Bradley Hammans

UCFB Football Business & Finance Graduate Broker Support Consultant @Positive Lending Southampton FC ⚽️

[Bhaarateey @UnitedBharateey]

Simon Doull, being his brutal best 😃

[SaintsExtra @SaintsExtra]

🎙️ Former Crystal Palace chairman Simon Jordan on #SaintsFC and Tonda Eckert:

“Would I have sacked him? Well they’ve been sanctioned. The manager can clearly manage. So what are you going to do, double-whammy yourself now? What is the point of falling upon your sword now? You’ve been sanctioned.”

[via @talkSPORT]

[SaintsExtra @SaintsExtra]

🚨 The League Arbitration Panel's full written reasons on #SaintsFC spying on Middlesbrough:

"On Monday 4 May 2026, Mr Eckert attended a match preparation meeting with his coaching and analyst teams. At that meeting, he asked whether it would be possible to see Middlesbrough train that week – he was particularly interested to see whether a particular player, Hayden Hackney, was training or not, because there were differing reports as to his fitness – and it was agreed that someone would be identified to go to Middlesbrough’s training ground. The Junior Analyst Intern was again chosen.

"Analyst 2 told him that he (Analyst 2) had disagreed with this course when Mr Eckert proposed it. The Junior Analyst Intern said that he felt under extreme pressure due to the context of the importance of the game for the Club. He feared that he might be dismissed by the Club or it might otherwise adversely affect his career if he did not do it. So, he went. He felt bound to take videos on his phone because (as he said in a message to Analyst 1 after he was caught), he felt pressurised by the coaches: “With them all telling me they want more out of it than what I got at Oxford as got it wrong etc they clearly don’t think my word is good enough so wallop there’s your footage”.

"At one stage, Analyst 1 suggested to him that he might not go to the Middlesbrough training session, but simply report back that security there was too tight to make any observations and Mr Eckert would be none the wiser.

"The Operations Manager made arrangements for the flights and two nights’ accommodation. Before he left, the Junior Analyst Intern was shown drone footage of the Middlesbrough training facilities so that he could get an idea of where to stand. He flew up to Middlesbrough on Wednesday 6 May. The Junior Analyst Intern was told that Mr Eckert was unhappy because he did not fly up on the Tuesday so that he could see the Wednesday training session; but the first flight he could get was on the Wednesday.

"On Thursday 7 May, he walked from his hotel to the training ground, arriving at about 10.40am. The first team training session started at 11.15am. He identified where the first team were training at about 11.30am, and he proceeded to record three videos on his phone from behind a tree.

"After a few minutes, four people began walking towards him, and he sent the videos to Analyst 1 who sent Mr Eckert information from the videos including the projected Middlesbrough line up (including Mr Hackney). The Junior Analyst Intern started to move rapidly away, but one of the men ran and caught him up.

"The Junior Analyst Intern said he was “just watching”, and the man asked him to delete the videos which he did. He then walked on to a nearby golf clubhouse where he changed and deleted his LinkedIn profile because he was worried that Middlesbrough would recognise him from that.

"The Junior Analyst Intern then left the area and went back to his hotel from where he rang Analyst 1 who told him to wait there until Mr Eckert agreed he should return to Southampton. After some time, the Junior Analyst Intern not having received any confirmation, left of his own accord, returning to Southampton by train. It was while he was on the train that he learned from the internet news that Southampton had been caught “spying” on Middlesbrough.

"Analyst 1 provided Mr Eckert with a breakdown of what he interpreted from the videos, including a predicted line up and (Analyst 1 said) it showed how, when Southampton built up on the left side, Middlesbrough would press man-to-man. It was predicted from what had been seen that Mr Hackney would play.

"Analyst 1 suggested they ask the media team to take down or hide the manager of the month pictures online, because the Junior Analyst Intern featured in the background: “The only way they can put his face from CCTV with [Southampton] as he’s deleted his LinkedIn picture. Just got to hope they won’t put the 2 together”. He asked Mr Eckert whether he wished to see the videos, and he said he did. Analyst 1 also shared the videos with Analyst 3, upon request, on the Friday before the match.

"Mr Eckert said the videos were of poor quality, taken from far distance and it was difficult to work out who was who – and, so, they were of no benefit to him, nor was Analyst 1’s interpretation of them. He said neither impacted on his preparation for the match.

"Mr Eckert said that they had decided on formation by the Wednesday, Thursday was a day off for staff and Friday was devoted to set pieces; and, so, the videos received on the Thursday had no effect on the preparations for the game. In the event, Mr Hackney was not in Middlesbrough’s line up for the match."

[SaintsExtra @SaintsExtra]

In 2015, when #SaintsFC head coach Tonda Eckert worked at 1. FC Köln, a story emerged claiming the club had spied on Hamburg using a scout disguised as a journalist.

In 2013, Edin Terzic, who will be the head coach of Athletic Club from next season, disguised himself as a steward to enter a Real Madrid training session while working for Borussia Dortmund.

Ole Werner, the head coach of RB Leipzig, said last month that he sent staff to hide in bushes and monitor opponents’ sessions with drones.

[via @TimesSport]

[Billie @Billie_T]

These two have carried sports broadcasting this season

[Match of the Day @BBCMOTD]

"It's been two heartbreaking losses in one week." 💔

Middlesbrough manager Kim Hellberg opened up about the rollercoaster week in the build-up to and during today's Championship play-off final 🎢

[Rammie’s left bollock 🐏 @Ram1884_]

Fucking superb. Face like a ballsack. EFL rent boy. Could not have happened to a bigger wanker. #dcfc #boro #saintsfc

[Second Tier podcast @secondtierpod]

This speech from Lewie Coyle 🥹

[CBS Sports Golazo ⚽️ @CBSSportsGolazo]

"The end result in my opinion is brilliant... Fundamentally, cheating shouldn't be in any sport."

@T_Deeney, @MikeGrella10 and Nigel Reo-Coker salute the EFL for how they handled 'Spygate' 🗣️

[Second Tier podcast @secondtierpod]

Penny for his thoughts right now

[The Saint Centre @TheSaintCentre]

Adam Blackmore sums up the decision-making surrounding ‘Spygate’ very well in this short clip 👏

Southampton fans across the world, we’re sure, are still processing what has happened

#saintsfc

[Sky Sports Football @SkyFootball]

🗣️ "The EFL have handled it as well as they possibly could have"

Jobi McAnuff shares his thoughts on 'spygate' 💭

[Glen de la Cour (leagueoneminus10) @L1minus10]

2 wins out of 14 for Hellberg. The only team in history to fuck up promotion three times in one season. See you next season. #saintsfc

[Ben Kneller @BenKnells]

People talking sense.

This has been trial by media.

IT WAS NOT A FOOTBALLING BOARD MAKING A FOOTBALLING DECISION.

[Just Saints @JustSaints_]

Kim Hellberg this season:

🎁 Automatic promotion gift wrapped for him by Rob Edwards.
📉 2 wins in final 10 matches.
🍼 Finishes 5th.
🦮 Dog walked by Saints in play-off semi.
😭 Cries on TV to get reinstated.
🐯 Mauled by the Tiger in the final.

HellBall. 🔥🔥🔥

[bray @maybebrayyy]

Morgan Gibbs-White has scored TEN goals and produced three assists since Noni Madueke last registered a Premier League goal contribution of any sort.

#NFFC

[Benjamin Bloom @Benjaminbloom]

Can Southampton rebuild their shattered reputation? 💭

Southampton's self awareness in their public response to spygate has come into question in many quarters, what do Saints need to do to rebuild their tarnished reputation?

#SaintsFC #EFLChampionship

[Max Scott @maxbscott]

The last I’ll say on Morgan Gibbs-White.

He’s been shafted.

Regardless, I’ll still get behind this England team 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿

[Bradley Hammans @Bradders1302]

@SaintsExtra Have to keep Bree Stewart and tbh depending who stays Smallbone will be worth it for depth

[Adam Blackmore @AdamBlackmore]

I woke up this morning and thought “the season is over. That’s it.” #SaintsFc

And it feels so unsatisfactory and hollow - all those months traipsing up and down the country by fans, players and us for what ?!?

I can’t begin to imagine how let down supporters, staff and players must be feeling

And I can’t begin to imagine where you start rebuilding and convincing everyone to go again in August.

That will happen of course, but a lot needs to happen to make it palatable and something to look forward to - a hell of a lot of

The club need Dragan Solak to dig deep again and to reset the culture by making big calls and the right calls