Bob Smith

@rugbystar20 @secondtierpod @mattdeanbbc Yeah, as usual a club and its fans being let down by idiots at the top

@secondtierpod @mattdeanbbc As a hull fan I find that slightly embarrassing tbh

Acun Ilicali has confirmed that Hull will take legal action should they not win the Play-off final 😬 (Via: @mattdeanbbc)

@secondtierpod @mattdeanbbc What a muppet... Everyone had sympathy for Hull for the uncertainty they've faced, but the match is still the match and threatening to throw your toys out of the pram if you lose is pathetic.

@lifelongsaint83 @dowster123 They probably want to take a bit more time to understand everything before reaching a decision. To be honest, while his reputation is tarnished, Eckert is still probably the best man to lead the Saints next season.

@dowster123 I dunno, while I think being kicked out is harsh I can accept it and understand. He should be sacked, pissed off he still hasn't been.

If Boro win they should be embarrassed, lost the game that counted (That wasn't spied on) and have had many more days to prepare for Hull than Hull have had to prepare for them! Don't deserve to be in the final and have an unfair advantage (not that they care about that)

@dkaustin87 Here's an idea for you, David. Shut up. You cheated, and you didn't get away with it. Maybe avoid cheating next time.

@dkaustin87 @MickMyers72 @henrywinter Any points deduction would be applied this season, since that's when the offence occurred. Ten points docked and you'd be out of the play-offs anyway. The result is the same.

@dkaustin87 @henrywinter It's not glee, I sensed a note of sadness, but he just doesn't have red and white tinted glasses on. The vast majority of the football community is on Middlesbrough's side here, they were the team that were cheated, and Saints fans need to move on and rebuild for next season.

@StuartJones7 @Yate5y Which part of "log off Twitter" did you not follow? You're making yourself look silly. Stop moaning, have a good summer, watch the world cup, and come back in August to watch Southampton go again.

@Yate5y Not me mush. Look through my tweets from the last 10 years - I don’t want to see us in the Premier League. Now answer the question you noddy. 🤡

What form of cheating has more impact on a result of a game? Blatantly diving in the penalty area to con ref in to awarding a penalty or A lad with an iPhone recording a segment of an open training session from 100metres? One gets a yellow card, the other gets a sanction worth up to £200m Both are deliberate cheating. #saintsfc

@Johnsonator85 @saintspins And not just that, the £200m is just collateral anyway. The immediate issue was they cheated their way through a knockout competition and the team they cheated were reinstated in their place. That would happen the same in the 1st round of the FA Cup with little money at stake

@saintspins You’ve not been fined £200m, that notions needs putting to bed. You had a football match to win first. It’s like me saying my partner has done me out of £80m for not letting me buy a euromillions ticket. Grow up.

If the EFL had any balls whatsoever they would just promote Hull automatically. Putting Boro into the final just create's another headache should they beat Hull, when Hull have been preparing to face us for the last 10 days. £200k for Leeds. £200m for Saints. Farcical.

@rudiehlela3 @SCFCDan_ @RobTanfield @saintspins Obviously not. They just punished the immediate issue which was Southampton beating Boro unfairly. The matches against Oxford and Ipswich didn't result in any meaningful gains because they lost and drew those, whereas the Middlesbrough win was in a knockout competition.

@SCFCDan_ @RobTanfield @saintspins Exactly, they’ve obv taken into account the likelihood of them winning the final and progressing to the prem as the real punishment here

@saintspins It's not your problem any more. Go and enjoy your summer, and look forward to making back those four points next season.

@Saintal1976 If the ref sees you doing that he'll book you or send you off. That's an in-game penalty. The spying happened outside the game and there was no ref to handle it, so it's up to the commission to look at it afterwards.

Can someone explain to me the difference between gamesmanship and cheating. If you dive for a penalty or fain injury to get someone sent off that's gamesmanship but if you film a team training on a phone that has no impact on 2 games that's cheating #SaintsFC

@flexyfnr @oaktowers @EFL_Comms @EFL You must have known this was on the cards

@oaktowers @EFL_Comms @EFL it’s nothing about that it’s about the fans who wasted money on travels hotels anything it’s wrong and only refunding tickets is a joke

A League Arbitration Panel has today dismissed Southampton Football Club’s appeal against the Independent Disciplinary Commission’s decision in respect of breaches of EFL Regulations. As a result, the original sanction remains in force. Southampton’s expulsion from the Sky Bet Championship Play-Offs stands, alongside the four-point deduction to be applied to the Club’s 2026/27 Championship record and the reprimand in respect of all charges. In accordance with EFL Regulations, the decision of the League Arbitration Panel is final. Following the conclusion of the proceedings, the Sky Bet Championship Play-Off Final between Hull City and Middlesbrough is confirmed as taking place at Wembley Stadium on Saturday 23 May, kicking off at 3.30pm. #EFL

@leftfooter87 @henrywinter They've been training. This has been on the cards since before the second leg so nobody should be surprised.

@henrywinter Wouldn't the boro players have gone on their holidays after losing the second leg? Surely they've not been prepping for the final?

Jeepers, peepers, Southampton lose appeal. Correct decision. Cheating is cheating. Hull City will play Middlesbrough in Saturday’s Championship play-off final at 3.30pm at Wembley. Time for some contrition and reflection at St Mary’s. Time for reimbursing their fans and rebuilding their damaged reputation. Must be doubts over Tonda Eckert’s job now.

@tomcliffordcfc @henrywinter Have you even been following this case? They didn't "deservedly lose" because Southampton cheated in their game against them

@henrywinter Middlesbrough shouldn't be in the final, they deservedly lost over 2 legs, Hull should go straight up imo

@Thedouglout79 @henrywinter Maybe that's your "basic instinct", Michael but ultimately Middlesbrough lost as a result of cheating and Soton gaining an unfair advantage. It's clear they have to be given another chance.

@henrywinter Hull done nothing wrong and have come out worse than anyone. Unable to prepare properly as didn’t know who playing until tonight Boro shouldn’t be reinstated, Hull just awarded promotion but EFL can’t miss out on a Wembley payday can they

@MaximusDaveus @henrywinter Change the record, Maximus. You lost, it's over.

@henrywinter Hull should be auto promoted or milwall should have opportunity. Beating them over 200 minutes isn’t cheating. You’ve gone off the mental end of this. Read Henry’s views, much more nuance and on the money. Boro shouldn’t be anywhere near the final.

@henrywinter The right outcome, I'm so pleased the panel had the courage to uphold the verdict.

@redgolf99 @DaveHo1mes It has zero merit, and although "thrown out of a competition" sounds harsh, it's a knockout and they cheated their way through the last round. Not really rocket science. Hope the commission holds its nerve.

@DaveHo1mes The appeal argument that the punishment is too severe has much merit. There have been many episodes of cheating in varying disguises over the years, don't remember any club being thrown out of a competition. Not Anderlecht, not Sheffield Wednesday, not Leeds or any others.

I’d argue Hull have a better argument to be promoted than Southampton have for their punishment to be reduced. The reality is they’ll probably just stick with what the first panel decided, Southampton effectively cheated teams out of their chance to be in the playoffs so their argument has no merit.

@David199363 @SaintsExtra @TheLawyerCSmith I don't understand why it began at 18:00. Most of us thought it had been going on all day and that a verdict would come by evening

@SaintsExtra @TheLawyerCSmith Been nearly 2 hours and that’s the only update. Gonna be here all night at this rate

🚨 Southampton have called in Lord Pannick KC - who has represented Manchester City in recent years - to act in their appeal tonight #saintsfc @TheLawyerCSmith

@Matthew63538264 @Luke_Sutt @slimplimmy4253 @EFL The ball boy was holding on to the ball and refusing to hand it over when Boro wanted to take a quick throw. We all saw what happened. His job is either to put it on the stand, or hand it over to the player, not to help his team by holding it tight.

@BobSmith220 @Luke_Sutt @slimplimmy4253 @BenPalmer78 @EFL Southampton have plenty to be ashamed about, but not the ball boy. This was Matt Target & Boro time wasting. It was poor behaviour from the player wrestling it off the ball boy.

If any players cheats on Saturday… dive, fake injury, time wasting, deliberate handball etc, should we expect the result to be immediately awarded to the other team @EFL?