Furious Southampton supporters have urged the club's hierarchy to convene an 'urgent' fans' forum and break their 'deafening silence' over the Spygate scandal. The Saints were expelled from the Championship play-offs by an independent disciplinary commission last week, following a Daily Mail Sport investigation that revealed the club had sent a junior analyst intern to spy on Middlesbrough before their play-off semi-final first leg.
Appeal rejected, silence persists
Southampton admitted to spying on Middlesbrough, as well as two other teams, and appealed the punishment, which also includes a four-point deduction next season. That appeal was rejected. Throughout the saga, the club has remained tight-lipped, and now supporters are demanding answers and accountability for those involved.
An email sent to CEO Phil Parsons by the club's Fan Advisory Board stated: 'In our view, communications have been poor throughout this process, with much of the information gained by fans coming from sources other than the club. Since the CEO note, immediately after the failed appeal, there has been no communication, other than a brief notice about refunds, which made no further apology or recognition of the fan impact. In all honesty, the silence is deafening. Being on the front foot is important for our fans. This is not just about apology and internal rectification, even if those aspects are critical. It is also about fighting our corner in a manner that maximises unity. Statements on the website should be more frequent, as above; media appearances similarly in the form of live interviews.'
Players also furious
The email also called for an urgent Fans Forum within the next week, where key figures from the club, including owner Dragan and CEO Parsons, would address fans in a live Q&A format. Southampton's players have also expressed fury at being denied a chance to reach the Premier League, an opportunity that was taken away from them. Thousands of fans had bought tickets for Saturday's final, which was won by Hull City, before the expulsion.
Missing the final cost Southampton a shot at the richest prize in football, valued at £200 million for the winner. Additionally, with £250,000 worth of bonuses and various wage increases at stake, the squad is considering a class action lawsuit against the club for loss of earnings. Many players may also seek to leave the club this summer, given their impressive performances this season.
While players have started speaking out on social media, fans want the club's powerbrokers to be held accountable face-to-face. The email continued: 'It won't be easy, but past experience suggests this helps a lot e.g. that carried out by Rasmus [Ankersen], Henrik [Kraft] and Martin [Semmens] towards the end of the Nathan Jones era.'
The future of manager Tonda Eckert remains uncertain, with the club not commenting publicly on his position, though it is understood he fears for his future in light of Spygate. Southampton failed to win any of the three games they admitted to spying in the build-up to. In December, Oxford United suspected their training was observed before a Boxing Day match, which Southampton admitted to, but Oxford still won 2-1. The Ipswich Town game in April also ended in a 2-2 draw, and the play-off semi-final first leg against Middlesbrough finished 0-0.
