UPDATED - Southampton LOSE APPEAL on Play-offs expulsion

:sad7:

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

Their manager was responsible for the Spying along with other staff commission says it went from top to bottom to get an advantage against opposition...so expect sackings by end day for all concerned..... now its clear why the punishment

:sad7:

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

I totally agree with you Allan.

:sad7:

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

I totally agree with you Allan.

They were waiting to see if appeal successfully because couldn’t see them sacking him before final afterwards yes..anyway silly season milwall now joined the race to sue efl can't think of why as lost to hull?

Just two weeks ago, Tonda Eckert was a head coach who had the world at his feet.

The German had transformed Southampton from relegation candidates to favourites to win the Championship promotion play-offs.

It was a remarkable turnaround.

And then came Spygate, the explosive controversy which would result in the south-coast club being thrown out of the play-offs and deducted four points for next season.

The independent disciplinary commission found that Eckert had "specifically authorised the observations" and that the club showed a "particularly deplorable approach in its use of junior members of staff".

That involved William Salt - an intern analyst - embarking on a spying mission at Middlesbrough's Rockliffe Park base to find out if Hayden Hackney was training.

Eckert looked like he was the man to build a new era for Southampton in the Premier League.

But many supporters and those connected with the club have made their minds up. He is intrinsically linked to a dark period in the club's history.

Why was the 33-year-old so highly rated? Is there a future for him at St Mary's?

When Will Still was sacked by Southampton on 2 November, Saints were in 21st place - three points outside the Championship relegation zone with one win in 13 games.

That is when the club turned to Eckert, who had only arrived at St Mary's in July 2025 when he replaced a Chelsea-bound Calum McFarlane and took charge of the club's under-21 team.

He appeared perfect for that academy job.

Eckert's career had largely involved youth football, in his homeland with Bayern Munich and RB Leipzig. He had also helped the under-18s at Austrian club Red Bull Salzburg win the Uefa Youth League.

Four months after moving to Saints, he would replace Still and manage a club in one of the biggest leagues in Europe.

Eckert's only prior work in senior football came through 15 months as the number two at Barnsley, and three years as assistant boss at Italian club Genoa.

But he was well known to Johannes Spors, Southampton's sporting director, as they were at Genoa together.

So Eckert, at the age of 32 and with no previous managerial experience, stepped into Still's shoes on an interim basis which became permanent a month later.

Eckert won a hat-trick of Championship manager of the month awards - for February, March and April - as Saints not only stormed into play-offs but finished within four points of the automatic places.

Southampton (68) won more points after Eckert took charge than any other club - including champions Coventry City (67).

But just 48 hours before they played Middlesbrough in the first leg of their play-off semi-final, Southampton's world came crashing down.