21 May 2026 15:00:34.
Better tread careful before and during our return to the EFL, they’re almost making actually playing games pointless, we know there has to be consequences for breaking / bending their rules but surely recently they’ve been taking it too far. The points and sanctions against Sheffield Wednesday were ridiculous and put them in League One, also the points taken from Leicester City relegated them to the same League, they even docked ‘our friends’ down the road a couple of points but decided they could stay in the Championship then they flow this up by throwing Southampton out of the play off final for a misdemeanour which could and should’ve been laughed off, seriously, when did watching the opposition help you to beat them in an upcoming game? I’m sure RE’s been watching our opponents leading up to games, say no more.
Suppose what I’m trying to say is : The biggest losers are the fans, the people who put their money into supporting their teams, the very people who make the EFL Championship arguably the second best League in World football, if anyone needs to be punished for any reason it has to be the individuals responsible l, punishing the Clubs as a whole destroys players careers and contributes to fans turning their backs on the game we love, or used too. The EFL imo need to have a rethink before they ruin the product they’ve got, if they haven’t already. The play off final, which has become a bigger and better spectacle than the FA Cup Final, due to their actions has become a game lot’s of fans won’t bother to watch, a case of shooting yourself in the foot, seems to be increasingly what they’re good at.
21 May 2026 17:35:12
Haha, it's not hard to avoid sanctions, Ron, you just have to not cheat! Leicester were given multiple warnings before they were punished. Did they do anything about it? No! Every team has the same set of rules to work from, and they really aren't that hard to follow or interpret, to be honest. Do you know what is putting people off footy more than anything else? For me, it's cheating, the game's rife with it. Also, if you really think it makes no difference to watch the training, then it obviously begs the question as to why they did it for three different matches? One maybe, but three times for no advantage, why take the risk?
I'm guessing you're also hoping that Citeh never get any sanctions for their 115 infringements either then? And why were Juventus sanctioned for a good old fashioned bit of match fixing?
It is hilarious that you seem to think the FA is at fault for applying the clearly set out rules, but you don't seem to blame the people who are actually at fault, i.e.
those running the clubs. Also worth pointing out here that the Southampton players don't seem to actually agree with you, because some of them are currently considering legal action against the club, someone should tell um that it's all the FA's fault for applying the letter of the law. ?
21 May 2026 18:31:05
Agree Bully's, and I heard this morning that Southampton are giving the manager the boot over it.
The state of football is no bigger than at City, who go unpunished, even tho they've been found guilty by UEFA on some charges and still play on, buy on and laugh at the rest.
If justice is to be levelled, then some serious action should be coming their way, and not just taking their name off titles, which'll mean nothing, or financial, as they'll afford it, it's gotta be big big points or demotion. Maybe not to the Championship next season tho! Lol.
21 May 2026 18:34:33
There is a subtle difference between cheating and attempting to compete to break the closed shop.
I would suggest there would be a plethora of cheats at the very top, ensuring that only certain clubs are allowed to feast at the dinner table.
21 May 2026 19:31:01
I get what you are saying, QS, but it's not like they just look at your books one week, then just hit you with a deduction the next. They give you warnings year on year, and very much did so at Leicester, but the warnings were consistently ignored! Also worth noting on this that Leicester have the largest wage budget in the league, with an incredible £815k per week! How would it be fair, then, for them to stay up by breaking the rules while the smaller clubs that did follow the rules get relegated in their place because they aren't chucking wages around like it's some sort of crazy cash give away?!
Also, I get what you are both saying about the top teams getting away with it, and I couldn't agree more on that one. But I think that's the basis of the point I was originally making.
Part of the reason I have fallen out of love with footy, and I really have, when it comes to watching it, is because it just feels like the top end of the Prem has become a comp of who can be the most elaborate cheat and get away with it?! It's just gross. Like you say, Abbey, the way City seem immune from any genuine consequences is entirely wrong and points to a system which is entirely flawed! Which, again, like my original point, is precisely why I have no problem with the Champ actually having the guts to sanction clubs. It's the only way to stop the cheating, and until the Prem catches up, the league will continue to be tainted by the scourge of blatant cheating! ?
21 May 2026 19:44:59
The rules are for everyone and that includes the big boys and their bullyboy accountants and lawyers.
22 May 2026 16:49:09
My point was: why should fans be punished for the actions of personnel employed by clubs? Fans haven't broken any rules, and throwing a club out will cause endless legal actions, especially if Boro win. Also, will the PL welcome a club that was knocked out of the play offs and reinstated? If the EFL can't organise their play offs, perhaps only Cov and Ipswich should be promoted, and only Wolves and Burnley get relegated.
That way they could save Spurs and West Ham. Our owners will be well at home in the calamitous world of the EFL.
22 May 2026 17:09:55
But, again, Ron, you miss the point, so what's your answer then? Every club should just cheat as much as they want, because we can never do anything that affects the fans?! How's that logical? It's come out now that the manager instructed them to do it, so the club should sack him. No excuses as far as I can see.