Lord Howroyd of Barkisland

live in Swindon and follow STFC and the Boro. All views my own

[Lord Howroyd of Barkisland @hackerhowroyd]

@DanWood_Journo What is going on! This is madness

[Larry the Cat @Number10cat]

Keir Starmer is currently jumping around Downing Street. Either Arsenal have won the league or someone's dug up some dirt on Andy Burnham... #kitileaks

[MatB ⓈⓉⒻⒸ @MatB_STFC69]

Appeal on Wednesday will work well for a Saturday kick off 🤯
Clearly not the first time!

https://t.co/fXPWNeXaxP

[Darren Huckerby @DHucks6]

Southampton fans have been absolutely fucked over in all this, spending money and showing support all season for this shambles, Those at fault should hang their heads in shame!

[Lord Howroyd of Barkisland @hackerhowroyd]

@dazw71 @ccollins97 @premierleague @HullCity No

[Mike Dixon @PnoTuna]

Very happy for Middlesbrough, as long as they loan Holloway his only footballer back for next season!

[Lord Howroyd of Barkisland @hackerhowroyd]

@Tim_Burgess @LlSTENlNG_PARTY Agree had to tell a couple off a few years ago watching Massive Attack and had similar experience at The Damned recently

[Danny Baker @prodnose]

I do not dispute the Southampton ruling. Bang to rights.
However increasingly today football is made aware of the Orwellian dictum.
"All teams are equal. But some are more equal than others."

[Portsmouth FC @Pompey]

🔜

[Middlesbrough FC @Boro]

A statement from MFC:

Middlesbrough Football Club welcomes the outcome of today’s Disciplinary Commission hearing.

We believe this sends out a clear message for the future of our game regarding sporting integrity and conduct.

As a club, we are now focused on our game against Hull City at Wembley on Saturday.

Ticket information for our supporters will be available shortly.

[Boro Shirt Museum @boroshirtmuseum]

WE SHALL BE. At Wembley.
Saturday 23rd May 2026
4:30pm
UP THE BORO!

[Henry Winter @henrywinter]

Southampton kicked out of Championship play-off final for spying. Correct decision, especially as it transpires they spied on three clubs in total. This is about more than a bloke standing behind a tree with an iPhone. It’s about how seriously the game should take cheating. EFL independent disciplinary commission have struck a blow for fair play, for integrity, for the need for respect between clubs, for coaches to have an expectation of privacy in training. 25% of goals scored in the Championship this season were from set-pieces. Clubs practised them. Understandably, coaches don’t want their plans revealed. EFL sending a strong message with this punishment. 

Spygate 2 different from Spygate 1. Rules tightened and punishments introduced since Leeds United’s offence. Appeals, of course. It’s tough for Southampton fans to be denied the trip to Wembley and the chance of a return to the Premier League. It’s particularly tough that many have forked out for tickets, travel and accommodation. Their frustration and anger should be directed at their club. Southampton should recompense fans. It’s not the fans’ fault. 

The stupidity in all this is that Southampton would probably have beaten Boro anyway. Better team, stronger bench. But this is so damning… “Southampton admitted breaches of Regulations requiring Clubs to act with the utmost good faith and prohibiting the observation of another Club’s training session within 72 hours of a scheduled match,” says EFL. “The admitted breaches concern fixtures against Oxford United in December 2025, Ipswich Town in April 2026 and Middlesbrough in May 2026.” So the punishment is proportionate. It should act as a deterrent. Honesty matters.

[Lord Howroyd of Barkisland @hackerhowroyd]

@nazirafzal EFL treat play offs as a separate competition- prize £200m. Bit difficult to see the punishment disproportionate. Can see the points deduction as easier to challenge but opens up a can of worms if evidence of other offences not admitted.

[nazir afzal @nazirafzal]

Integrity in sport is non-negotiable
Any team that breaches the values of fairness, honesty, and respect must face firm consequences
Success achieved without integrity is empty

Terrible news for Southampton fans but the team should have thought about that before #SpyGate

[michael jarvis @mjarvis83]

👀

[Lord Howroyd of Barkisland @hackerhowroyd]

@BatchStfc Systematic cheating - these are the only ones they admitted. Rules are clear and punishment hardly disproportionate when reward is £200m. Can’t see their appeal grounds should be punished further for wasting EFL time. However when are Premiership sorting Man City?

[Saints Statistics @TheStatsSaint]

Spygate Ramifications 📊

We've spied on multiple teams and rightfully deserve to be kicked out if that's true.

So we go into next season, needing to sell players for a new promotion push, and no player pull as we're known as cheaters.

There goes Scienza, Jander, Charles.

FFS

[Alfie House @AlfieHouseEcho]

🚨 EFL confirm Saints expelled from Championship play-offs, and a four-point deduction next season. Admitted multiple breaches related to unauthorised filming. Middlesbrough reinstated to final.

#SaintsFC

[A @ReadA89]

@EFL_Comms Doing this knowing full well they cheated btw

[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