Football
There is currently 1 person viewing this thread.
These 111 comments are related to the topic:
Southampton thrown out of the Play off final
Southampton thrown out of the Play off final
sort by:
Show
per page
Replies: 111
|
By:
Because the general sentiment is that the punishment is massively disproportionate.
|
|
By:
They've had one game taken off them for cheating
Plus only 4 points next season. They cheated to win £200m it didn't work so boro progress. |
|
By:
I feel sorry for their fans, but southampton cheated all
season and robbed the fans of the other 23 teams all season. Having one result out of 48 games overturned is a mild punishment for what they have done I would relegate them. |
|
By:
But it's up for debate exactly how much sporting advantage you can actually gain from watching training sessions, you're even allowed to do it up to 72 hours before kick off. Also allowed in Germany, Turkey and South America. Nobody denies that this is against the rule in this country with 72 hours, but diving is against the rules and sometimes VAR misses that cheating action, yet no retrospective action is taken in regards to the result of the match when Webb comes out after and admits there was a mistake there. That's direct cheating directing affecting an outcome, much worse than watching players carrying out training drills.
|
|
By:
Must say that a football team and their supporters complete season ruined by someone taking a few photos of a training session seems way over the top, should have made them replay the game giving Middlesboro a goal advantage perhaps.
|
|
By:
Doesn't matter where it is allowed, it's not allowed in championship
No var in championship so that is another strawman. They cheated, got caught, and got off lightly, so far. |
|
By:
VAR or no VAR the point is still exactly the same, players cheat all the time, every single match, they will feign injury to get players sent off, dive for penalties etc, for me that is real cheating, their just doesn't seem to be much sporting advantage from watching training sessions. They broke the rule but the punishment doesn't appear to fit the crime. Middlesbrough probably can't believe their luck.
|
|
By:
It also opens up that can of worms with other teams that were spied on and the cases they'll now put forward to have retrospective action taken which will have all sorts of consequences for even more sides.
|
|
By:
Yeah, let them sue the cheats.
|
|
By:
The sanction for diving is a yellow card, not loss of game
but yellow card can cost you a game. I remember Southampton cheating to get a Newcastle player sent off so they are aware of diving too. |
|
By:
But diving is cheating, if you dive for a penalty, that has a massive effect on the result, if you get away with diving thanks to ref error after the pen is scored, and it's not acknowledge til after the match, as it stands, no retrospective action is taken, and that is much more of a direct act of cheating then watching training.
But Boro have been given a leg up to the final AFTER the event, other teams are now going to want to have retrospective sporting action taken after the event to, which would reshape the whole table, then you wonder exactly how many other teams have been doing this, can't just be Southampton? it's just that they're the only ones caught so far. Hull really should just be given automatic promotion imo. |
|
By:
But diving's all a strawman.
If Southampton had got away with cheating by spying they would have got £200million. They would have done if it wasn't for them meddling smoggies. |
|
By:
There will be at least one decision in the play off final that
the ref gets wrong,... That's football Thankfully it won't benefit Southampton. |
|
By:
They were battered for large parts in that game
 So what happens then if it comes out that 5-6 other teams have been at it, say Ipswich, Coventry or West Brom who just survived etc, they would have to be consistent and how out sporting actions, teams will make claims to be awarded 3-0 wins reshaping the table, could go on and on. |
|
By:
But you are imagining other teams cheated
If they did then look at the punishment, apply it, and crack on. Let other clubs sue. |
|
By:
Why would other clubs sue for money when instead they'd want a sporting action taken, like Boro have benefitted from?
Boro lost, Soton were found to have broken the rule against them, Boro then elevated to the final. So why would other teams who were cheated against by Southampton not want to be given a sporting advantage too? i.e. a reverse 3-0 win awarded, which reshapes the table, and puts team into different positions such as a play off sport, or avoiding relegation? Suing them for a few quid is no good. And the EFL also has to contemplate many other things, such as Hull who apparently will take legal action if they lose the final...to Boro. And the possibility of other teams being found to have been spying all season, cannot just be Soton. So not only is the punishment massively disproportionate to the crime and the lack of real sporting advantage you can gain from watching training, but it sets a very dangerous precedent going forward, players suing their own club for loss of earnings, as reported with Southampton players, clubs threatening legal action wanting retrospective sporting sanctions taken, i.e. reverse wins given etc. |
|
By:
I said apply sanction
Here's my previous post again But you are imagining other teams cheated If they did then look at the punishment, apply it, and crack on. Let other clubs sue. |
|
By:
But you have to anticipate other clubs having cheated to avoid the car crash mess that could ensue as listed above.
|
|
By:
So not only is the punishment massively disproportionate t
This is also where you are wrong,^^^^ the punishment was one game lost They chose to cheat for 200 million, so they set the stakes, if caught they wouldn't get 200 million, if they stood to gain 10p would they send a guy to Middlesborough for 2 days? They knew cheating was working for them, so continued |
|
By:
And that also makes no sense, if the punishment was one game lost, then they then need to go back and change results from all the other games they spied on, they may only have admitted to the ones so far where they didn't gain anything but it's highly unlikely that was it. And it's also highly unlikely they are the only one's who've done it. Which is why when it comes to punishment, the EFL have to take that into account in case that comes to light, then it becomes one huge car crash mess. Their unbeaten run also included KO'ing Arsenal, can't spy there, it's just that they were a very good team with a good manager to have KO'd a couple of Prem sides.
|
|
By:
They might well go back and deduct all of Southampton points
and relegate them I hope they do. Boro get advantage as they caught them, and so action could be taken, and cheats kicked out. Well done boro anti spying team. |
|
By:
There's only one aspect that could be debated really in this case, and that is the strength of sanction/penalty.
TBH I'm not sure the authorities had a lot of choice, as imagine them being allowed to be promoted. If earlier in season would have been a simpler issue, and less impact. |
|
By:
But there is a problem that, as far as I know, the actual sanctions aren't directly stated in the guidelines/rules?
|
|
By:
Should have a hefty fine and 30 point deduction if they play in the EFL in the next ten yrs.
The only people it affects are the supporters Coulnt have gained much info and the 2 game play off was bo lloox so no advantage ,Boro didnt win. |
|
By:
Cologne were caught spying in 2015 vs Hamburg. You’ll never guess who was there at the time, would you? Better yet, look at the details of how it was set up. A hotel booked in the opposition clubs facility..
From twitter |
|
By:
Reasons for decision
https://www.efl.com/news/2026/may/21/efl-statement--written-reasons-relating-to-southampton-fc/ .. |
|
By:
At the 2014 world Cup, France complained about a drone
flying over their training session in warm up for game v Germany. Guess who was an analyst for Germany at 2014 World cup And Germany went on to win... Rather well set up v Brazil iirc... |
|
By:
Seems like the historical cases didn't result in such a severe penalty applied overall - though partly due to different contexts possibly...?
|
|
By:
Just a wild guess but Middlesborough knew there was a "spy" watching.
If Middlesborough knew the rules (daft rules) then they knew they were in the final. If I was the Middlesborough coach I would have practiced these set-pieces (1) Morris dancing (2) Riverdance (3) Samba (4) the Robot |
|
By:
Yes, it must have been a fluke Saints beating the Premier winners ( with no reports of " spying ". )
|
|
By:
Spying probably allowed for fa cup
I'd be amazed if he wasn't at it, given his record back to 2014 |
|
By:
Labdrokes got him in next James bond betting...
|