The alleged spy at the centre of the Southampton 'Spygate' scandal has been identified as William Salt, an intern on Tonda Eckert's staff, after a bank card transaction led to his discovery. Salt is accused of recording Middlesbrough's training session two days before the first leg of their Championship play-off semi-final, which ended 0-0.
According to reports, Salt used his personal bank card to buy a coffee at Rockliffe Hall Golf Club, which backs onto Middlesbrough's training ground and is owned by club chairman Steve Gibson. This transaction could provide a paper trail, raising suspicions that Southampton may have spied on other clubs this season.
Southampton won the second leg 2-1 after extra time, securing a place in the play-off final against Hull City on 23 May. However, their participation remains in doubt as the EFL's independent disciplinary commission investigates alleged breaches of Rule 127, which prohibits observing another club's training within 72 hours of a match.
Middlesbrough are pushing for sporting sanctions, including expulsion from the play-offs, and have gathered evidence suggesting this was not a one-off incident. The club's manager, Kim Hellberg, expressed his anger, stating: 'It breaks my heart... I think it's disgraceful.'
Southampton chief executive Phil Parsons said the club is cooperating fully with the EFL and conducting an internal review, adding: 'We understand the discussion and speculation... but we also believe it is important that the full context is established before conclusions are drawn.'
