yeah, and for sure if they lose the manager will say something like "well, we'd trained to play Southampton etc etc"
Saints expelled from Play Offs by EFL
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Having thought about this a bit, I'm most annoyed by the club's incompetence dealing with the situation. I'm not a massive fan of making junior staff do things they don't feel morally comfortable with but that feels like typical football to me - I have no doubt players are encouraged to dive, crowd and intimidate referees etc.
I really don't give a **** about the spying itself though. And perhaps the worst thing is that I don't think Middlesbrough really care either. I'm sure it's all performative outrage. I found this comment (video below) very telling from Simon Jordan, who knows Steve Gibson and has made it pretty clear he's been speaking to him about this. Speaking to a Boro fan he said "I think the initial reaction from your people was amusement at first. And then subsequently realising that actually there was an opportunity to turn this into something more significant." So yeah, Middlesbrough knew all of this was totally insignificant and didn't give a **** until they realised that they might benefit as a club if they could kick up enough of a fuss. So that's what they did. I don't think any other clubs will come forward with evidence of spying because I'm sure it's been a widespread practice and they won't want to open that can of worms.
The other thing is that, having read it, the decision by the panel looks like something concocted to justify a decision they'd already made, likely on the basis of the media ****storm that had been stirred up. Daring to talk about the importance of the integrity of the competition or public confidence is ridiculous beyond belief because football authorities continuously show through their actions that they don't care about those things at all. Every week we can all see players diving all over the place, trying to get each other sent off, coordinated groups of players surrounding and screaming at or trying to intimidate referees and other officials, with awful consequences at lower levels of the game and probably outside football to some extent. Every week managers try to pressurise officials or game the system, every year some club or other breaks the financial rules, most weeks Howard Webb comes out and admits VAR has wrongly given a penalty or sent a player off or something. And this is all tolerated, but watching a few training sessions is somehow a despicable crime? The whole thing is a joke and has pushed me further towards giving up on football altogether.
I really don't give a **** about the spying itself though. And perhaps the worst thing is that I don't think Middlesbrough really care either. I'm sure it's all performative outrage. I found this comment (video below) very telling from Simon Jordan, who knows Steve Gibson and has made it pretty clear he's been speaking to him about this. Speaking to a Boro fan he said "I think the initial reaction from your people was amusement at first. And then subsequently realising that actually there was an opportunity to turn this into something more significant." So yeah, Middlesbrough knew all of this was totally insignificant and didn't give a **** until they realised that they might benefit as a club if they could kick up enough of a fuss. So that's what they did. I don't think any other clubs will come forward with evidence of spying because I'm sure it's been a widespread practice and they won't want to open that can of worms.
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The other thing is that, having read it, the decision by the panel looks like something concocted to justify a decision they'd already made, likely on the basis of the media ****storm that had been stirred up. Daring to talk about the importance of the integrity of the competition or public confidence is ridiculous beyond belief because football authorities continuously show through their actions that they don't care about those things at all. Every week we can all see players diving all over the place, trying to get each other sent off, coordinated groups of players surrounding and screaming at or trying to intimidate referees and other officials, with awful consequences at lower levels of the game and probably outside football to some extent. Every week managers try to pressurise officials or game the system, every year some club or other breaks the financial rules, most weeks Howard Webb comes out and admits VAR has wrongly given a penalty or sent a player off or something. And this is all tolerated, but watching a few training sessions is somehow a despicable crime? The whole thing is a joke and has pushed me further towards giving up on football altogether.
Yeah I’m sure behind the scenes M’Boro weren’t sitting there thinking they lost because of the spying. They knew they lost because over the two legs they didn’t do enough, especially in the first half of the first leg. They lost because they tired in both games and we are a parachute squad with a stronger bench so we could eventually get the win due to squad depth. We just gave them the perfect reason to be able to get themselves reinstated and they went for it
The league is like the World Cup qualifiers and then some go into play off to qualify for the World Cup.
Sorry but I don't understand the argument. Just because you qualify for the league it doesn't mean it's not a knockout competition.
I always thought it was an extension to the league. Not a separate competition.
The EFL Championship play-offs are officially classified as an extension of the league season, rather than a separate cup competition.
Why They Are an Extension
The play-offs are legally governed directly under the English Football League (EFL)regulations as part of the overall league schedule. Several factors cement this status:
The English Football League +1
A Mini-Tournament Structure
While it is technically a league extension, the play-offs use a knockout cup-style format. Once the 46-game season concludes, qualifying teams enter a post-season bracket consisting of multi-leg matches and a final at Wembley Stadium.
Why They Are an Extension
The play-offs are legally governed directly under the English Football League (EFL)regulations as part of the overall league schedule. Several factors cement this status:
The English Football League +1
- Disciplinary Records: Yellow and red cards accumulated during the 46 regular-season games carry over directly into the play-offs. Suspension rules apply across both phases, which would not happen if it were a separate tournament.
- Goal Statistics: Goals scored by players during the play-offs are added to their overall league tally for the season, rather than being tracked in a separate cup registry.
- Promotion Stake: The play-offs explicitly serve as the final stage of the league's promotion mechanism to determine the third team ascending to the Premier League.
A Mini-Tournament Structure
While it is technically a league extension, the play-offs use a knockout cup-style format. Once the 46-game season concludes, qualifying teams enter a post-season bracket consisting of multi-leg matches and a final at Wembley Stadium.
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I hope the fans at Wembley remembered their Sunscreen, I am actually glad that I am not there getting toasted.
I wonder if Gibson will insist on being given a win to the EPL if they lose as it is hot today.
Wait until he hears Hull watched the weather forecast last night !
'the Play-Off Competition' means the knockout competition held at the end of each Season to determine the final Club qualifying for promotion to the next highest Division, or in the case of the Championship, the Premier League.
‘Play-Off Match’ means any match in a Play-Off Competition.
At the end of each Season, the four highest placed Clubs in each division not gaining automatic promotion shall enter the Play-Off Competition.
For those who really wanted promotion I reckon we'd have battered this Hull side.
Just occurred to me
Spy on someone’s training in EPL - no probs
Spy on someone’s training in EFL 73hrs before the game - no probs
Spy on someone’s training in EPL under 72hrs before game - Footballs largest ever sanction in history
Makes sense
Spy on someone’s training in EPL - no probs
Spy on someone’s training in EFL 73hrs before the game - no probs
Spy on someone’s training in EPL under 72hrs before game - Footballs largest ever sanction in history
Makes sense
It wasn't a single great big sanction either.
1. We got kicked out of a knock out competition (however the semantics get worded) for breaking the rules for that game - the fact it's the play off final and not an earlier round of a cup competition and has a larger monetary reward is irrelevant (though keeps being mentioned)
2. We got a 3 point deduction for watching oxford (dropped to 2 for being "mostly" compliant) and as the league had finished it's rolled over to next season.
3. We got a 3 point deduction for watching Ipswich (again dropped to 2 and rolled over).
We also got a reprimand for the other charges.
We are now waiting for separate items that the FA may take against individuals.
So whilst it feels massive - looking at it in isolation for each item the punishments for each aren't unrealistic they just compound
1. We got kicked out of a knock out competition (however the semantics get worded) for breaking the rules for that game - the fact it's the play off final and not an earlier round of a cup competition and has a larger monetary reward is irrelevant (though keeps being mentioned)
2. We got a 3 point deduction for watching oxford (dropped to 2 for being "mostly" compliant) and as the league had finished it's rolled over to next season.
3. We got a 3 point deduction for watching Ipswich (again dropped to 2 and rolled over).
We also got a reprimand for the other charges.
We are now waiting for separate items that the FA may take against individuals.
So whilst it feels massive - looking at it in isolation for each item the punishments for each aren't unrealistic they just compound
I'm not watching, but from the moment they secured a play-off place, I was totally confident of defeating them at Wembley if we ended up facing each other.
All true on the face of it.
But be totally honest, if this was a team like Newcastle, Villa or West Ham they'd never ever give sanctions this strong, regardless of how much influence Gibson has with the EFL