UPDATED: Southampton Facing Points Deduction “

Updated: Friday 15th May 2026


The independent disciplinary panel looking into Southampton’s alleged’spygate’ violation will propose a harsh six-point sanction. Following Middlesbrough’s formal accusation of training ground espionage, the team faces huge EFL punishments only days before their vital Championship play-off final at Wembley Stadium, which determines Premier League promotion

So they still would be in the play offs







UPDATED:

Two other Clubs now have proof that Southampton did it to them as well.

It’s being asked that Southampton are thrown out of the play offs







Southampton have been charged with Spying on Middlesbrough:

Southampton are likely to face a sporting sanction if found guilty of spygate.

Possible punishments are:

- Excluded from play-off final (if reached)

- Points deduction next season if found guilty

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

Southampton have been charged with Spying on Middlesbrough:

Southampton are likely to face a sporting sanction if found guilty of spygate.

Possible punishments are:

- Excluded from play-off final (if reached)

- Points deduction next season if found guilty

Annis
just read this ,it would be horrible for saints fans for this to happen and be kicked out possibly before the final, would that mean borough come back in?

Yes Boro would take thier place.

Southampton have been charged with Spying on Middlesbrough:

Southampton are likely to face a sporting sanction if found guilty of spygate.

Possible punishments are:

- Excluded from play-off final (if reached)

- Points deduction next season if found guilty

Annis
just read this ,it would be horrible for saints fans for this to happen and be kicked out possibly before the final, would that mean borough come back in?

I agree.

Monty,

They say they will be deducted points next season if found guilty.

Southampton have been charged with Spying on Middlesbrough:

Southampton are likely to face a sporting sanction if found guilty of spygate.

Possible punishments are:

- Excluded from play-off final (if reached)

- Points deduction next season if found guilty

Annis
just read this ,it would be horrible for saints fans for this to happen and be kicked out possibly before the final, would that mean borough come back in?

I agree.

Monty,

They say they will be deducted points next season if found guilty.

A points deduction but possibly in the prem? I am sure Middlesbrough will kick up a fuss but I would take the points deduction if it meant all that money they will have for promotion.

If charged then kicked out of playoffs for me

BREAKING: Middlesbrough are set to present evidence that at least TWO other clubs were spied on by Southampton.

Southampton have been charged with Spying on Middlesbrough:

Southampton are likely to face a sporting sanction if found guilty of spygate.

Possible punishments are:

- Excluded from play-off final (if reached)

- Points deduction next season if found guilty

Annis
just read this ,it would be horrible for saints fans for this to happen and be kicked out possibly before the final, would that mean borough come back in?

I agree.

Monty,

They say they will be deducted points next season if found guilty.

A points deduction but possibly in the prem? I am sure Middlesbrough will kick up a fuss but I would take the points deduction if it meant all that money they will have for promotion.

For me it should all happen this season Monty.

I’m not sure they should face a harsher penalty than Leeds . It would also be interesting to know (although we never will) how widespread this is.

Southampton have been charged with Spying on Middlesbrough:

Southampton are likely to face a sporting sanction if found guilty of spygate.

Possible punishments are:

- Excluded from play-off final (if reached)

- Points deduction next season if found guilty

Annis
just read this ,it would be horrible for saints fans for this to happen and be kicked out possibly before the final, would that mean borough come back in?

Nobody should give a shit about their fans, their club are cheats.

Hope they get thrown out the play-offs. Their fans were gloating about it with stupid fancy dress costumes so they are no better.

I’m not sure they should face a harsher penalty than Leeds . It would also be interesting to know (although we never will) how widespread this is.

I just presumed everyone did this against opponents they might want more info on.

I read somewhere (prob BBC) that any points would be deducted the next time they were in the championship presuming that they get promoted & were found guilty.

Looking at the training ground it's,hardly enclosed
This is disgusting though.
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I’m not sure they should face a harsher penalty than Leeds . It would also be interesting to know (although we never will) how widespread this is.

I just presumed everyone did this against opponents they might want more info on.

I read somewhere (prob BBC) that any points would be deducted the next time they were in the championship presuming that they get promoted & were found guilty.

No this was a specific targeted training session relating to team setup and tactic.... not just a casual snoop at training...
Won't deduct points... did read may be 2 other clubs they targeted.. if so and proved could seriously mean expulsion

Southampton have been charged with Spying on Middlesbrough:

Southampton are likely to face a sporting sanction if found guilty of spygate.

Possible punishments are:

- Excluded from play-off final (if reached)

- Points deduction next season if found guilty

Annis
just read this ,it would be horrible for saints fans for this to happen and be kicked out possibly before the final, would that mean borough come back in?

I agree.

Monty,

They say they will be deducted points next season if found guilty.

Read this morning two other clubs were targeted aswell (Hull milwall??)

It is understood that Middlesbrough believe they have an 'important witness' to call in their claim that Southampton have spied on other occasions.

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

Southampton have been charged with Spying on Middlesbrough:

Southampton are likely to face a sporting sanction if found guilty of spygate.

Possible punishments are:

- Excluded from play-off final (if reached)

- Points deduction next season if found guilty

Annis
just read this ,it would be horrible for saints fans for this to happen and be kicked out possibly before the final, would that mean borough come back in?

I agree.

Monty,

They say they will be deducted points next season if found guilty.

Read this morning two other clubs were targeted aswell (Hull milwall??)

Yes it’s true Allan

Craig Hope of the Daily Mail has obtained this picture of the Southampton spy.

He's an intern at the club and is seen in another photo with the Southampton manager as he got a Manager of the Month award.

Forget a points deduction, throw them out of the play-offs.

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

Southampton have been charged with Spying on Middlesbrough:

Southampton are likely to face a sporting sanction if found guilty of spygate.

Possible punishments are:

- Excluded from play-off final (if reached)

- Points deduction next season if found guilty

Annis
just read this ,it would be horrible for saints fans for this to happen and be kicked out possibly before the final, would that mean borough come back in?

I agree.

Monty,

They say they will be deducted points next season if found guilty.

Read this morning two other clubs were targeted aswell (Hull milwall??)

Yes it’s true Allan

If proven that's them out of playoffs no way Annis can they be allowed to get away with it..... even if coach didn't authorise it he had a duty to not see it but to report incident to efl even if never saw report.

Middlesbrough WILL continue training despite losing in their play off semi final last night

They are doing this in case Southampton’s punishment for ‘Spygate’ is exclusion from the play-offs

Southampton have been charged with Spying on Middlesbrough:

Southampton are likely to face a sporting sanction if found guilty of spygate.

Possible punishments are:

- Excluded from play-off final (if reached)

- Points deduction next season if found guilty

Annis
just read this ,it would be horrible for saints fans for this to happen and be kicked out possibly before the final, would that mean borough come back in?

I agree.

Monty,

They say they will be deducted points next season if found guilty.

Read this morning two other clubs were targeted aswell (Hull milwall??)

Yes it’s true Allan

If proven that's them out of playoffs no way Annis can they be allowed to get away with it..... even if coach didn't authorise it he had a duty to not see it but to report incident to efl even if never saw report.

If all proven Allan,

I agree throw them out of the play offs

They (EFL) need to get a move on with their investigations, can't be having Man City type time to get their ducks in a row, preferably before the final is played or it's just a waste of time.

Did Southampton actually gain any advantage on the pitch as a result of their spying? Not condoning the spying, but it seemed to me that Boro lost because they were a bit sh1t and Saints were the best team across the two legs.

Screenshot_20260513_184036_com_android_chrome_ChromeTabbedActivity.jpg

One man and his dog could see Boro training
If, Southampton are thrown out, they will appeal. That could take months

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Pathetic.

At the end of the day 22 players take tona field and all the spying in the world effectsva game .

The process of what happens is purely down to the independent panel and efl can't intervene other than to state the obvious! ... not sure there is a right to appeal don't recall any for Swindon and someone else who got kicked out of competitions... again because of him restraints got to be strict

Southampton have been charged with Spying on Middlesbrough:

Southampton are likely to face a sporting sanction if found guilty of spygate.

Possible punishments are:

- Excluded from play-off final (if reached)

- Points deduction next season if found guilty

Annis
just read this ,it would be horrible for saints fans for this to happen and be kicked out possibly before the final, would that mean borough come back in?

I agree.

Monty,

They say they will be deducted points next season if found guilty.

Read this morning two other clubs were targeted aswell (Hull milwall??)

Yes it’s true Allan

If proven that's them out of playoffs no way Annis can they be allowed to get away with it..... even if coach didn't authorise it he had a duty to not see it but to report incident to efl even if never saw report.

If all proven Allan,

I agree throw them out of the play offs

Annis I'm not sure they could appeal such a sanction either as it is an independent binding panel

"It breaks my heart," said Middlesbrough boss Kim Hellberg after his team were eliminated from the Championship play-offs by Southampton on Tuesday.

Yet the Swedish head coach was not talking about the 2-1 extra-time defeat at St Mary's Stadium.

Hellberg was referencing the Spygate scandal, with Saints charged by the English Football League with breaking rules by observing one of his final training sessions before last Saturday's first leg at the Riverside.

"If we hadn't caught that man that they sent up five hours to drive, you would sit there and say well done [to Southampton] in the tactical aspect of the game and I would go home and feel like I've failed," Hellberg said.

"When that is taken away from you - 'we're not going to watch every game, we're going to send someone instead and film the sessions and hope they don't get caught' - it breaks my heart in terms of all the things I believe in."

In any other season, talk would now turn to the play-off final on 23 May.

But there is a lot to resolve before Southampton get to take on Hull City for a place in the Premier League.

And there is no absolute certainty that this match will take place.

Southampton have asked for a delay to complete an internal review, but time is one thing the EFL does not have.

For Middlesbrough, only one outcome is acceptable: That they walk out at Wembley a week on Saturday.

What will happen in the next few days will define not just this season for two clubs, but perhaps their futures too.

The Championship play-off final is 10 days away. Ticket sales must be organised. Supporters need to know that they can make plans.

But we now enter a process whereby an entire season is about to be decided by an independent disciplinary commission.

For Southampton, it must be business as usual - even if the celebrations on Tuesday were, for obvious reasons, slightly muted.

On Wednesday morning, the club launched a play-off final merchandise range on their website, though there was no promotion across social media.

Tickets for the final will go on sale on Thursday morning - for a match their fans might end up not attending.

At least Saints head coach Tonda Eckert can carry on with some semblance of normality. He has a game to prepare for.

Boro remain in a state of limbo until the independent disciplinary commission convenes.

Rather than continuing to train, BBC Sport understands that the immediate plan is for the players to be given a few days off.

The squad will have to remain on call. They cannot jet off to Dubai, Ibiza or any of the other regular haunts of football stars.

From the outset, Boro have made it clear they expect Southampton to get a sporting sanction. A fine will not be enough to quell their anger.

Boro owner Steve Gibson has reportedly engaged the services of Nick de Marco, the sports lawyer with a record of delivering results in hearings involving the game's governing bodies.

De Marco was recently heavily involved in making sure Sheffield Wednesday would start next season on zero points, when it seemed certain they would get a 15-point deduction.

This time De Marco would be arguing in favour of a penalty, rather than trying to get one removed.
If Gibson does not get the result he wants with the independent disciplinary commission, matters may not end there.

In 2021, Boro launched legal proceedings against Derby County. They claimed the Rams' financial breaches had cost them a play-off place in 2018-19.

The two parties eventually reached a "resolution", which BBC Sport believes resulted in Boro being paid £2m.

If Southampton keep their place in the play-offs, it would be no surprise if Gibson pursued the same route for compensation.

Did Southampton actually gain any advantage on the pitch as a result of their spying? Not condoning the spying, but it seemed to me that Boro lost because they were a bit sh1t and Saints were the best team across the two legs.

It's a win, win for Soton.

If the spy was not seen then they are aware of Boro tactics.

As he was seen Boro may have to take on new tactics they only have a few days to perfect.

Hence, how poor they were.

For me the obvious solution would be kick Southampton out of the playoffs,Middlesbrough have already been knocked out,so simply promote Hull.