Ian Halstead

🚨🤓 Southampton Spygate personal view: 1. Expect the breaches will be straightforward to establish (ie liability) and almost certainly admitted to try and get some sanction credit/discount 2. Expect aggravating factors such as other examples of Soton spying this year to be raised 3. Fundamental question of how serious a breach of rule 127 and good faith is will be key. We know good faith alone was £200k in the Leeds case. The new rule makes it worse and spying obviously seeks a sporting advantage - why else do it? So that does point to sporting sanction of some sort 4. Being thrown out of the Play Offs appears excessive especially given Southampton finished 7 points clear of 6th and 9 clear of 7th 5. A 3-0 in the first leg would have been an option again excessive retrospectively unless 2nd leg re-playable (not feasible) 6. More likely sanction is points deduction next season in the Championship as much as that won't help Middlesboro 7. Unlikely that the PL will take a points deduction recommendation from the EFL (no fixed rule) - doubt EFL will push for it, so would apply in first season back in Championship (when and if) 8. My best guess is SIX EFL points in first season in EFL and £500k-£1m fine 9. Boro compensation claim can be dealt with separately subject to any claim brought by Boro - difficult claim to establish due to causation issues