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I’m torn between wanting this goal to be recreated by another one of our players or this living on as legend #oufc

@Stuartjamess For us it would be the preferred punishment but there would have had to be a full scale, timely investigation to conclude that. The current proposed sanction is far too lenient

@_JackMerry Agreed, tbh that’s what should have happened. I personally think the fact they lied and tried to cover it up should mean they were demoted anyway as the way they behaved was a disgrace. Demotion would have been a better punishment.

What should’ve happened; Southampton expelled for multiple events of spying - Hull win by forfeit (no other team to play regardless of legibility) Further investigation goes on into how far Spygate went before any financial or league point deduction is applied

The fine would be enough to compensate the clubs impacted through loss of earning, success bonuses and wages Point deduction should be at a minimum 2pts per team spied on plus 3 for the offence The expulsion for the league is tricky. You’d have to un-relegate/reinstate a team

From the outcome of the investigation, if further instances of spying are discovered from geo tracking phones, checking payments for hotels and alike you would then get one of the following Big fine, big point deduction (or both) and if severe enough, expulsion from the league

Boro to beat Hull and really rub the salt in Southamptons wounds

Gutted for Hearts

😳 This is brutal! A footballer nearly lost his foot during a match In the Honduran league, Romario Da Silva collided with an opponent, lost his footing, and suffered a horrific fracture. Warning: the footage is not for the faint-hearted!

@limmylammy If what I have said has alluded to me letting terrible refs off the hook I can only apologise. Officiating needs to start from the ground up with proper training, a reform of this needs to happen but we both know it won’t happen any time soon

@_JackMerry It’s definitely not possible as long as people excuse human incompetence and or corruption by blaming it on an inanimate piece of technology. Your completely letting terrible refs off the hook by claiming it on VAR

VAR was introduced to stop goals being given that should not have been awarded. It was a preventative measure that would make sure it did not lead to teams winning the league or teams losing the league title wrongly In theory a great idea In reality a disaster Scrap it

@limmylammy Liam I’m struggling to see your hopeful outcome of this dialogue. I want Arsenal to win the league. I want better tech in football but I don’t think the way VAR is managed is the solution. I want better consistent refs in all leagues but that’s not possible

@_JackMerry And yet you’re fine with incompetent referees playing a role in your clubs fortunes. Fucking cuckold behaviour lol

@limmylammy I support a team who was battling for 2 seasons to stay in the championship. I’m a season ticket holder, have been for years. I care about my team, passionate and devout. Wherever Oxford United are, whatever league I’ll be there, even with the poor standards on both ends

@_JackMerry That’s easy to say for a fan of a team not actually competing for anything from a fan that happy with that. No different from people arguing who cares Southampton were cheating they should be allowed promotion over team that have been honest

@limmylammy As for the hypotheticals and refereeing. The standard of officiating in the EFL is dogshit and inconsistent but we have to live with it and that’s okay. We’d rather professional and consistent ref’s than VAR all day

@limmylammy Our owners are some of the richest men in Indonesia, one of the richest men from Saudi is potentially going to invest in the club from some reports I have read which seems promising in the bid for a stadium the club would actually own since 2001

@limmylammy Who knows! It’ll probably be past my lifetime if that were to ever happen. A lot of the older football fans who have supported the team without VAR won’t be around and the younger generation who’ve grown up with VAR won’t care. I don’t look forward, I only look at the now

@_JackMerry Exactly what all anti VAR lot should do. If Oxford Utd somehow managed to get themselves in the premiership and then ended up being relegated due to refereeing incompetence I would be just as furious as if it happened to Arsenal. Id happily bet everything I own you would be too

@_JackMerry Glad you agree. Takes a lot to admit you’ve been successfully brainwashed.

@_JackMerry I didn’t say you hated Arsenal. I personally think the incessant narrative around this call has just had an effect on people’s opinions. Really it was the correct call and VAR did the exact job it was brought in to do.

@TheArsenalDan If you look at my later tweets you’ll see I don’t hate Arsenal

@_JackMerry Arsenal get a correct decision and suddenly everyone wants to change the rules? 🤣

@limmylammy Tell you what, I’ll shut up and stick to EFL football being grateful my team won’t have to play with VAR in the near future

@_JackMerry Considering the opinion of someone who would like the funniest outcome regardless of fairness or sporting integrity would be an absolute travesty and luckily is never going to happen

@limmylammy It’s funny how that would look but I’m not anti anyone other than Oxfords direct rivals. I don’t follow a prem team but if I did it would be Villa (as it’s where I live now) or Arsenal (as it’s my uncles team). Like I said though, that game should’ve finished 1-1

@_JackMerry And honestly looking at your timeline and all that anti Arsenal retweets it’s very clear you would love VAR if it somehow lost Arsenal the league title this is such disingenuous bullshit

My take: the ball hitting a hand is not always a handball offence. You have to either 1.) deliberately touch the ball with your hand, or 2.) ball hits your hand/arm when it's made your body unnaturally bigger. This isn't deliberate, and if the ball hits his hand - which is on his forehead in the middle of a normal footballing challenge - he hasn't made his body unnaturally bigger. Because the ball would have hit his head anyway, so his hand on his head does not make his body unnaturally bigger. Furthermore, VAR can only recommend an on-field review for a clear and obvious error. There is only one camera angle available, which does not show that the referee has missed a clear and obvious error. We can't see clearly where the ball hits. This is categorically not what VAR was brought in for, and it all needs ripped up in the summer. This is a really poor look for Scottish football, as you can see from the international condemnation online since the game. You really have to feel for Hearts. Unless you're a Celtic fan of course, that must have been class. But if you're not a Celtic fan. Deary me. Could be a generation defining decision, never mind season defining!

One for the “it works well in other leagues” crew. VAR has fundamentally ruined football. Get it gone.