𝔻𝕠𝕟𝕒𝕝𝕕 𝕸𝖈𝕽𝖔𝖓𝖆𝖑𝖉 🇬🇧

@IamBalhamMatt That is your logic

@GayoCaesar Taking the emotion out of it. Only logic please.

#SaintsFC #boro #Spygate Taking the emotion out of it, if a club is exposed, for example, as instructing their players to foul high up the pitch to prevent opponents’ counterattacks, should that also be punished with expulsion and points deductions? Is that also not cheating?

@IamBalhamMatt @LTCwolf What would a proportionate punishment be then? Sick of Soton supporters keep saying the punishment is too harsh without saying what should be in its place. I suspect that's because "do nothing and let us get promoted after being caught cheating" is what they think should happen

@LTCwolf Can say “that’s what fines were invented for”. Can then also say free kicks and yellows obviously don’t discourage the cheating. Same argument. Disproportionate punishment.

@sistoney67 @SouthamptonFC How can the club be confident (rather than just hopeful) that it will be overturned? Have they been spying on preliminary meetings of the appeals board too?

Told @SouthamptonFC lawyers were intending to work overnight re EFL appeal given time they were getting the precise reasons for decision. Club feel punishment exceptionally excessive, compared to Leeds. Club staff told by chief executive Phil Parsons club are confident yesterday's decision will be reversed. All parties agreed to get situation dealt with today so match can take place on Saturday.

So if Southampton were to have a man sent off on Saturday for a slide tackle from behind, will they say it's not fair because Billy Bremmer did something similar in 1976 and only got a telling off? Like that, the rules change in football. When Leeds did it, there was no specific rule against it. Now there is

@saintsfcmemes That's like a bank robber whose plot was foiled claiming that the police taking action against their attempted heist is effectively a £1 million fine

Effectively a 200 mill fine for a nipper behind a tree with his phone. Mental. He didn’t make Boro miss 100 chances in the first leg ffs 😂

@dkaustin87 @sub2pewdsONyt Whereas turning a blind eye to Southampton's cheating and allowing them to get promoted to the Premier League anyway would have had no ramifications?

@sub2pewdsONyt I think you mean the EFL who have opened a huge can of worms for themselves with this ruling

Everyone needs to calm down, put X away and get a good night’s sleep. The punishment is completely disproportionate to the crime and the club are right to appeal it #saintsfc

@dkaustin87 What would be appropriate then?

@pjsuffolk @TJ_DCFC Riiiiggghhht, so the big clubs who can afford multi-million pound training facilities with mile high fences and barbed wire can have yet another advantage over the smaller teams who have no choice but to train on grounds visible to the public

@TJ_DCFC It shouldn’t be a banned activity. Not if you’re filming from an external public place. Southampton should be reinstated. (Or, if they are guilty of cheating they should be relegated to lowest level of the pyramid - that should apply to ALL cheating teams).

Leeds got a fine when they did it to us, but Saints get completely thrown out and a points deduction😂😂EFL pick the punishments out of a hat I swear

@TJ_DCFC In 1965 you could drive back from the pub after drinking 10 pints. In 2026 you'd lose your license for doing the same. Is that because? A) Police just pick punishments out of a hat B) New laws specific to that offence were drafted in that period

@NikeKluge @FBAwayDays I'm guessing you have no qualifications to give legal advice, am I right?

@FBAwayDays If i’m southampton i would issue an injunction and sue the EFL. If they lose they will have to stand a million in legal costs.If they win its 110 mill. Clever gamble on a 50-50 case.For EFL if they win they just get costs if they lose i suspect they bankrupt. Test their resolve

Regardless of whether Southampton have done wrong or not, how can they expel them so close to the game? Fans will have spent money booking trains, tickets and hotels. You really do have to feel for them. 🤯🫣

@Raking5 @EFL_Comms @KieranMaguire For the same reason I could get in my car in 1966 after drinking 10 pints and get a stern telling off by the local bobby, but in 2026 would lose my licence and spend a night in the cells. Laws change

@EFL_Comms @KieranMaguire So when Leeds did it, was a slap wrist & fine. When Southampton does it, thrown out of Play-Offs & points deduction. Where's the consistency? Make it make sense?

An Independent Disciplinary Commission has today expelled Southampton from the Sky Bet Championship Play-Offs after the Club admitted to multiple breaches of EFL Regulations related to the unauthorised filming of other Clubs’ training. In addition, the Club has received a four-point deduction that will be applied to the 2026/27 Championship table. The effect of today’s order is that Middlesbrough are reinstated into the 2026 Play-Offs and will proceed to the Play-Off Final against Hull City. The final remains scheduled for Saturday 23 May, with the kick-off time to be confirmed. 📘 efl.com/news/2026/may/…

@Agunbay01 @thefootballpark @EFL_Comms I raise you "Don't do the crime, if you can't do the time"

@thefootballpark @EFL_Comms Yes, they filmed training sessions. Yes, it's against the rules. But the punishment doesn't fit the crime.

@Bigalanh5 What does then? People need to stop complaining about the punishment unless you suggest what the alternative should have been

Unbelievably ridiculous decision being kicked out the Play Off Final for a useless bit of video! The punishment no way fits the crime!

@tonywbrown @Paul_Newman66 What would be the benefit of not punishing people for breaking the rules if that rule breaking was futile?

@Paul_Newman66 Agree completely, what actual benefit was gained from "spying" anyway? What are they going to find that they didn't see in Boro's 46 league games? Completely over the top.

Ridiculous decision. Huge sympathy for Southampton

@Paul_Newman66 What should have happened then?

@AdamCrafton_ @TheAthleticFC Rubbish, would be thrown out in 10 mins. You can't base a claim on the assumption that you would have beaten Hull and been offered a new contract as result

NEW @TheAthleticFC Southampton players exploring their options regarding legal action against the club if the English Football League’s verdict to expel them from the Championship play-off final is upheld. Potential loss of earnings etc etc. nytimes.com/athletic/72922…

@lgreensmith7 @SaintsExtra @TeleFootball When someone says "I can't answer that question because there is an ongoing investigation" there is a 95% chance they're guilty. Even criminal cases aren't thrown out because someone protests their innocence before a trial, let alone an accusation of breaking industry rules

@SaintsExtra @TeleFootball Makes sense why he couldn’t answer this question 🤥 x.com/secondtierpod/…

🚨 BREAKING: Southampton manager Tonda Eckert admitted he was responsible for the decision to spy on opponents — his key defence was that, since the practice is widespread on the continent, he had no idea he was breaking English football rules #saintsfc @TeleFootball

@SaintsExtra @TeleFootball That's not a defence, it's a mitigation and a bad one at that

@SaintsExtra @TeleFootball So basically "I'm prepared to go out of my way to get inside information, but can't be arsed to glean information about what I'm allowed to do or not" You can't both have a keen eye for detail and not care about details