Furious Southampton fans have urged the club’s hierarchy to call an ‘urgent’ fans’ forum and bring an end to their ‘deafening silence’ over Spygate.
The Saints were expelled from the Championship play-offs by an independent disciplinary commission last week following Daily Mail Sport’s explosive revelation that they had sent a junior analyst intern to spy on Middlesbrough before their play-off semi-final first leg.
Southampton, who admitted to having spied on Boro – along with two other teams – appealed against the punishment, which also includes a four-point deduction next season. That was rejected on appeal.
Southampton have kept tight-lipped through this whole saga and now supporters want answers and those involved to be held accountable.
Southampton fans are calling for an end to the hierarchy’s ‘deafening silence’ over Spygate
‘In our view, communications have been poor throughout this process, with much of the information gained by fans coming from sources other than the club,’ an email sent to CEO Phil Parsons by the club’s Fan Advisory Board reads.
‘Since the CEO note, immediately after the failed appeal, there has been no communication, other than a brief notice about refunds, which made no further apology or recognition of the fan impact.
‘In all honesty, the silence is deafening. Being on the front foot is important for our fans. This is not just about apology and internal rectification, even if those aspects are critical.
‘It is also about fighting our corner in a manner that maximises unity. Statements on the website should be more frequent, as above; media appearances similarly in the form of live interviews.
‘We believe that the club should also organise an urgent Fans Forum within the next week, where key figures from the club (namely Dragan and you [Parsons]) address the fans in a live Q&A format.’
Southampton’s players have also been left furious at how an opportunity to reach the Premier League has been taken away from them and that anger is shared by supporters, thousands of which had bought tickets to Saturday’s final before they were expelled.
Being barred from Saturday’s final – which was won by Hull City – meant Southampton missed out on a tilt at the richest prize in football, with the game valued at £200million for the winner.
Daily Mail Sport also reported last Wednesday that – with £250,000 worth of bonuses for the players who might have won promotion on the line, coupled with various wage increases associated with going up – the squad could yet consider a class action suit to sue their club for loss of earnings.
Many may also look to leave the club over the summer and there will likely be interest in several Saints players given their impressive performances this season.
While players are starting to speak out on social media, fans want the club’s powerbrokers to be held accountable face-to-face with fans.
‘It won’t be easy, but past experience suggests this helps a lot e.g. that carried out by Rasmus [Ankersen], Henrik [Kraft] and Martin [Semmens] towards the end of the Nathan Jones era,’ the email continued.
There remain question marks around the future of manager Tonda Eckert and while Southampton have not commented publicly on his position, it is understood he is fearing for his future in light of Spygate.
Tonda Eckert (left) and his side were expelled from the play-offs after admitting to spying
Southampton star Leo Scienza shared a social media post, expressing his ‘disappointment, anger and sadness’
His teammate Kuryu Matsuki also shared a post and thanked fans for their ‘incredible’ support
Southampton failed to win any of the three games they admitted to spying in the build-up to.
In December, Oxford United, who sacked manager Gary Rowett two days before Christmas, suspected that training, taken by caretaker coach Craig Short, was observed before their game against Southampton on Boxing Day. Saints admitted to this, but Oxford still won that game 2-1 in a shock result at the time.
The Ipswich Town game in April was also a crucial clash in the promotion battle, but yet again Southampton failed to win as they were held to a 2-2 draw, adding to their woe over the saga.
They drew their play-off semi-final first leg against Middlesbrough 0-0 at the Riverside.
