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Tonda Eckert

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Latest Tonda Eckert articles

Eckert’s Spygate ban may be lenient, but no sane manager will try the same trick again

Eckert’s Spygate ban may be lenient, but no sane manager will try the same trick again

Verdict has been a long time coming and the Southampton head coach has recaptured hearts and minds at St Mary’s “Hi Tonda, are you a cheat?” That simple, succinct, question cut to the heart of a matter that has vexed the Football Association all summer. It was posed by the Northern Echo’s Dominic Shaw after Southampton overcame Middlesbrough in the second leg of May’s Championship playoff semi‑final and proved the cue for Tonda Eckert to walk out of his press conference at St Mary’s. Although Southampton’s manager subsequently admitted to authorising spying on opponents, England’s football authorities struggled to decide what punishment best fitted an act some regard as heinous but which others fail to take seriously. Now, in autumn, we finally have an FA verdict, with Eckert given a six-week ban suspended until the end of the 2027-28 season, a £28,000 fine and a reprimand. Continue reading...

EnglandSouthamptonTonda Eckert
Oct 7, 2026 · byThe Guardian
Southampton manager Tonda Eckert given six-week suspended ban for Spygate scandal

Southampton manager Tonda Eckert given six-week suspended ban for Spygate scandal

Eckert was charged by FA with misconduct Southampton found to have spied on three opponents Southampton’s manager, Tonda Eckert, has been given a six-week suspended ban by the Football Association for his part in the Spygate scandal that landed the club with a four-point penalty and expulsion from last season’s Championship playoffs. The outcome means Eckert can continue in the dugout, starting with Sunday’s derby at home to Portsmouth. The German has been fined £28,000 by the FA after admitting its charges, with his ban suspended until the end of next season. Continue reading...

SouthamptonTonda Eckert
Oct 7, 2026 · byThe Guardian
Spygate saga continues to haunt Southampton as case drags on

Spygate saga continues to haunt Southampton as case drags on

Manager Tonda Eckert’s future remains in the balance with the FA yet to decide over a suitable punishment Fifty seconds was all it took for the chant to begin. “You know what you are, you know what you are, cheating bastards, you know what you are,” bellowed the Bristol City fans, starting up a cry heard from every away contingent coming to St Mary’s Stadium this season. The Southampton supporters responded with sarcastic applause, then drowned out the noise with songs of their own. This is what life is now like for Southampton after May’s spying scandal – a saga whose full consequences are still unknown and could have ramifications for the season ahead. The English Football League acted swiftly after photographs emerged of a junior staff member hiding behind a tree to film a Middlesbrough training session, expelling Southampton from the Championship play-offs and deducting four points after the club admitted multiple spying offences, including on Oxford United and Ipswich. The Football Association’s case against Tonda Eckert, the manager, is taking far longer. And patience is wearing thin. Continue reading...

SouthamptonTonda Eckert
Sep 13, 2026 · byThe Guardian
Spygate saga continues to haunt Southampton as case drags on

Spygate saga continues to haunt Southampton as case drags on

Manager Tonda Eckert’s future remains in the balance with the FA yet to decide over a suitable punishment Fifty seconds was all it took for the chant to begin. “You know what you are, you know what you are, cheating bastards, you know what you are,” bellowed the Bristol City fans, starting up a cry heard from every away contingent coming to St Mary’s Stadium this season. The Southampton supporters responded with sarcastic applause, then drowned out the noise with songs of their own. This is what life is now like for Southampton after May’s spying scandal – a saga whose full consequences are still unknown and could have ramifications for the season ahead. The English Football League acted swiftly after photographs emerged of a junior staff member hiding behind a tree to film a Middlesbrough training session, expelling Southampton from the Championship play-offs and deducting four points after the club admitted multiple spying offences, including on Oxford United and Ipswich. The Football Association’s case against Tonda Eckert, the manager, is taking far longer. And patience is wearing thin. Continue reading...

SouthamptonTonda Eckert
Sep 13, 2026 · byThe Guardian