The EFL has reportedly written to clubs asking them not to use legal or regulatory disputes as material for social media 'banter'.
According to the Daily Mail, the league has sent a letter to teams expressing concerns around a "growing pattern of posts that use disputes, disciplinary matters, alleged wrongdoing or rival Clubs as material for public 'banter'."
Wrexham's Spygate video
It comes after Wrexham posted a video featuring celebrity owners Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney mocking Southampton for the Saints' role in the 'Spygate' controversy.
The actors were seen posing behind a tree ahead of the match between the two sides, in a clear nod to the controversy, which eventually resulted in Southampton being kicked out of last season's Championship play-offs.
"Today, for no particular reason, we want to talk about the importance of privacy," Reynolds said in the video, "specifically how to prevent spies from seeing what you're doing."
"Because there's some things," McElhenney continues, "that you just don't want any other people to see."
EFL's concerns
In their schedule of games for September, Wrexham made another reference to the controversy by putting the tongue-in-cheek message "check training ground" two days before they played Southampton.
It's claimed the EFL are keen to remind clubs of their responsibilities, amid fears that such discourse could eventually result in a breach of FA or EFL rules.
"While any one post may be viewed as an isolated lapse, taken together they risk creating a culture in which short-term engagement is prioritised over judgement, responsibility and long-term reputation," the letter reportedly said.
"This is not about removing humour, personality or rivalry from Club channels. It is about recognising when content becomes disparaging, prolongs a dispute, targets an individual, or calls the integrity of a Club or the competition into question."
The impact extends beyond the Clubs directly involved. Repeated public exchanges can inflame relationships, undermine confidence in the fairness and professionalism of our competitions, and weaken the collective EFL brand.
"Recent media interest in perceived public disputes between Clubs illustrates how quickly individual posts can become a wider reputational issue."
