UPDATED - Southampton LOSE APPEAL on Play-offs expulsion

I used to take my boy down the Vale to watch City train and get him some autographs and photos.Great memories
I suppose all this will all stop eventually.Why don’t clubs use their stadiums for for vital training sessions,more secure.

By the way I agree with the decision

Now do Celtic and take their 3pts

Well said Annis

Monty,

The difference is The Scottish FA are Corrupt

The fans i feel sorry for kicked out of a final for the prem ,can you imagine if we did the same against swansea,
the fans did not know about the spying,and could do nothing about that,
They probably booked hotels also, but the euphoria of going to a final then the rug pulled from underneath them gutting.

Their fans were gloating about it and wearing stupid fancy dress in the semi final so I have no sympathy for them.

Hope they haven't booked their hotels in London

Ned
I would not think all southampton fans were as you described there will be young kids who would not understand,

but to those who were gloating they will get there comeuppance next season,
I am sure there will be a few songs doing the rounds wherever they go next season.

Teaches a good lesson to those kids - cheating should always have repercussions.

Ned
Very true but have a heart for the fans who where not gloating .ha.

It's about time a decent punishment was handed out in football.

The game I grew up watching has disappeared. In every single game there is blatant cheating. From shirt pulling, to diving, even to the minor incidents where players clearly know the ball has gone out and is a throw to the opposition, yet they still try to influence the referee and make out it's "their ball".

I hope they have the nerve to hold their ground and keep the punishment after the appeal.

Southampton have nobody else to blame but themselves.

Depends if Southampton fail there appeal
Thing is what punishment would you give saints?

points deduction - pointless because if they reach the premier league they could stay 10+ years UNLESS the efl and the premier league agree on the points deduction for the saints if they got promoted and so they will be deducted 15 points starting next season -15 points. But can't see this happen as it is an EFL issue and not a premier league issue.

give a percentage on any transfers for Boro - so if the saints get promoted and sign players they would have to give middlesbrough a percentage which results in x amount of millions to boro

maybe if promoted the prize for promotion goes to boro and if the saints don't get promoted then a points penalty would be given to the saints for next season?

all these simply won't satisfy boro until they replace Southampton in the final so you will never get anything settled unless Southampton gets kicked out.

In my opinion Southampton's punishment should just be them kicked out the final with no points penalty.
but because the saints gained the points on the teams they spied on maybe that is the amount of points taken away from them
as a deduction next season.

I wonder if Wrexham would feel hard done by not replacing Southampton in the Playoffs with them being kicked out

Song for next year when we play them:

What's that coming over the hill,

Is it a spy
Is it a spyyyy

It's about time a decent punishment was handed out in football.

The game I grew up watching has disappeared. In every single game there is blatant cheating. From shirt pulling, to diving, even to the minor incidents where players clearly know the ball has gone out and is a throw to the opposition, yet they still try to influence the referee and make out it's "their ball".

I hope they have the nerve to hold their ground and keep the punishment after the appeal.

Southampton have nobody else to blame but themselves.

Efl never looked favourably on us water gate at rotherham snowgate at derby issac davies deliberate elbow

Now do Celtic and take their 3pts

Well said Annis

Monty,

The difference is The Scottish FA are Corrupt

The fans i feel sorry for kicked out of a final for the prem ,can you imagine if we did the same against swansea,
the fans did not know about the spying,and could do nothing about that,
They probably booked hotels also, but the euphoria of going to a final then the rug pulled from underneath them gutting.

Their fans were gloating about it and wearing stupid fancy dress in the semi final so I have no sympathy for them.

Hope they haven't booked their hotels in London

Ned
I would not think all southampton fans were as you described there will be young kids who would not understand,

but to those who were gloating they will get there comeuppance next season,
I am sure there will be a few songs doing the rounds wherever they go next season.

You're right about the young kids but I clearly remember a few Southampton fans being charged for doing the aeroplane gesture when we last played them in the Premier League following the Sala tragedy.

I've no sympathy for them. Serves them right.

Song for next year when we play them:

What's that coming over the hill,

Is it a spy
Is it a spyyyy

Trench coats and all wearing dark glasses.

Now do Celtic and take their 3pts

Well said Annis

Monty,

The difference is The Scottish FA are Corrupt

The fans i feel sorry for kicked out of a final for the prem ,can you imagine if we did the same against swansea,
the fans did not know about the spying,and could do nothing about that,
They probably booked hotels also, but the euphoria of going to a final then the rug pulled from underneath them gutting.

Their fans were gloating about it and wearing stupid fancy dress in the semi final so I have no sympathy for them.

Hope they haven't booked their hotels in London

Ned
I would not think all southampton fans were as you described there will be young kids who would not understand,

but to those who were gloating they will get there comeuppance next season,
I am sure there will be a few songs doing the rounds wherever they go next season.

You're right about the young kids but I clearly remember a few Southampton fans being charged for doing the aeroplane gesture when we last played them in the Premier League following the Sala tragedy.

I've no sympathy for them. Serves them right.

We will have a song ready for them next season

Premier League your having a laugh.

Song for next year when we play them:

What's that coming over the hill,

Is it a spy
Is it a spyyyy

Trench coats and all wearing dark glasses.

Premier League your having a laugh.ha
Premier League your having a
laugh ha

Bit harsh ..

Wonder if Wrexham have got their legal team in place.

If there are more cases of them spying even Derby could have a case.

Bit harsh ..

I have said how sad I was for the southampton fans more than anyone on here,if you read all the posts but I can see the other side also

Happy awaydays !!

Oh! Yet Man City………..

Different masters. Hard to know at the moment what will happen with Man city but I'm thinking not much.

Bit harsh ..

I have said how sad I was for the southampton fans more than anyone on here,if you read all the posts but I can see the other side also

This

You do not have the required permissions to view the files attached to this post.

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

You do not have the required permissions to view the files attached to this post.

Windlass says playoffs should be done again with Wrexham instead of Southampton as finished 7th !
Wishful thinking....

As the Boro manager said, if they didn’t spy everyone would have held their hands up and said fair play tactically brilliant.

Think of what might have happened if they didn’t do it, would Boro have won? They were all over them first half, it was the tactical changes that won Soton the game. There are young Boro fans who had their hopes wrecked by a team cheating.

Imagine FIFA had the bollucks to do the same when Russia beat Wales in the World Cup playoff finals with a player found guilty of doping.

BREAKING: Southampton lose appeal in attempt to overturn expulsion from Championship play-off final for spying on opponents. #SaintsFC spot goes to Middlesbrough; #MFC to face Hull City at Wembley on Saturday.

Laudable decision from the EFL for once!

Good enough for them, Hull already saying they'll complain if they lose on Saturday ffs absolutely pathetic! Ho[efully Middlesbrough win it all. Don't want the JB McBurnie going up anyways.

Good enough for them, Hull already saying they'll complain if they lose on Saturday ffs absolutely pathetic! Ho[efully Middlesbrough win it all. Don't want the JB McBurnie going up anyways.

Up the Boro!

A League Arbitration Panel has today dismissed Southampton Football Club’s appeal against the Independent Disciplinary Commission’s decision in respect of breaches of EFL Regulations.

As a result, the original sanction remains in force. Southampton’s expulsion from the Sky Bet Championship Play-Offs stands, alongside the four-point deduction to be applied to the Club’s 2026/27 Championship record and the reprimand in respect of all charges. In accordance with EFL Regulations, the decision of the League Arbitration Panel is final.

Following the conclusion of the proceedings, the Sky Bet Championship Play-Off Final between Hull City and Middlesbrough is confirmed as taking place at Wembley Stadium on Saturday 23 May, kicking off at 3.30pm.

Bit harsh ..

I have said how sad I was for the southampton fans more than anyone on here,if you read all the posts but I can see the other side also

This

I agree with you for once!

Talk about woke or snowflakes ffs

What an admin nightmare that will be to sort out ticketing for Borough fans at such short notice. And with the millions at stake you’d expect Saints to appeal.
What a mess they’ve caused

What an admin nightmare that will be to sort out ticketing for Borough fans at such short notice. And with the millions at stake you’d expect Saints to appeal.
What a mess they’ve caused

Can't appeal not even to CAS ......
Ticket transfers was put in place between clubs after they were expelled ....but a total nightmare for fans seeing as both coming from same location/direction.... Hull's owner says will go to court as they should get auto promotion but using cup res to justify such a move... Wrexham want to be installed as 6th place team so get to play offs..... may not be end of matter and can drag on for a little while yet

What an admin nightmare that will be to sort out ticketing for Borough fans at such short notice. And with the millions at stake you’d expect Saints to appeal.
What a mess they’ve caused

Can't appeal not even to CAS ......
Ticket transfers was put in place between clubs after they were expelled ....but a total nightmare for fans seeing as both coming from same location/direction.... Hull's owner says will go to court as they should get auto promotion but using cup res to justify such a move... Wrexham want to be installed as 6th place team so get to play offs..... may not be end of matter and can drag on for a little while yet

Hull don't have a leg to stand on and neither do Wrexham.

So the punishment was a four point deduction for next season and expulsion from the play-offs and there were three known cases of spying - against Ipswich and Oxford during the league season, and against Middlesbrough during the play-offs.

So the punishment is effectively a two point deduction per case. As there can't be a points deduction in a knockout competition (play-offs) then expulsion and Middlesbrough being reinstated was the only option under these punishments.

Also been said that the points deduction couldn't be applied to the season that's just happened because, by the time of the charge the regular season had already ended so must be applied to next season.

I think this would be the EFL's defence during any legal battle and I don't see a legitimate argument against that.

What an admin nightmare that will be to sort out ticketing for Borough fans at such short notice. And with the millions at stake you’d expect Saints to appeal.
What a mess they’ve caused

Can't appeal not even to CAS ......
Ticket transfers was put in place between clubs after they were expelled ....but a total nightmare for fans seeing as both coming from same location/direction.... Hull's owner says will go to court as they should get auto promotion but using cup res to justify such a move... Wrexham want to be installed as 6th place team so get to play offs..... may not be end of matter and can drag on for a little while yet

Hull don't have a leg to stand on and neither do Wrexham.

So the punishment was a four point deduction for next season and expulsion from the play-offs and there were three known cases of spying - against Ipswich and Oxford during the league season, and against Middlesbrough during the play-offs.

So the punishment is effectively a two point deduction per case. As there can't be a points deduction in a knockout competition (play-offs) then expulsion and Middlesbrough being reinstated was the only option under these punishments.

Also been said that the points deduction couldn't be applied to the season that's just happened because, by the time of the charge the regular season had already ended so must be applied to next season.

I think this would be the EFL's defence during any legal battle and I don't see a legitimate argument against that.

Ned they're just being opportunists? Theres no way they would succeed in any attempt to hijack the situation... they're forgetting its a completely separate competition from regular season and any cup competition... but hull's owner bit of odd ball anyway