A former Southampton employee is reportedly assisting Middlesbrough in their pursuit of the Spygate controversy, as the Championship club gathers evidence to support their case. The image of Southampton analyst William Salt allegedly observing Boro's training session last Thursday is said not to be an isolated incident.
Allegations and EFL Charges
Salt was photographed partially concealed behind a tree at Middlesbrough's Rockliffe Park training ground, holding a mobile phone as he purportedly spied on tactical drills within 72 hours of the Championship play-off semi-final first leg at the Riverside Stadium. The EFL has since charged Southampton with misconduct, and an independent disciplinary panel will examine the situation. However, Middlesbrough is demanding sporting sanctions against Southampton and reportedly possesses evidence from at least two other Championship clubs that suspect they were also spied on.
Former Staff Member's Involvement
According to The Athletic, a former member of Southampton's staff is now aiding Middlesbrough with the case, having provided a statement detailing the alleged practice of spying on opponents before matches. Meanwhile, Southampton is conducting its own internal investigation into the events before the first leg and is treating the allegations seriously. The report adds that Salt returned to Southampton's Staplewood training ground on Wednesday, despite previously being granted several days off after the charges were brought.
Middlesbrough's Dossier and Fan Incidents
Middlesbrough has lodged a dossier with the EFL containing further grievances. Their team bus was also targeted by Southampton fans at St Mary's ahead of the second leg, with bottles thrown. Boro returned to the North East on Wednesday after being unable to fly home on Tuesday night.
Potential Sanctions and Manager's Response
The squad will train on Thursday rather than leaving for post-season holidays as they await the resolution of the saga, with the play-off final against Hull City at Wembley scheduled for Saturday, May 23. A potential sanction could see Southampton thrown out of the play-offs and, should they fail to secure promotion, possibly handed a points deduction next season. Boro manager Kim Hellberg made his position clear following the 2-1 defeat to Saints in the second leg, stating: "We will see what happens. First thing is that I want to congratulate the Southampton players. They've done brilliantly. To their supporters, they haven't been a part of this. They need to be congratulated and happy for their team."
Hellberg added: "I worked 15 years as a coach to try to get to the Premier League. That's my dream. That's been my dream for 15 years. When that is taken away from you, I think it's no longer fair. It has nothing to do with what they see or what they saw, how they affected the game, or if it was free kicks they saw, or goal kicks they saw, whatever they saw."
