Middlesbrough Football Club have repeated their call for “a sporting sanction” on Southampton for a spying incident.
The EFL yesterday (14 May) confirmed that a hearing into Southampton’s alleged spying on a Middlesbrough training session is scheduled to take place on or before Tuesday 19 May, with the Saints charged with breaches of EFL Regulations 3.4. and 127.
EFL Regulation 3.4. which requires Clubs to act towards each other with the utmost good faith: and
EFL Regulation 127. which prohibits any Club from observing, or attempting to observe, another Club’s training session within 72 hours of a scheduled match between the two Clubs.
The first leg of the Championship Play-Off semi-final between the clubs finished goalless, before Southampton secured a 2-1 extra-time victory in the second leg from behind.
Middlesbrough however won’t be permitted access to the hearing which has led the club to issue a statement expressing regret that they won’t be involved considering that they’ve been “directly affected” by the rule breaches and hold “relevant factual evidence” in relation to the events.
“The club regrets that outcome, given we are directly affected by the matters under consideration and hold relevant factual evidence as to the events in question and their competitive impact.”
They have consequently called for sporting sanctions to be imposed on Tonda Eckert’s Southampton which prevents them from participating in the Championship Play-Off Final against Hull on 23 May at Wembley Stadium, London.
“The conduct at issue, namely the observation and recording of our training session ahead of a fixture of such significance, goes to the heart of sporting integrity and fair competition. In these circumstances, the only appropriate response is a sporting sanction which would prevent Southampton FC from participating in the EFL Championship play-off final.”
The club also expressed hope that the EFL will pursue the requested sanction from the Independent Disciplinary Commission in protection of the sport’s integrity, whilst safeguarding all member clubs and ensuring a deterrence for future spying incidents.
“We remain hopeful that the EFL, as regulator, will pursue such a sanction before the Disciplinary Commission in order to protect the integrity of the game, safeguard all member clubs, and deter any attempt in the future to obtain an unfair and unlawful advantage in pursuit of promotion to the Premier League.”
Middlesbrough’s full statement can be found below.
Middlesbrough FC notes the decision of the Disciplinary Commission not to permit the club to intervene in the proceedings brought by the EFL against Southampton FC.
The club regrets that outcome, given we are directly affected by the matters under consideration and hold relevant factual evidence as to the events in question and their competitive impact.
The conduct at issue, namely the observation and recording of our training session ahead of a fixture of such significance, goes to the heart of sporting integrity and fair competition. In these circumstances, the only appropriate response is a sporting sanction which would prevent Southampton FC from participating in the EFL Championship play-off final.
We remain hopeful that the EFL, as regulator, will pursue such a sanction before the Disciplinary Commission in order to protect the integrity of the game, safeguard all member clubs, and deter any attempt in the future to obtain an unfair and unlawful advantage in pursuit of promotion to the Premier League.
The club reserves all its legal rights.
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