Graham Hiley takes a look at the “Spygate” scandal which has overshadowed Saints’ remarkable run to the Playoff final.
I spy with my little eye something beginning with C.
Is it Cheats?
Possibly – that is for the Football League to determine.
Is it Chancers?
That depends on your views on Middlesborough. I’m saying nothing.
Is it Chaos? Yes, absolutely.
For those who have been living under a rock or distracted by some minor political squabble, the Spygate scandal (as it is inevitably dubbed) surrounds Southampton allegedly sending an intern to watch Middlesbrough training ahead of their Playoff semi-final.
If proven – and Saints have not denied it – then that is a breach of Football League rules which state no club shall attempt to observe their opponents’ training session 72 hours before they meet.
Boro have claimed that is the reason they lost the two-leg semi-final 2-1 on aggregate and are pushing for Southampton to be expelled from the final.
For context, this is the richest match in world football with the winners likely to earn around £100m in television and sponsorship fees.
If Saints are guilty then of course they deserve to be punished. It is sneaky and shifty – and probably pointless as Tonda Eckert’s men were good enough to win without any underhand assistance.
Would they deserve to be thrown out of the final? Absolutely not. It would be a breach of rules but one deserving of a big fine and at worst a points deduction, hopefully suspended.
The EFL have charged Southampton who have said they will co-operate fully but the hearing will be between the governing body and the club; Middlesbrough will not be involved.
That may be a positive sign as Boro have driven the histrionic narrative from day one, screeching that Saints should be banished. Conveniently, the Teessiders would be available to take their place.
Within hours of the news breaking, chosen media were reporting that a so-called ‘spy’ had hi-tech surveillance equipment which could pick up the manager’s voice, probably from outer space the way they were talking!
It sounded as though he had broken in and concealed himself in bushes. But when the incriminating photographic proof was eventually made public, it showed a young lad with a mobile phone standing by a tree – more Johnny English than James Bond!
And… it seems he was on a pathway outside the training ground. If privacy means that much to Middlesbrough then maybe they should invest in some fences or screens? Just a thought…
As an aside, if the spy did learn Boro’s top-secret tactics, then why did Saints start both matches so badly? If anything the controversy and bad-feeling seemed to affect the south coast side far more than their opponents who used it to fire themselves and their fans.
Ultimately, Southampton won because of their superior skill and fitness with Kim Hellberg’s men looking dead on their feet in extra-time at St Mary’s.
The north-east club were in the top two for virtually the entire season but failed to win promotion because they ran out of steam at the death, winning just two of their last 12 games and finishing fifth.
That does not detract from the fact that Saints absolutely deserve to be penalised if they are guilty but the heat needs to be taken out of this explosive situation to ensure the punishment fits the crime.
Almost from Day One it has been touted that Saints should be expelled, as if to make it a fait accompli in the court of public opinion.
That course of action would open a legal and logistical can of worms and with the Play-Off final against Hull City scheduled for May 23, time is of the essence.
Yes, there would be a sour taste in the mouth heading up to Wembley if Saints are guilty. It is embarrassing and a bit pathetic and heads should probably roll.
But that should not detract from their remarkable run from a possible relegation battle to the brink of the Premier League.
If the crime is a young lad with a mobile phone standing outside the training ground observing an unprotected session, then the punishment should reflect that.
I spy with my little eye something beginning with C
Common sense?
- Graham Hiley covered Saints for the Southern Daily Echo from 1988 to 2001 and then became the club’s managing editor until 2008. He now teaches Sports Journalism at Southampton Solent University and is a season ticket holder at St Mary’s.
* Image shows Saints Vs Hull.
- In Common is not for profit. We rely on donations from readers to keep the site running. Could you help to support us for as little as 25p a week? Please help us to carry on offering independent grass roots media. Visit: https://www.patreon.com/incommonsoton