Mark 🎃

Teesside / North Yorkshire

[Mark 🎃 @TableFootball]

@Boro_Breakdown I think I’d rather keep him for the last year of his contract than let him go for a pittance. Which, in today’s market, for a player of his quality, £10m is.

[Mark 🎃 @TableFootball]

@Boro We need a new kit to put it on, admin.

[Mark 🎃 @TableFootball]

@Boropolis @_pauljoyce If he runs his contract down are we due compensation off whoever he signs for, as he’s a product of our academy and under a certain age? Or is that not a thing anymore?

[Mark 🎃 @TableFootball]

@n_w1970 If they wanted to sack him without compo surely they’d go down the ‘misconduct’ route. But they won’t because they don’t want to sack him.

[Mark 🎃 @TableFootball]

Perfect. No notes.

[Father Ted Quote of the Day @FrTedQOTD]

“And now we move on to liars…”

[Mark 🎃 @TableFootball]

@JasCattell @Scottwilsonecho Yes, it’s in the written reasons which have been released. Page 8 onwards.

https://t.co/svBW2rcqvo

[Mark 🎃 @TableFootball]

If their owner genuinely believes it only happened 3 times over 48 games, then I have some magic beans AND the Transporter Bridge to sell him.

[Mark 🎃 @TableFootball]

@Biggun26_

[Mark 🎃 @TableFootball]

@izzyslovenian He has the turning circle of the titanic. No wonder he only played once.

[Mark 🎃 @TableFootball]

This still stands. But even more than it did 2 weeks ago. What’s come out today paints him in a horrible light. Bullying, cheating dickhead.

[Mark 🎃 @TableFootball]

Tell you what, I’ve never come across a ‘Tonda’ that I’ve liked. Bunch of wrong uns.

[Mark 🎃 @TableFootball]

This is absolutely mental, mind blowing behaviour.

[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."

[Mark 🎃 @TableFootball]

@elsmfc If he completed a certain amount of step overs. Achieved it 30 seconds into his first appearance.

[Mark 🎃 @TableFootball]

@Paddy_Baller @Boro

[Mark 🎃 @TableFootball]

@Boro_Breakdown I think he’s the best out and out pure defender that we have. Gets his head on stuff. Clears things. Tidies up. It’s a no brainer. Very pleased.

[Mark 🎃 @TableFootball]

@Boro_Breakdown I was pleased he was given a chance last summer and thought he started pretty well, but it’s clear he has declined as the season has gone on and had big errors when it mattered most. Is it a lack of competition? Complacency? Or just a long season and that he’s inexperienced?

[Mark 🎃 @TableFootball]

@Boropolis He’s been really solid all season however I think we could do with some competition for him next season. We struggled when he was out injured and after his injury he looked like he was running on empty a few times.

[Mark 🎃 @TableFootball]

@Boro_Breakdown Wingers and strikers. Probably central midfield and a goalkeeper would be nice too.

[Mark 🎃 @TableFootball]

@DomShawEcho I don’t want to come across as a dickhead but why are players trying to engage with him 2 days before the biggest game we’ve had in years? It seems a bit naive? Why would you not just get on and prep for it and catch up after? It’s understandable that he’d ignore them.

[Mark 🎃 @TableFootball]

@PompeyTom83 Congratulations on your 6 points from us next season.

[Mark 🎃 @TableFootball]

@BBCMOTD @BBCSport She’s done well to host it for that long. Fair play.