Wrexham's social media team wasted no time in mocking Southampton over the notorious 'Spygate' scandal after the Championship fixtures for the 2026/27 season were announced. The Welsh club are set to face the South Coast side on September 19, and their official Instagram account shared a post with 1.5 million followers featuring a mocked-up calendar image captioned: "Taking us into the international break," alongside a spy emoji clutching a magnifying glass.
Doctored Badge and Spy References
Sharp-eyed supporters noticed that Southampton's badge had been doctored to feature a caricature of a man lurking behind a tree, a nod to the leaked image of intern William Salt, who was photographed watching a training session from behind a tree during the height of the scandal. Wrexham fans eagerly joined in the mockery, flooding the comments section with crying-laughing emojis. The post amassed over 1,500 likes within its first hour.
Southampton's Spygate Expulsion
Southampton were expelled from the play-offs in May after being found guilty of covertly obtaining insider information on Middlesbrough and several other opponents throughout the season. The club had reached the final against Hull City but were removed following the scandal. They were also handed a four-point deduction for the upcoming season. An independent disciplinary commission described the affair as a "contrived and determined plan from the top down."
Head Coach's Apology
Head coach Tonda Eckert issued an apology over the scandal, stating in a video: "When I worked in Italy for over four years, every starting line-up that we chosen was always out in the media. That was because our training sessions had always been observed by opponent teams... I don't want to say this to explain it but the way I grew up in football, there's different rules in England and the EFL, I should have known them." Eckert added that he would take "full responsibility" and apologized to his players, who were reportedly furious. Southampton confirmed Eckert would remain as head coach for the 2026/27 season.
Hostile Reception Expected
Southampton could face a hostile reception at away grounds this season, particularly at the Racecourse Ground against Wrexham in the autumn. The club has yet to issue any public response to Wrexham's social media post.
