Southampton banter 3

23 May 2026 16:10:46
Efl released the details of the hearing.

I posted the link and bullet points of it.

It's on the Southampton Rumours section.

23 May 2026 10:57:38
{Ed's Note - Ed001 has posted a new article entitled, Matchday 37 - Quick Round Up

23 May 2026 07:39:02
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22 May 2026 21:59:09
You're coming around to my soft side Saintsggg so I'm willing to bury the hatchet ?☕?

One last dig though if I may,

I hate (love) to be that guy but with more info coming out each day, it is looking more and more like Tonda's is the sole instigator and orchestrator of this whole thing. Alas, I called it ? (ok, I'm done)

Messages from him to his interns/staff asking them directly what he wanted gained from them from their spying trips and the testimonials of the interns being unwilling/forced into doing it. That's pretty harsh on young people trying to make their way in the game. It's one thing for Tonda to say "he didn't know" but it's entirely different if your forcing people to do something. That states that they're telling Tonda what he's doing is frowned upon/illegal and he's doing it anyway. Fully aware.

I mean if you look at that picture of William Salt by the tree, he's not exactly 007 or looks to have any clue about how to get away with it or conduct himself, he brought a coffee with his own bank card from the golf course next to it. Literally school boy naivety.

I did initially think Tonda was on the spectrum too, the way he is in interviews. Yet that same demeanor can be attributed to someone who clearly knows he's operating in dark and shady ways.

Diving into his past he's largely an analyst and it's completely plausible that this spying behavior of his, is the thing that has propelled his tactical analysis side and elevated his status in football without anyone around him knowing.

I know I bang on about Will Still but one of the main reasons I came onto this sight was to give a balanced voice to the continual sacking of managers, simply for not putting points on the board. Everyone always says football is a points game, but to me it isn't and we've clearly showed that - by sacking managers (Ralph/Still) that would have ultimately got this club into a better standing (my view) had the fans not turned on them. I've always tried to steer the line of the grass is greener and be careful what you wish for. I was more than happy to spend this season down near the relegation end/mid table as long as it looked like we're were building on what came before. Instead we traded a morally nice/feel good manager for what's looking like an out of his depth/possibly corrupt guy.

Guernseyboy (not sure if you're the same one who's been on here a while) but you need to let the whole fighting this thing go. I'm not necessarily saying what we did truly gave us an advantage, only Tonda would know that. But us accepting it, taking the punishment of playoff expulsion and points deduction is the only light at the end of this tunnel. We've set a a precident now so that hopefully as fans, of all clubs, we can expect nothing like this happens again. Even better for us the scrutiny will be on us, meaning any gains/wins we get going forward will be based on wholesome football.

For me, true change will come with this board leaving. But then, none of us fans our billionaires (unless you guys are holding out on me) ?? meaning we don't get to choose who buys us out and comes in, so any takeover is a roll of the dice. This current board largely wanted us as a platform to push their online gambling ventures, because it seems they definitely don't know much about the football side of things.

I think it's possible fans will start to connect the dots with the board (I'm not saying the board necessarily knew about or had anything to do with the spying) but they're systematic naivety towards everything football has run us deep into the ground. Meaning we might start to see protests and calls for them to be removed, rightly so I say. However I'm just mindful of replacing like for like, or worse.

Is it better the devil you know, I don't know.

23 May 2026 08:51:29
I'm done with the club and won't be renewing my two season tickets.

This stigma will run for more years than many of us have left. The club is morally bankrupt and a disgrace to our national sport.

Not the players, not the fans, not any of us, but the suits who have failed to take any affirmative action against Tonda and his half wits.

All of us though are tarred with this. How can we hold our heads high as self respecting Saints fans.

As I said before, a snivelling public apology and a proclamation about 'learning lessons' is condescending beyond belief.

Next season will be tortuous, even if we do win a match with the residue of the squad - basically the players no one else want.

For those of you who remain staunchly behind the team ("Southampton til I die") you have my respect and admiration. But for me, the club is mortally wounded and we need a complete reincarnation - as I said, sack them all.

23 May 2026 14:52:41
I agree wholeheartedly with you Miller. I've supported Saints for over 60 years and had a season ticket for much of that time. I didn't think that I would ever walk away from this club but I can't condone what has happened and I can't understand why nobody has been removed yet ( Tonda).He has let down not just the club, the players, the staff and the fans but the people of Southampton.

28 May 2026 19:38:12
Hilarious, you two actually think world sport is clean and only the odd cheats abound. Every single sportsman and sports club will take every advantage they can get, some draw lines on some avenues, some draw lines on other avenues.

Cheating is rife at every conceivable level, we got caught doing something that isn't even classed as cheating in the rest of the world. Get over it.

22 May 2026 20:20:07
If Guernsyboy is right, then the independent panel was anything but independent and as such, would have influenced what many people consider to be a perverse judgement.

I've been quite impressed with Simon Jordan's take on things likening it to an execution for shoplifting.

Not quite Simon but the other point he made, which I agree with, is that if you asked all 24 clubs at the beginning of the season whether a team caught cheating should be kicked out, they would all of have said yes.

Our problem is that we did not know the level of sanction and therefore took on what turned out to be a catastrophic risk.

I don't know about you guys, but tomorrow afternoon I will be nowhere near the telly.

I suppose Hull is most people's preferred winners.

22 May 2026 20:07:24
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22 May 2026 07:39:02
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22 May 2026 10:03:05
Initially I thought the punishment was excessive for the reported offences. Since then more information is coming out suggesting much more serious breaches of EFL rules and Employment law.
I am still going to wait until all is revealed before throwing Tonda under the bus. If the evidence proves that Spors Tonda and others were complicit on all counts then they have to be sacked for gross misconduct and receive no compensation in accordance with UK employment law.


I am extremely concerned that some players will now seek release from their contracts and become free agents. I expect Peretz and Larin to join other clubs, Saints will activate Stewart's 1 year extension on his contract but Bree will not sign a new contract.
It's a mess and could, if not handled in the correct manner cause the club to free fall into an abyss.

22 May 2026 11:37:09
Good point. My concern is we have had a points deduction for spying on 2 clubs (third was different competition apparently) and got 4 points (reduced from 6). So 3 points per game if you have not admitted to it.

If another 4/5 clubs come forward with evidence, where does it end as we would not have been punished for those offences.

Potential to be 12/15 or more points to come

21 May 2026 09:48:29
So, we gambled on a low sanction for a marginal gain and it spectacularly failed.

If we had walked the ball in our own net to give Boro a 1 goal advantage maybe this would have blown over and we would have won back respect from all football fans. We won the battle but lost the war.

The big question now (if we have the choice). Do we kick Rohl and Tonda out? They have betrayed us but also brought in good signings and got us winning again. I am split. Thoughts?

21 May 2026 12:06:53
There is no question about it - In any professional walk of life this is gross misconduct.

Tonda's action (and those involved) have exposed the club to immeasurable reputational damage and eye watering financial loss.

Tonda and his accomplices should have been suspended by now pending an internal disciplinary process.

The message from the club is absolutely pathetic' " we must learn from our mistakes".

Really??? Is that it? In other words we must learn not to cheat. Unbelievable.

Unless the CEO meant we should learn to cheat better.

Honestly though, the fans do not deserve this (not even you Lesleee) and the rhetoric coming out is stomach churning.

SO SACK ALL INVOLVED

21 May 2026 14:24:27
Low blow Miller, keep the gloves up ?

22 May 2026 07:28:44
Just discovered that two on the panel are connected to Boro. An ex player and a lawyer who had represented them. As a lawyer they should have recused selves but suggests EFL have loaded the independent panel accordingly. Maybe EFL need to be investigated and charged. No fair hearing took place:

22 May 2026 09:16:00
Lydia Banerjee barrister who had represented Boro on many occasions in the past and David Winnee ex Boro Player. This is definitely not right. FA need to look at this urgently

22 May 2026 10:56:20
So Tonda will likely be out through law, sanction or PR management.

Does anyone know if Spors was involved? (said Rohl by mistake earlier)

He flopped on Downs and Quarshie had little impact but Azaz, Scienza, Jander, Larin and Perertz were super signings for us. Better hit rate than most footballing directors we've had.

22 May 2026 11:38:21
Even Leslee. ?
To be fair Leslie has made some reasonable points of late here and there (with gritted teeth).

22 May 2026 11:41:36
Please read the Ugly Inside report. It highlights multiple issues with the original hearing and the appeal. The FA must look at this and see if EFL have breached the FA rules. Shockingly bad. Done up like a kipper springs to mind.

22 May 2026 16:00:57
There is no debate about whether Tonda stays or goes.he has to go, quickly, simply from the point of recruitment. We are going to lose the majority of our first team, and will need to recruit new players.nobody will risk their reputation joining Saints unless its clear there has been a major clear out of all involved.

Including Spors.saying he didn't know is no defence, happened on his watch. Massive clear out over the next week is the only way to attempt to avert the existential threats highlighted correctly in earlier posts

21 May 2026 09:47:05
I have zero complaints. We've admitted to some things, but I think it'll come out that we've been doing this all year. We've cheated, and are lucky to stay in the league. Tonda has to go. Players will go. Board may go.

But I think this goes higher up. How long were we complaining about the ownership? Then suddenly we start winning, complaints subside, they earn money.

In the four full seasons they've been here, we've been relegated in last place, promoted through play-offs, relegated in last place, accused of cheating and expelled from play-offs. Arguably our three worst seasons in the last 16 have come in the last four.

I feel like administration beckons. This club will start to rot, we might head the way of Wednesday. So deeply upsetting. And enraging.

21 May 2026 07:39:03
{Ed's Note - MK Scouser has posted a new article entitled, Why I Think Liverpool’s Issues Start With Slot