Matthew Le God

You missed the point I was making. Yes, it happened. Yes, we should be punished. But if any member of the public is able to livestream a tactical training session it highlights rhe flaw in the defence of saying vital info could be seen. It can't be deemed vital if it is on public show with no fences!

Should Saints be punished for breaking the rules? YES However.... A Middlesbrough claim of viewing their training allowed a significant advantage is flawed! Viewable by any member of the public to see. They have made no effort to block views. Public could film and put on YouTube for the world (and opponents) to see and it wouldn't break a rule.

I doubt the independent commission would care about that impacting their decision.

You or I or any member of the public could walk past the training pitch, make notes and then email them to an opponent. No intent from the club, but they can still find out info as there has been no attempt to block the view from the public. If they were concerned about privacy they'd block the view. That is why people have frosted glass on bathroom windows!

When I worked in Portsmouth I used to walk past their training ground every day. You could easily see through the chain link fence and could walk on a public footpath a few yards from the training pitch. If Pompey and Middlesbrough were concerned about things being seen they'd have a fence you couldn't see through. Any member of the public could see what Pompey were doing and tell their opponent if they wanted, wouldn't need to be a club employee. Same for Middlesbrough. So the rule is daft if clubs don't even bother to keep things out of the public gaze with non see through fencing. That is why people have frosted glass on bathroom windows!

Where do you put that in the accounts that are publicly available on the Companies House website? Also... why would he be happy even with a payoff if his reputation in the football industry is tarnished for life?

He'd have to be sacked if he did it as a lone wolf. If he was under instructions from the club and if you were him, would you accept the sacking, the reputation hit to your career in football or would you expose the lie?

How could they enforce that here? If he did it on his day off, how are they meant to know what he is doing, let alone stop him?

Yep, people cheat to get ahead in life and impress employers

The club would likely sack him if he did do this all on his own. If it isn't true that he was acting on his own and he was removed from his role he'd likely have evidence the club was scapegoating him and they'd asked him to do it and he'd screw the club over for ruining his reputation in the football industry and losing his role. So if they stick to the reason being a rogue analyst, they must be confident he won't out them as lying if that is what they are doing. Or they are telling the truth and it really was a lone wolf and what could they possibly have done to stop someone doing if he kept it a secret?

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/football/2026/05/09/southampton-accept-spying-charge-claim-analyst-acting-alone/ The Telegraph article mentions Saints blaming it on a lone wolf analyst doing it without the club's knowledge. Some Boro and Saints fans have said that they are throwing him under the bus. But... the club would likely sack him if he did do this all on his own. If it isn't true that he was acting on his own and he was removed from his role he'd likely have evidence the club was scapegoating him and they'd asked him to do it and he'd screw the club over for ruining his reputation in the football industry and losing his role. So if they stick to the reason being a rogue analyst, they must be confident he won't out them as lying if that is what they are doing. Or they are telling the truth and it really was a lone wolf and what could they possibly have done to stop someone doing if he kept it a secret?

We should all be able to spot you then...

Saints have never had the names or images of intern analysts on their website.

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/football/2026/05/09/southampton-accept-spying-charge-claim-analyst-acting-alone/

A song for the pre match build up on Tuesday at St Mary’s...

Middlesbrough weren't preparing their tactics for Tuesday's game on Thursday. They'll do that on Monday.

I'd guess the 72 hour thing is due to clubs using those last training sessions for set piece routines and other tactical work that generally doesn't happen earlier in the build up to a game.

Not really a precedent when new rules were written after the Leeds incident.

Cracks in the Middlesbrough account of events! This BBC article says Middlesbrough claim to have found photos of the spy on the Saints website. It is claimed by Middlesbrough elsewhere that the person is an intern. No intern analyst at Southampton has ever had their photo on the Saints website in the staff section! https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/articles/c1725d15p0ko

What in their story has changed?

I've been rumbled!

We can still get 3rd or 4th 3rd or 4th brings advantages vs finishing 5th

We ended the Ipswich game with Charles at right back

Are we counting 50 years ago as "modern"?