#SaintsFC supporters have today confirmed that while they are broadly opposed to censorship, there are “one or two extremely specific exceptions,” most notably anything written by Henry Winter about Spygate.
The veteran The Daily Telegraph journalist, who has made a late-career pivot into delivering moral verdicts with the tone of a disappointed school headmaster, has spent the past month handing down increasingly sombre ratings of Southampton’s conduct—each one somehow more sanctimonious than the last.
Fans, however, have pointed out a critical structural flaw in Winter’s campaign: “You have to pay to read it.”
“I’m being told I should be outraged by his latest column,” said lifelong supporter Martin Hedges, staring at a locked article like a dog trying to understand a magic trick. “But I’m not paying £2.99 a week to be patronised by a man who writes like he’s narrating a funeral.”
Indeed, insiders at St Mary’s report a growing sense that if Winter truly wants to maximise his impact, he should remain exactly where he is—hermetically sealed behind one of Britain’s more stubborn paywalls, alongside premium Sudoku and people who think quinoa is a real food.
Elsewhere, the online reaction has been less contained. Supporters of Middlesbrough - who were, to be fair, directly involved in the whole saga but still contrived not to benefit from Southampton’s expulsion—have taken to social media in numbers.
“I understand their frustration,” said season ticket holder Martin Hedges. “If you’re going to be handed a situation like that and still come away empty-handed, you probably do need to log on and start typing in capital letters.”
Meanwhile, fans of Coventry, who had already secured promotion and therefore have absolutely nothing riding on any of this, have also been energetically contributing their views.
“Coventry’s involvement is my personal favourite,” said Hedges. “They’ve essentially turned up after the exam’s been marked, aced their own paper, and are now demanding a re-mark of someone else’s out of principle. It’s admirable in a completely unnecessary sort of way.”
The resulting online discourse has been described by experts as “a rich tapestry of outrage,” combining genuine grievance, opportunistic indignation, and the timeless British tradition of having very strong opinions about things that don’t concern you.
Back in Southampton, however, fans insist they are already fully aware of the situation without needing it narrated like a Shakespearean tragedy.
“We know it’s a mess,” said Hedges. “We don’t need Henry Winter delivering a eulogy”.
😤 "Everybody in football cheats!"
🤷♂️ "What do Southampton achieve by firing their manager!?"
Simon Jordan explains why #SaintsFC are right to keep Tonda Eckert despite the Spygate scandal! ✅🕵️♂️
Simon Jordan literally the only football pundit who is talking any sense on this matter…
“Southampton as a club have already been extremely harshly punished”
“What good is sacking the manager now after the club has already been sanctioned”
#SaintsFC
As much as this whole situation reflects poorly on #saintsfc, Henry Winter has consistently positioned himself as some kind of moral judge, jury and executioner, and it’s getting boring now.
I hope he keeps the same energy for the countless other clubs that do this.
🌟Led Zeppelin witnessing their tribute by Ann and Nancy Wilson of Heart performing the triumphant "Stairway to Heaven", at Kennedy Center, 2012.
🌟This is why we should always pay tribute to people when they're still alive. The joy and the emotion on their faces are priceless.
"Hurt" is not an original by Johnny Cash. The song was written by Trent Reznor (Nine Inch Nails) in 1994 for the album The Downward Spiral. Rick Rubin had to insist several times on Cash recording his version, at first Johnny found the idea completely insane because the original version is industrial and noisy. At 71, already very ill, almost blind and with trembling hands, Cash completely transformed the band.
The iconic video, directed by Mark Romanek, was filmed at the House of Cash (his own museum). June Carter Cash appears looking at him fondly, the video was shot in February 2003, a few months before she died (May) and Johnny himself (September).
Trent Reznor was so moved that he declared, "This song is not mine anymore." It is considered one of the best covers of all time.
Better late than never but..what a great career José Fonte had and what a brilliant Saint he was - a proper leader #SaintsFc
Kept getting better the older he got - should never have left Saints the way he did !
One day I sat on a train to London with him - he was off to training at West Ham with his tracksuit on and wash bag in hand.
We’d always got on well, he was great with me and wanted to talk, still saddened that he’s left Saints the way he had
He proceeded to show me the email chain between him and Les Reed and he was gutted Saints wouldn’t give him a new deal after 7 years at the club and just wanted recognition after the Euros.
José thought he should be on par with the top earners in the squad, rightly imho, but Les wouldn’t budge he said.
Les later told me he was earning as much as anyone. I’ll never know the truth - but I know how sad José was on that train and he wished he’d never left …. Bloody shame the way it played out 😞
"Hurt" is not an original by Johnny Cash. The song was written by Trent Reznor (Nine Inch Nails) in 1994 for the album The Downward Spiral. Rick Rubin had to insist several times on Cash recording his version, at first Johnny found the idea completely insane because the original version is industrial and noisy. At 71, already very ill, almost blind and with trembling hands, Cash completely transformed the band.
The iconic video, directed by Mark Romanek, was filmed at the House of Cash (his own museum). June Carter Cash appears looking at him fondly, the video was shot in February 2003, a few months before she died (May) and Johnny himself (September).
Trent Reznor was so moved that he declared, "This song is not mine anymore." It is considered one of the best covers of all time.
#SaintsFC | Pep Guardiola on the practice of spying after Leeds’ Spygate in 2019:
“It is more difficult [in England]. It is private. But in all the countries I have been before, everybody does it. When we were training at Bayern Munich there were people in the little mountains with cameras and the opponent was watching what we did. Everybody did it. It is the culture of the clubs.”
[via @TimesSport]
As always from Glen, a passionate fan’s perspective without the one-eyed lack of realism #SaintsFc
And the siege mentality next season? Abso-bloody-lutely.
Heads down, tin hats on, go again and show the club is bigger than the individuals that have chopped it down this month
I once got beaten in a semi final and cried about it so much. To then get re instated into the final to then lose 1-0, have 0 shots on target and concede to an oli mcburnie goal
Imagine crying and sulking your way to the final, despite not being good enough, used significant influence at the EFL to get there and then lost anyway!😂😂 Beautiful. Absolutely beautiful 😂 #saintsfc#hull#boro