Dean

Academy Scout at Derby County / Ex Non league Head of Recruitment

[Dean @DeanFlower17]

So some exciting news to start the bank holiday weekend! I’ll be starting a new role with Derby County as an academy scout covering London and the south. Really grateful for the opportunity to step up and represent a category 1 club ⚽️

[Dean @DeanFlower17]

@nlfm_game @trevk37 @cmidson87

[Dean @DeanFlower17]

@toptargets @stevennpl @CarshaltonA_FC All the best pal 🤝

[Dean @DeanFlower17]

@Ivesy77 Enjoy the moment Ivesy - days like this can be once in a generation

[Dean @DeanFlower17]

https://t.co/3Dp40FBsMr

Currently selling our flat - any questions feel free to DM me. 🏠

#Flatforsale

[EMDG @EmanDaGoon]

Sit back, relax and enjoy watching all 71 of Arsenal's title winning Premier League goals. 🏆

[🇫🇷 @user84848384]

Fair fucking play mate 👏

[Dean @DeanFlower17]

I guess Hull must of spied on Middlesbrough 👀🤷🏻‍♂️

[Dean @DeanFlower17]

Wow some interesting selections 👀 I’m looking at those defensive selections

[Fabrizio Romano @FabrizioRomano]

🚨🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 OFFICIAL: England squad for the 2026 World Cup!

[Dean @DeanFlower17]

@PararaReece I’m super surprised at him not getting a look in fact outside of Guehi he was second on my list

[Vfynn_🥷🏼 𐙚 @Vfynn_]

🚨🎙️Thierry Henry on Southampton expelled for spying drama against Middlesbrough:

“I have to be honest, this is a difficult one. Spying on another team’s training is wrong. Full stop. It crosses a line, it undermines the trust that should exist between clubs, and I understand why Middlesbrough are furious and why the EFL felt they had to act strongly. Integrity matters in this game.

At the same time, I find myself questioning whether expulsion from the play-offs is the right punishment. It feels… heavy. Almost like using a sledgehammer when a precise scalpel was needed.

Let’s be clear: this wasn’t match-fixing or doping. It was analysts pushing boundaries for tactical information, something that, sadly, has happened in different forms across the game for years.

Marcelo Bielsa did it openly at Derby and Leeds, admitted it, and people called him a genius, not a criminal. Drones, analysts in trees, whatever, in the modern game with data and marginal gains everywhere, clubs push boundaries.

Southampton admitted it, yes, and they deserve punishment. A heavy fine, points deduction, maybe even a ban for the staff involved. But kicking the entire club out after they earned their place on the pitch? That punishes players, coaches, and fans who had nothing to do with one or two analysts doing something stupid.

What troubles me most is the collateral damage. The players who battled through a tough Championship season after relegation, who went to extra time and scored that late goal to beat Middlesbrough on the pitch, they earned their place in the final through merit.

Now that achievement is being erased because of actions taken by a small number of staff members. That feels disproportionate to me. A significant fine, a points deduction for next season, and sanctions against the individuals responsible, those would be strong, meaningful punishments that address the breach without nullifying an entire season’s competitive work.

Sport has to balance two things: protecting fairness and recognising that human error and ambition sometimes lead people astray. If every rules breach in high-stakes moments leads to rewriting results, we risk turning the disciplinary process into something more powerful than the football itself. I’ve sat in dressing rooms where we prepared meticulously for opponents. Everyone does. The difference is getting caught.

I hope Southampton appeal and that the final decision finds a better equilibrium. Middlesbrough deserve respect, they were wronged but the players of Southampton also deserve not to have their legitimate efforts wiped away. Football is emotional, passionate, and imperfect.

The response to this should reflect wisdom as much as outrage. We need clearer rules going forward so incidents like this become rare, but we must be careful not to let one mistake destroy what was built legitimately on the grass.

[Dean @DeanFlower17]

Ahhhh the goosebumps watching this ❤️

[Arsenal @Arsenal]

This belongs to all of us.

[Next Generation Arsenal @scoutingindoors]

I’m in tears

[AFC Bournemouth 🍒 @afcbournemouth]

North London is red.

[Arsenal @Arsenal]

The Arsenal. Your Premier League champions.

[Dean @DeanFlower17]

@SkySportsPL I want the camera on this man after the full time whistle… #DryYourEyes

[Paddy Power @paddypower]

Team suspected of spying on training sessions - EFL conducts an investigation within a week and kicks the team out of a competition immediately

115 financial charges - PL will get back to you on that in a few years

[Sanny Rudravajhala @Sanny_Rudra]

Southampton also admitted to spying on Oxford last December and Ipswich in April… they didn’t win either of these games.

[Dean @DeanFlower17]

I’m not sure how this sits with me…

Yes… it’s a lack of integrity but at the end of the day tactics/training don’t win you a game of football. You’ve got 11v11 over 90 minutes that dictate that.

The most important question is. Would Southampton still get -4 if Boro won?

[EFL Communications @EFL_Comms]

An Independent Disciplinary Commission has today expelled Southampton from the Sky Bet Championship Play-Offs after the Club admitted to multiple breaches of EFL Regulations related to the unauthorised filming of other Clubs’ training.

In addition, the Club has received a four-point deduction that will be applied to the 2026/27 Championship table.

The effect of today’s order is that Middlesbrough are reinstated into the 2026 Play-Offs and will proceed to the Play-Off Final against Hull City. The final remains scheduled for Saturday 23 May, with the kick-off time to be confirmed.

📘 https://t.co/kGIhl4GksL

[Dean @DeanFlower17]

Really honest and good perspective on how the academy system is currently operating.

The compensation model also doesn’t provide a fair reflection on the work academy’s put into the development of the players.

[Mat Kendrick @MatKendrick]

This is bleak.