“Hi Tonda, did you cheat?” That brief question went straight to the centre of an issue that troubled the Football Association throughout the summer. Northern Echo journalist Dominic Shaw asked it after Southampton defeated Middlesbrough over two legs in May’s Championship playoff semi-final, prompting Tonda Eckert to leave his press conference at St Mary’s. Southampton’s […]
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Southampton manager Tonda Eckert has received a six-week suspended touchline ban from the Football Association over his involvement in the spying controversy that resulted in the club being docked four points and removed from last season’s Championship playoffs. The decision allows Eckert to remain in the dugout, including for Sunday’s home derby against Portsmouth. After […]
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It took only 50 seconds for the chanting to start. Bristol City’s travelling supporters loudly accused Southampton of cheating, repeating a song that visiting fans have regularly brought to St Mary’s Stadium this season. The home crowd answered with ironic applause before responding with chants of their own. This has become Southampton’s reality since the […]
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Captain Jarrod Bowen struck twice as West Ham defeated Bolton 3-2 to move to the top of the Championship on goal difference. The England forward broke the deadlock in the 13th minute before scoring again with 13 minutes remaining to secure his team’s first victory at Bolton in 31 years. Wanderers, who suffered their fourth […]
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Burnley’s miserable opening to the campaign under Nicky Hayen went on after Bristol City struck twice near the end to claim a dramatic 2-1 win at Turf Moor. Aaron Ramsey’s 56th-minute finish appeared to have put the Clarets on course for their first positive result of the season. However, Rob Dickie equalised for City in […]
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Charlton climbed to the top of the Championship standings after defeating struggling Preston 1-0. Karlan Grant scored his first goal for the Addicks since returning on a free transfer from West Brom, leaving the south London club as the division’s only team with a perfect record. Charlton have now won their first three second-tier fixtures […]
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Southampton may need to become accustomed to hostile receptions during their Championship travels this autumn, with the team involved in the spying controversy likely to attract plenty of jeers across the division. That was certainly true in Hertfordshire, where Watford supporters and players celebrated an intense victory secured by two outstanding first-half goals. Before kick-off, […]
Continue ReadingTonda Eckert, the head coach of Southampton, could be barred from all football-related activities for an extended period after the Football Association brought three misconduct charges against him. The charges stem from the Spygate affair and concern violations of FA regulations during secret operations to watch Championship training sessions of Middlesbrough, Ipswich, and Oxford without […]
Continue ReadingTonda Eckert’s position as Southampton manager remains uncertain while he awaits the outcome of a thorough Football Association inquiry into the spying controversy that overshadowed last season. In May, the English Football League barred Southampton from the Championship playoff final against Hull after concluding that a club intern acting as a first-team analyst had secretly […]
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