A member of the independent commission that expelled Southampton from the play-offs for spying on a Middlesbrough training session has dismissed accusations of bias based on him playing a single match for Boro 33 years ago as “wholly without foundation”.
David Winnie, a footballer turned solicitor, played one match for Middlesbrough three decades ago. He was part of a three-person panel which removed Southampton from the play-offs after finding head coach Tonda Eckert authorised the spying mission at Boro, as well as earlier visits to training sessions held by Oxford and Ipswich.
Social media commentary questioned whether that link brought his independent status into question, but Winnie said: “The suggestion that a single appearance for Middlesbrough Football Club more than three decades ago could in any way influence my judgment as a member of an independent disciplinary commission is wholly without foundation.”
He added: “My involvement with the club consisted of one professional appearance approximately 33 years ago and has no bearing whatsoever on my ability to approach these proceedings impartially and objectively. As with all commission members, my duty was to consider only the evidence, the applicable EFL regulations, and the submissions advanced by the parties.”
The commission said it was “particularly deplorable” that junior staff were delegated to carry out the observations, with the intern caught at Boro’s training session telling the commission he felt pressured to do it. Winnie concluded: “The commission unanimously concluded that the conduct in question represented a deliberate and organised attempt to obtain a competitive advantage in breach of fundamental principles of sporting integrity and good faith.”
