aren't at least consulting with their lawyers to see if they can find an angle.killerandflash said:
Oxford beat Soton in the game where there was spying!Exiled_Addick said:
He will surely be made a scapegoat and fired for this.Big William said:
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/articles/cdepxek43gyoJ BLOCK said:Makes me laugh when people ask about the managers involvement. I'm sure he would have been a key part in this whole thing.
Seems he was, not surprised tbh. Think this will run and run.
On today's Football Ramble podcast, they were discussing the idea that some of the Southampton players will have a legal claim against the club. Logic being they had relegation wage reductions in their contract that would be reinstated if promoted back to the Prem, but they have been denied the opportunity to earn that increase through no fault of their own as they had no knowledge of the spying.
Not sure what I think of that, but it doesn't sound like an outlandish case to test in court.
So many potential things to unravel from this. I'm sure Oxford are looking at this and wondering what they can do, although their case would be weakened by the fact that the 2 extra points they could argue they may have won against Soton would not have made them safe. Imagine if they'd been relegated by a point or on goal difference though?
A team finishes on zero points, a team that won the Premier League 10 years ago suffers back-to-back relegations with the largest playing squad budget in the division, and now and team is expelled from the playoffs a few days before the final. Weird old season.
Even weirder that we aren't one of the clubs caught up in any of it - usually we are a prime target for these kinds of calamities!0 -
Written reasons say that it was a 3 point deduction per offense (Ipswich and Oxford) but they reduced to 2 points per game due to the mitigating factors - 1) Southampton co- operated and 2) they plead guilty to the charges.Think they’ve got off lightly tbh.Plead guilty to the two with incriminating evidence but haven’t plead guilty to the other times they definitely have done it.0
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Sponsored links:
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https://www.efl.com/news/2026/may/21/reserve-your-copy-of-the-sky-bet-championship-play-off-final-matchday-programme/
I imagine the matchday programme compilers have had a busy couple of days, having had to junk half of the articles
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Apart from the first 10-15 mins of the second half against us, I thought they were pretty ordinary and after we beat them, I thought they were done.Exiled_Addick said:
Hull's form has been pretty mediocre too, to be fair. In the last 10 games form table, Hull are 12th and Boro 16th, whereas Southampton are 1st and Millwall 4th.cabbles said:Boro absolutely should take Soton’s place but they have been very fortunate to be in with a chance still. Their run since March has been awful and Soton were the better team in the second leg. I’m not defending the decision, I fully agree with it; merely pointing out that in terms of Boro’s end product on the pitch of late, they really are lucky to have a crack at going up
Of course the spying may have given Soton some advantages re; understanding set play routines and how they may be setting up, but the spying didn’t materially contribute to the result.My preference would be for Hull to go up as a) they beat the scum; and b) after everything that’s transpired, for me anyway, it just feels like the most just outcome given the disruption to their plans as well.
Kind of further highlights the stupidity of it by Southampton as, imo, they just did not need to do it - they've been arguably the best side in the division in the second half of the season were plenty good enough to beat Boro and Hull (and probably Millwall) without needing to do any of this.
When was the last time we had a 5th vs 6th Championship play-off final? Goes to show the team finishing 8th next year will have a chance, however crazy it would be to get promoted from 8th place.I thought they were very good when they played Millwall and I enjoyed their second half performance (not just for the obvious reasons).I agree with you though, 5th vs 6th on that form going into. Very odd0 -
"Southampton's spying on rival clubs was authorised by head coach Tonda Eckert and was a "contrived and determined plan from the top down", an independent disciplinary commission ruled."
Dead man walking3 -
but would they have been so good if they hadn't cheated and had tactical insight allowing them to play more effectively?Exiled_Addick said:
Hull's form has been pretty mediocre too, to be fair. In the last 10 games form table, Hull are 12th and Boro 16th, whereas Southampton are 1st and Millwall 4th.cabbles said:Boro absolutely should take Soton’s place but they have been very fortunate to be in with a chance still. Their run since March has been awful and Soton were the better team in the second leg. I’m not defending the decision, I fully agree with it; merely pointing out that in terms of Boro’s end product on the pitch of late, they really are lucky to have a crack at going up
Of course the spying may have given Soton some advantages re; understanding set play routines and how they may be setting up, but the spying didn’t materially contribute to the result.My preference would be for Hull to go up as a) they beat the scum; and b) after everything that’s transpired, for me anyway, it just feels like the most just outcome given the disruption to their plans as well.
Kind of further highlights the stupidity of it by Southampton as, imo, they just did not need to do it - they've been arguably the best side in the division in the second half of the season were plenty good enough to beat Boro and Hull (and probably Millwall) without needing to do any of this.
When was the last time we had a 5th vs 6th Championship play-off final? Goes to show the team finishing 8th next year will have a chance, however crazy it would be to get promoted from 8th place.1 -
Gravesend_Addick said:"Southampton's spying on rival clubs was authorised by head coach Tonda Eckert and was a "contrived and determined plan from the top down", an independent disciplinary commission ruled."
Dead man walking
The way football is I would not be surprised that there has been a meeting with Eckert and the board and he has agreed to carry the can for a hefty pay off.
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Eckert probably should be sacked but he’s clearly a very good coach who they’d groomed for the top job. He obviously got promoted sooner than planned. In an ideal they’d want to keep hold of him and I doubt he’ll struggle for work, even if it’s not in this country. Whatever you think, they played some brilliant football this season.0
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Worth noting the Charlton connection here. Ben Garner is Eckert’s right hand man and Ben Reeves is also a first team coach, both you’d expect would know this is wrong! What a mess and a shame if they are involved in this nonsense.0
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Absolutely- I stand corrected. My apologiescafcfan said:
Groucho Marx wasn't it?CharltonManor1966 said:
CL is an excellent forum!eastterrace6168 said:
D'ya know what, the more of these "other" forums I read just makes CL look really good and well laid out...robroy said:If anyone fancies a read of their forum when the S&*t hit the fan, here we go.
Saints Expelled from Playoffs - The Saints - SaintsWeb
Some excellent reading on there haha
I am on it with the maxim of WC Fields who said
"I wouldn't want to be a member of any club (forum) that would have me as a member"......0 -
Good point 😉fenaddick said:.0
