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[In the voice of Jimmy Tarbuck on Winner Takes All] "Press your buttons and gamble away"

So do we need to stop every transfer until Tonda’s position is clear?

Just looks like a summary of the last page of posts to me...

Speak for yourself... I'm giving it the careful consideration it deserves 😍

The 'disguise' thing *could* just have been a case of Tonda not wanting Ipswich to know we were there, rather than covering for something he knew was wrong. (i.e. In a hypothetical world where spying isn't breaking any rules, there'd still logic in trying to do it incognito...) Unlikely? Maybe... But still a valid alternative explanation *if* Tonda genuinely didn't appreciate it was wrong to 'spy' in this league.

I looked it up a while back when this first cropped up, and they played 3 competitive games in that 12 month period 👍🏻

There will be zero acceptances from that desperate invitation.

Burned by DHGate again! Ordered with a "15 day delivery" seller only find that it's 15 days from its dispatch in September 😅

The details of the case are largely unknown to the general public including you, me and the vast majority of those on this forum. The evidence appears to indicate that Tonda did not initiate the scouting of other clubs, but that he was approached to sanction the field trips which he did. Given the norm for him was that scouting was perfectly acceptable, in the heat of the battle it is likely he did not question whether the practice was legal in the UK EFL. The Head of Scouting should have known the laws surrounding the practice in the EFL and advised Tonda, however they didn’t so as I understand it, he/she has left the club. So while he was complicit and has admitted as much, he was not necessarily directly responsible and this might be used in mitigation. I’ve said before, Tonda has also been affected by the EFL’s incredibly harsh punishment in terms of damaged professional reputation and reduced income due to being prevented getting to the Prem. This should also be taken into account by the FA, alongside his open ‘confession’ and co-operation in the investigation(s). To hand-out an overly harsh punishment to him such as any form of full match ban which would also affect the club and all its employees, the fans etc., would be utterly wrong, harsh and ridiculous. Hopefully the FA will see that the club has made reparations, hired Still and taken systematic preventative action, so that a fine and a suspended 3 game touch line ban will suffice.

Fuck me

Explosion

When spygate happened I heard directly from a reliable source who worked in the game as a senior analyst that this observing of other teams training goes on all the time. Everyone knew it was happening and, until Boro decided to kick off, there was an unwritten law that clubs turned a blind eye. Others on here have said similar. Doesn't excuse what we did but, for me, it puts it into perspective.

I'm still not even convinced tonda knew - he never actually sent the guy off to spy personally - all the surreptitious nature came from the go-between. And the fact that arsenal televised their Friday training before the champions league final, and that world cup training was regularly observed by media and opponents all seem to run salt in the wound (pun intended). I hope this season we watch all opponents up until the 72 hour mark, and that we get some fans to Boros training ground before our game with them to stream some live training on YouTube, just to illustrate how stupid the rule is.

However bad we think it's going to be I'm pretty sure the actual judgment will be worse. After what happened at the end of last season it's hard to fall back on wishful thinking.

I'd say quite the opposite. Who knew before May that scouting opponents practising in public would brings down the wrath of gods. The immediate reaction was all a bit of a laugh and the rest of the world considers the saga to be bonkers.

I reckon the mood music is leaning towards a ban. Whether I think it's unfair or not is irrelevant. The main thing is to ensure that it's not so disproportionate that we have no choice but to sack him.

Ludicrously over the top for an "offence" that is widespread throughout the game. We need to start fighting back against the FA blazer G&T brigade rather than meekly accept their musings.

He wasn't fresh of the boat from Germany. He worked in the EFL for two years previously at Barnsley.

Thing is he’s claimed he didn’t know it was against the rules, but yet an intern was sent to Eastleigh to spy on Ipswich and were told to disguise themselves in an Eastleigh kit. Pretty conclusive evidence of doing something we knew was wrong.

I believe they only had two games in the period of the ban, maybe a non competition year. Can't remember where i saw that but check if you like.

I watched enough of that Ipswich podcasting bloke during the playoffs to last me all year - I can't see him being a great motivator for Downs

The one thing you fail to add is that in Germany it isnt against the rules and if its been part of his working practise then its not a stretch to assume he would continue particularly when he has been dropped in to a interim role overnight midseason. The bigger question is why (if they didnt) did not one person in the club tell him it was agaisnt the rules? Now thats the million dollar question.