Championship 2025/26 Season

[Samilktray]

1 minute ago, Gamble92 said:

Not excusing them but I don't remember Leeds getting anything like this kind of backlash about doing it? 

 

Is it because of how Bielsa is regarded in the football world?

To be fair we should be doing all we can to stop Southampton being involved in top flight football. Very dull, uninteresting football club whereas Leeds have something about them.

[Zear0]

Harwood-Bellis celebration looking more and more hilarious

[foxfanazer]

11 minutes ago, Nalis said:

I think we both agree, what I'm saying there are others that say it hardly matters and I'm saying the margins at the top are so slim that any advantage gained does matter.

Even if the gain is minimal I think it's the intent behind it that's worthy of the punishment 

[Gamble92]

1 minute ago, Samilktray said:

To be fair we should be doing all we can to stop Southampton being involved in top flight football. Very dull, uninteresting football club whereas Leeds have something about them.

Not sure that's how it works mate 

[RoboFox]

Rudkin will sat there simultaneously balling his eyes out whilst thumbing through his tiny contacts book for Southampton’s Head Of Spying so he can bring them here on fifty bags a week.

[JimJams]

4 minutes ago, Gamble92 said:

Not excusing them but I don't remember Leeds getting anything like this kind of backlash about doing it? 

 

Is it because of how Bielsa is regarded in the football world?

Isn't that because they were the first case and so there was no ruling on it?  Like us with administration.

[Tommy Fresh]

4 minutes ago, Gamble92 said:

Not excusing them but I don't remember Leeds getting anything like this kind of backlash about doing it? 

 

Is it because of how Bielsa is regarded in the football world?

I think they created the rule off the back of that

[Greg2607]

59 minutes ago, JimJams said:

Why would Boro have had all this time?  They've only just been reinstated.  They're gonna be calling players back from Dubai and 'Beefa!

They stayed training in case this was the outcome. 

[Wigston Tractor Boy]

3 minutes ago, Gamble92 said:

Not excusing them but I don't remember Leeds getting anything like this kind of backlash about doing it? 

 

Is it because of how Bielsa is regarded in the football world?

Wasn't an explicit rule back then. The specific rule about spying before a game was created purely because of Leeds that season. Leeds could have argued the rules were ambiguous and they just went too far. Southampton would have known it was against the rules and did it anyway on a minimum of 3 games between December and May, but likely far more.

[ramboacdc]

Sky Sports News understands that Southampton have already lodged their appeal to the commission's findings and will be fighting the decision. The EFL has acknowledged that the appeal's outcome "could result in a further change to Saturday's fixture".

Sky Sports News reporter Mark McAdam said the Saints are "shocked and flabbergasted" by the verdict, adding they believe the sanction to be "disproportionate".

He said: "Southampton feel they still have a very strong chance they will play Hull on Saturday after an appeal.

"Nobody expected these to be the sanctions. This is the biggest possible punishment Saints could have been given."

[slymunn]

9 minutes ago, Gamble92 said:

Not excusing them but I don't remember Leeds getting anything like this kind of backlash about doing it? 

 

Is it because of how Bielsa is regarded in the football world?

There wasnt a rule when leeds did it. The put the rules in after that.

[Ted Maul]

1 minute ago, ramboacdc said:

Sky Sports News understands that Southampton have already lodged their appeal to the commission's findings and will be fighting the decision. The EFL has acknowledged that the appeal's outcome "could result in a further change to Saturday's fixture".

Sky Sports News reporter Mark McAdam said the Saints are "shocked and flabbergasted" by the verdict, adding they believe the sanction to be "disproportionate".

He said: "Southampton feel they still have a very strong chance they will play Hull on Saturday after an appeal.

"Nobody expected these to be the sanctions. This is the biggest possible punishment Saints could have been given."

 

[ramboacdc]

The EFL said it would be "working to try and resolve any appeal on Wednesday 20 May".

It added that "subject to the outcome, it could result in a further change to Saturday's fixture".

The appeal will be heard by an Independent League Arbitration panel with three new members.

[VG Fox]

For the 1st time ever we should be getting something useful out of Saints. Appoint the entire coaching staff/manager when they are sacked (can't see how they won't be). They will be damaged goods and probably not appointable in most boards eyes. However their work was outstanding and I would welcome them. 

[JimJams]

SHIRLEY they have to stick with it now, otherwise they've made a right fxxk up of actually applying all this.

[demon_dog]

As was stated, they have admitted spying on no less than 3 occasions. I don't doubt that they have spied on other teams training throughout the season. It doesn't matter if they won or lost those games, it is that the intent was there to gain advantage. As such they have shown a complete disregard for league rules. As such removal from the playoff final is completely justified.

 

[The Year Of The Fox]

Just now, VG Fox said:

For the 1st time ever we should be getting something useful out of Saints. Appoint the entire coaching staff/manager when they are sacked (can't see how they won't be). They will be damaged goods and probably not appointable in most boards eyes. However their work was outstanding and I would welcome them. 

And we’re a bunch of cheats anyway 

[JimJams]

Just now, VG Fox said:

For the 1st time ever we should be getting something useful out of Saints. Appoint the entire coaching staff/manager when they are sacked (can't see how they won't be). They will be damaged goods and probably not appointable in most boards eyes. However their work was outstanding and I would welcome them. 

And just get them some drones with decent 4k cameras on them.  

[MrSpaM]

3 minutes ago, ramboacdc said:

The EFL said it would be "working to try and resolve any appeal on Wednesday 20 May".

It added that "subject to the outcome, it could result in a further change to Saturday's fixture".

The appeal will be heard by an Independent League Arbitration panel with three new members.

The maximum that will happen is the points deduction will get overturned

[Free Falling Foxes]

6 minutes ago, demon_dog said:

As was stated, they have admitted spying on no less than 3 occasions. I don't doubt that they have spied on other teams training throughout the season. It doesn't matter if they won or lost those games, it is that the intent was there to gain advantage. As such they have shown a complete disregard for league rules. As such removal from the playoff final is completely justified.

 

I bet they didn't bother spying on us.

[Gazza M]

Our silly sister club! Still a league higher than us next year though.

[jammie82uk]

31 minutes ago, 21st Century Fox said:

A cynic might say they also admitted to doing it before a loss and a draw to prove they gained no material benefit and lessen the punishment. Bollocks did they suddenly stop between December and April.

Especially when they had a 20 odd game unbeaten streak in that period 

[MPH]

1 hour ago, Nolucklcfc said:

The appeal will probably only concern the points deduction in reality. They aren’t making a call like that and doing a U-turn regardless of whether it’s a different panel. 

 

it still doesn't change the fact that In 1972, a crack commando unit was sent to prison by a military court for a crime they didn’t commit.

These men promptly escaped from a maximum security stockade to the Los Angeles underground.  Today, still wanted by the government, they survive as soldiers of fortune. 

[Guesty]

Really didn't expect them to do this. But good.

 

This is probably the last time any team ever admits culpability for anything in the EFL again. Makes you wonder: if they'd denied everything and dragged it out like Man City, what would have happened. 

 

It will be an advantage knowing the other teams formation, starting 11 and set piece routines, etc.

 

I guess we'll never know how much of a difference it really made.

[iancognito]

Just checking my Twitter feed for all the Saints fans who were calling us cheats just a few short weeks ago. Always keep your receipts 😆