Southampton kicked out of Championship playoff final and docked four points for spying
Middlesbrough are reinstated after Southampton admitted multiple breaches, and the club will start next season with a four-point deduction, the EFL said.
- On Wednesday, Southampton is appealing their expulsion from the Championship play-off final before an arbitration panel, arguing the sanction is "manifestly disproportionate" to their admitted spying offenses.
- The Independent Disciplinary Commission imposed the penalty after Southampton admitted three spying charges, including observing a training session of semi-final opponents Middlesbrough earlier this month.
- Southampton CEO Phil Parsons claims the club has been "denied the opportunity to compete" in a game worth more than 200 million, contrasting this with the 200,000 fine Leeds received for a similar 2019 offense.
- Middlesbrough has been reinstated and will face Hull City at Wembley on Saturday, with The EFL confirming the match proceeds at the originally scheduled time of 4.30 p.m. BST.
- Former Southampton striker Alan Shearer and Gary Lineker questioned the severity of the punishment, while club legend Matthew Le Tissier described the expulsion as akin to a "murder trial for stealing a chocolate bar.
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Spygate: Why intern’s action could lead to 200m pound loss for Southampton
A Southampton intern named William Hall was caught on camera taking a video of Middlesbrough’s training session. Clubs are prohibited from ‘observing, or attempting to observe, another club's training session within 72 hours of a scheduled match between the two clubs.’
The Herald Scotland
The MailSouthampton condemn severity of ‘Spygate’ sanction following play-off expulsion
Southampton have appealed against the punishment.
Southampton Football Club have pleaded guilty to illegally watching their rivals' training but will appeal against the decision of the Independent Disciplinary Committee, which disqualified them from the Championship play-off final.
After being expelled from the Premier League access playoffs, Southampton first ruled on the case. In an official note, the English club accepted to have committed irregularities in the case of espionage, but came in with appeal for considering the exclusion penalty of the playoffs disproportionate. "We filed an appeal against yesterday's decision of the Independent Disciplinary Commission to expel the Southampton Football Club from the Sky Bet …
'Manifestly Disproportionate': Southampton Executive Reacts To Championship Playoff Expulsion
Southampton heads into its appeal against expulsion from the Championship playoff final believing its punishment is "manifestly disproportionate" to any previous sanction in English soccer history.The south-coast team admitted to repeatedly spying on opponents this season — including Middlesbrough ahead of the playoff semifinals — and was removed from this Saturday's match against Hull when a place in the Premier League was up for grabs.Instead,…
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