‘Just wrong’: Spy scandal rocks football as club caught red-handed with seismic $370m call looming

Pressure is mounting on an independent disciplinary commission to come to a swift decision on the ‘Spygate’ scandal that has rocked English football, with more details emerging on Southampton’s unauthorised filming of a Middlesbrough training session.

There are growing calls for Southampton to be kicked out of the Championship play-offs after the club was charged with a breach of English Football League regulations last week.

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Ahead of Saturday’s playoff at the Riverside Stadium, Middlesbrough alleged that one of Southampton’s analysts was caught spying on their opponent’s training session. On Wednesday, The Daily Mail published leaked photos of William Salt, one of Southampton’s performance-analysis interns, loitering near a tree at Middlesbrough headquarters while seemingly filming a training session on his phone.

According to reports, Salt was confronted by a member of Middlesbrough’s media team, caught red-handed, before deleting the footage from his phone and leaving the area.

Southampton later released a statement claiming the club would launch an internal review and fully co-operate with the EFL and Disciplinary Commission, but Middlesbrough boss Kim Hellberg has accused the Saints of cheating, declaring that a fine would not be enough of a punishment.

“Some people say it doesn’t give you a big advantage. That’s wrong. It’s a massive advantage,” Hellberg said.

“Without it, it would have been impossible for them to know our shape in the first half. We have never used that shape before today.

“Someone at Southampton has made the decision to go and cheat. That’s clear. It’s just wrong.”

Elsewhere, Southampton boss Tonda Eckert walked out of a press conference after being bombarded with questions about the scandal.

On Tuesday, Southampton booked their place in the Championship playoff final – against Hull City on May 23 at Wembley – with a 2-1 win against Middlesbrough in the semi-final tie’s second leg.

It put the Saints one step closer towards promotion to the Premier League – which comes with an estimated $370 million windfall – but the victory was tainted by the cheating allegations, with fans bringing binoculars to the venue.

The ordeal has striking similarities to an incident in 2019 when Leeds manager Marcelo Bielsa was fined £200,000 (AU$372,000) for sending someone to spy on Derby, following which the EFL introduced regulation 127, a new rule preventing teams from watching another club’s training sessions within 72 hours of a match.

An independent disciplinary commission will be tasked with deciding Southampton’s fate, a process managed by mediation company Sport Resolutions; the potential punishments range from a fine to a points penalty for next season.

Middlesbrough could also be given a default 3-0 win in first leg of the semi-final tie – a rare but not unprecedented option – which would result in them qualifying for the final against Hull City in Southampton’s place.

However, the three-person panel is running out of time to come to a verdict, with tickets for the playoff final going on sale on Thursday, nine days before the match. Delaying the final is highly unlikely due to venue availability.

Subsequently, Middlesbrough has been left in a state of limbo; club owner Steve Gibson has reportedly engaged the services of Nick de Marco, a sports lawyer, while the players are set to return to training on Friday to prepare for a potential appearance in the playoff final. Elsewhere, multiple other clubs in the Championship are reportedly studying archival footage to see whether Southampton has tried spying on them as well, heaping more pressure on the Saints.

Speaking on talkSPORT Breakfast this week, former Aston Villa star Gabby Agbonlahor argued that expelling Southampton from the playoff final would be too severe a punishment.

“I don’t agree with it. It’s overkill,” he said.

“I get it, Spygate, it’s not on. But what would they really learn from watching Middlesbrough training? That’s why it’s so bizarre from Southampton. What are you going to learn that you can’t see in every video of Middlesbrough’s games this season?

“They’re by far the better team for me, it’s very odd.”

On the possibility of Middlesbrough playing the next weekend’s final, Agbonlahor added: “It’s too much of a short turnaround.

“Southampton players haven’t done anything, fans haven’t done anything, it’s the club, the manager that’s allowed that to happen.

“A massive fine and move on, I don’t think you can start saying Boro get the final or Hull go straight up.”

Hollywood star James Cordon also offered his two cents on the scandal, arguing that Southampton should pay Middlesbrough a portion of their broadcast revenue if they earn promotion to England’s top flight.

“If Southampton go up they would make from the TV revenue, let’s say it’s £150 million, then you’ve got to give 50 per cent of next year’s revenue to Middlesbrough. Because you’re cheating,” he told talkSPORT.

“Next year, regardless of the league you’re in, 50 per cent of your revenue or projected revenue will be paid as compensation. So if they go up they need to pay £75 million.

“I think we should also stop calling it spygate and call it cheating. It’s just cheating, you’re cheating the system, that’s all you’re doing. You’re cheating those fans, you’re cheating those players so therefore you should have to pay a severe and heavy price.”

Elsewhere, Middlesbrough & Thornaby East MP Andy McDonald posted to social media: “Southampton cannot be allowed to profit from their dishonesty. The EFL have to come down firmly and decisively on Southampton and they need to do it quickly.”

The EFL Championship playoff final will take place on at Wembley Stadium on Saturday, May 23, but Hull City still don’t know who their opponent will be. The victor will earn a place in the Premier League next season.

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