@k-p-in-spain - some of the comments on the BBC are interesting in as much as they say it is much a do about nothing because the game was won on the pitch over two legs! Also saying that it should affectively be ignored as there would have been no advantage gained.
Many people appear to be missing the point entirely - one even said that Hull should be promoted as we didn’t deserve to win!
Absolutely. What an utterly vile club. They cheat then try to delay the investigation. The Boro coach is pelted. Ayling receives discriminatory abuse. Their fans and apparently their players like to make fun of the serious situation. A ball boy refuses to release the ball. Their manager postures obnoxiously on the sidelines and storms out of two press conferences when asked about spying.
The contrast between Hellberg’s dignified demeanour and Eckert’s vile behaviour couldn’t be greater.
So now, I desperately want Hull and old boys Crooks, Giles and McNair to win the playoffs. and I think Southampton should be punished as severely as possible. I hope Steve Gibson pushes this all the way.
A FEW FINAL THOUGHTS
At the start of the season we’d all have taken finishing in the top 6.
As the season unfolded it became clear that finishing second was realistic. The team played good football. But an inability to beat lower teams towards the end of the season prevented this. The reasons were the lack of 2 decent goal scorers and poor options on the bench.
The playoffs were exciting and the players gave everything.
So, it’s onwards and upwards with more challenges.
I agree with Pedro - hopefully we’ll get decent money for Hackney. I expect Premiership teams will show an interest in Morris and Malanda and there needs to be a lot of departures of fringe players - not easy when they have contracts and possibly not a lot of interested clubs.
That’s tomorrow’s problem. Today is for the coach, players and staff to take a rest.
Finally the spying will have its own timetable and outcome. It’s irrelevant to me simply because I can’t see the likely decisions benefitting Boro.
Happy summer to all
Philip from Huddersfield 👍👋🤗
@clive-hurren - That ball person ( he was no boy) should face some disciplinary action as I have reason to believe that he may be a member of the Southampton under 18 squad……….
@boro-beckys-dad. Yes I have been reading the comments on the Echo and astounded by the number of supporters who think this is all a non issue and it is Boro just stirring it up as we lost.
They are missing the point entirely, do we want the beautiful game or the corrupt game where anything goes and if you breach the rules there are little or no consequences.
I wasn’t aware of this. Perhaps SG should send it to the EFL and ask for the panel’s ruling before end of week:
My fear is that there will be lawyers involved now and they will pick over every EFL rule and may argue that their client is allowed 14 days to respond to any charges under EFL regulations - even though the final is in 10 days. Also not sure what 'earliest opportunity' actually means in terms of timetabling a hearing - surely if it doesn't happen before the weekend then it would be logistically impossible to make arrangements for a Wembley final in less than a week. Maybe it could end up as a two-legged home and away final if Southampton are expelled? The most likely is Hull will therefore be promoted by default.
The EFL Statement read:
The charges relate to the following Regulations:
- EFL Regulation 3.4, which requires Clubs to act towards each other with the utmost good faith; and
- EFL Regulation 127, which prohibits any Club from observing, or attempting to observe, another Club’s training session within 72 hours of a scheduled match between the two Clubs.
Under EFL Regulations, Southampton would ordinarily have 14 days to respond to the charges. However, given the nature of the matter, the EFL will ask the Independent Disciplinary Commission to shorten the response period and to list a hearing at the earliest opportunity.
The League will make no further comment whilst proceedings are ongoing.
EXMIL CHALLENGE 2026 - Semifinal Resuls
I have posted the semifinal results on the relevant Social Club site and I will post the final rules later.
Come on BORO.
It reiterates my earlier point of a window for decision being extremely tight time wise - it says tickets for the final are due to go on sale tomorrow at Southampton so unless the EFL make a statement before then on whether they can sell tickets it's going to be difficult to roll everything back.
The other point is that the EFL have sold the rights to that final too so have to keep to their contract - one feels a decision is required before midday tomorrow to avoid a complete farce. But what about the right to appeal the decision that article states? It is now almost a week since the incident occurred and it appears the inability to make a decision in time will make the punishment unjust and inadequate.
I thought I read that the decision is final and not referable to the Court of Arbitration for Sport? Or have I got that wrong?
@clive-hurren the BBC wrote in the link given by you: "Any ruling from an appeal is considered final. EFL rules do not permit the case to be taken to the Court of Arbitration for Sport."
Up the Boro!
@werdermouth - I think we have to accept that nothing will happen until after the play off final and that the issue will be fudged.
If Soton win then I would expect a large fine and a points deduction which the PL may(only may mind) allow to be applicable next season - otherwise an deduction when they are back in the Championship.
If they lose then a fine and a points deduction next season
Either way, I don’t expect us to be at Wembley.
Notwithstanding the injustice of it all and the fact that Southampton did cheat, the reality is that we blew our chances over the course of the season with our failure to score. That issue raised its head yet again in the last 2 games when we should have gone into the 2nd leg with a 2 0 lead and we would have then played differently.
I am as disappointed as the rest of Boro fans although thankful we didn’t disgrace ourselves in the play offs and that with a different ref we would have maybe won!
ERIMUS
EXMIL CHALLENGE 2026 - Semifinal Results and Final pairings corrected
The court of arbitration for sport have made a quick decision and ruled I incorrectly paired the wrong players together in my semifinal results but accepted my plea of “jet lag”, the correct result is now available on the Social Club site. My thanks to Clive Hurren and werdermouth for coming forward as witnesses for the prosecution.
Come on BORO.
More from the Guardian: https://www.theguardian.com/football/2026/may/13/southampton-middlesbrough-spygate-football-daily-newsletter?CMP=Share_iOSApp_Other
Apparently the “Spy” has been named as William Salt an intern analyst at Soton.
It also seems he paid at the Rockliffe bar with his credit card on Thursday to prove he was at Boro's training ground - a schoolboy error at spy school...
Yes they can appeal but only to the EFL and not the Court of Arbritation - though the court of public opinion has already found them guilty as charged! Send them down...
Some posts doing the rounds …
Ref the Saints Spy,apparently his Bank card has shown to be used at two other clubs not named as yet.
A Boro Set piece coach who left to join Southampton this season….he got the sack not long after Tonda took over is helping the EFL / Middlesbrough investigation he apparently didn’t like what was happening at the club then was sacked….
Digital footprint these days contactless payments, phones, cctv and car sat nav’s should be able to track exact movements of the spy.
OFB
@original-fat-bob Let’s hope there is a lot of truth in this, as it would certainly put the cat amongst the pigeons.
Elsewhere, Celtic secured an incredible title lifeline as Kelechi Iheanacho's controversially awarded 99th-minute penalty earned a win at Motherwell that leaves them a point behind Scottish Premiership leaders Hearts before the sides meet in Glasgow on Saturday.
Remember him, a former loanee from Leicester to Boro? He hasn't been a regular starter at Celtic but he came on on the 721st minute yesterday to give Celtic a lifeline.
Pity he did not bring his scoring boots to Teesside while on loan.
Up the Boro!
Just to add to the point about being able to digitally track someone's movements and payments - as far as I'm aware this is not a police matter and the individual involved has not committed any criminal offence so I'd be worried if this was something that was undertaken. Southampton broke the rules of a competition and it's only really a terms and conditions breach so I'm not expecting police involvement.
@original-fat-bob. I am sure that if a full and independent investigation was mounted it would uncover a mountain of evidence; unfortunately given the final is just over a week away then logistically it will not be possible to conduct a thorough review and as such we may never get to know the full extent as to what has gone on.
Hopefully, the former employee may have some damming evidence to provide and may even be able to confirm if this is a systemic issue or not. 😎
@werdermouth. I concur that this is not a police investigation but if the EFL wanted to engage an investigation firm to undertake a review they would be able to examine club records, digital equipment and available cctv.
This is, however, unlikely given the timescales involved and given the time that has elapsed since the allegation was made, then I suspect that some evidence will no longer be available. 😉😎
I read somewhere, that Soton put info of the final tickets on their web page yesterday. But later deleted the info. When checked, no info about tickets yet.
If the spy hads bought coffee at another two clubs 72 hours before Soton's matches there, it souds they have cheated alteady before play-offs and do NOT desereve to be in play-offs nor the final.
The EFL should award the first match 3-0 to Boro. So 4-2 on aggregate.
Up the Boro!
@jarkko. Apparently they jumped the gun and need to wait to announce details at the same time as Hull. 😎
I have reflected on what has happened and the more I think about it the more uncomfortable I am with us being awarded a place in the final, as we lost over the two legs and it is impossible to know what impact or not the spying had on the result.
In my view, Southampton should be disqualified from the final and Hull should be promoted with Southampton also being fined with the fine being split between the EFL and Boro.
Not ideal, but I am not sure any decision in such circumstances will be. 😎
@k-p-in-spain I think that is a fair comment KP.
It would be very hard for MFC not to accept a Wembley final, however as you have said, we lost 2-1 over two legs. How much the spying helped is of course debatable. Personally I do not think we deserve to be promoted by default.
The truth of the matter is we did not gain promotion, because we were not good enough, for various reasons down to MFC, over the whole season. Hard to accept, but those are the facts.
A good article from Phil Spencer in TL this morning:
I think this part of the article will resonate with all on this blog:
”Middlesbrough supporters are many things. We aren’t perfect by any means, but we are honest, hard-working people with steel in our core. Good values are at the centre of everything we stand for as a fanbase and so it’s no surprise when Teesside rises up in defiance when we have been wronged. It’s in our DNA and has been shown numerous times this season with the Rob Edwards betrayal and now, the Spygate scandal.”
Proud to follow the Boro. 😎
@pedro The facts are that Southampton breached the rules. We’ll never know whether by doing so, they gained an advantage in either of the two semi final legs, but there are also strong suspicions that this wasn’t their first breach.
If they’ve gained advantages in other games with the same spying tactic then we probably shouldn’t even have been playing them in the semi final legs, so it’s not a fact that we lost fair and square.
I’m not too bothered about playing in the Championship next season - I am bothered that a team prepared to cheat and breach rules may gain promotion because of their actions