Without their expulsion from the Championship play-offs last season, Southampton would likely be in the Premier League right now.
The harsh reality is that they aren’t - the EFL pushed for the harshest punishment possible in May and successfully got it.
The entire ‘Spygate’ process was clearly disproportionate to the crime, but Southampton have recovered well so far, building a squad that has picked up 14 points from their opening seven matches.
It’s a tally that would have them 2nd in the league without the four-point deduction. Even with it, they’re in the play-off places.
A new development from Spygate has now emerged - and it doesn’t look good on the EFL.
A bad look
At the recent Championship clash between Birmingham City and Southampton, the attending EFL chief, Rick Parry, did not speak to any of the travelling Southampton delegation, preferring instead to spend the duration of his visit with Blues officials, according to Mail Sport.
The apparent snub did not go unnoticed at Southampton, where there remains ‘some upset’ about how the decision to throw them out of the play-offs unfolded.
The publication reports that EFL insiders say that Parry was in a different area of the boardroom and ‘did not spot’ the Saints party.
The report has since been confirmed as true by Southern Daily Echo’s Southampton reporter Alfie House, who wrote on X that it was an extremely bad look for the EFL.
It’s evidence of the organisation’s agenda towards the Saints following Spygate. They made the call to push for a huge punishment and should own that, rather than looking to slide away out of sight of the senior figures.
Spygate saga not over yet
One regular chant sung by the Saints fans so far this season has been “F*** the EFL”. This revelation that the Football League’s own chief couldn’t front up the club’s officials will give them further ammo to keep on singing the same message.
There may be hits still to come, with the FA’s ongoing investigation into Saints boss Tonda Eckert’s conduct. A ban would hand them further injustice after already suffering greatly from the ordeal.
The main chatter is that by the end of the international break, Eckert’s fate will be decided.
With a south coast derby the first match back, a setback could be costly for the club.
Spygate’s relentless saga is close to ending - but the implications just keep coming. Southampton will be desperate to get out of the second tier this season and away from where the EFL can’t hurt them.
Keeping Tonda Eckert as head coach will be essential to that.
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