How Alan Shearer and Gary Lineker have reacted to Middlesbrough replacing Southampton | OneFootball

The former England stars have reacted to the verdict in the Spygate case, and Southampton fans may be encouraged by what they've said.

Former England stars Gary Lineker and Alan Shearer have reacted to the news that Southampton have been ejected from the Championship play-offs as a result of the Spygate story.

Southampton are in a state of shock on Wednesday morning as the fall-out from the Spygate verdict dominates the end of season headlines in the EFL Championship.

The Saints have been removed from the play-off final against Hull City, which is due to be played on the 23rd May, with Middlesbrough replacing them, and the Saints have also received a four-point deduction in the Championship for next season.

The club were charged under rule 127, which prohibits teams from observing opponents within 72 hours of a match being played. This rule was introduced after the Spygate story of 2019, when Leeds United were found guilty of a similar offence involving a Championship match against Derby County played in January of that year.

Leeds were fined £200,000 for their involvement in this, but the punishment that Southampton have faced is far more severe. The club have appealed the sanction levied, and with the play-off final to be played in just three days' time, a verdict is expected very quickly.

Gary Lineker and Alan Shearer agree that Southampton's Spygate punishment is harsh

But while there has been widespread condemnation of Southampton's behaviour over this season's Spygate story, the club have some degree of support from those who feel that the punishment doesn't fit the crime, and these supporters include the former England stars Gary Lineker and Alan Shearer.

As reported by Teesside Live, Lineker said on The Rest is Football podcast that, "I must say I was shocked at that news that broke this afternoon. Southampton, because of Spygate, I mean, I have to say I'm not sure the crime warrants this punishment", adding that: "I mean, a little guy with an iPhone filming, I mean, it's gone on forever that sort of thing and I don't really know what anyone gets out of it, it's breaking the rules - we know that. But I don't know, a giant fine would have probably suffice it, I would think."

Alan Shearer, who started his senior professional career with Southampton in 1988, agreed with Lineker's assessment. He said, "I know they've appealed and the appeal is tomorrow, but I'm with you in terms of the crime and the punishment."

He added that, "I mean, I know [Marcelo] Bielsea did it and they changed the rules after they got a fine but I was expecting more of a huge fine rather than full expulsion from the final. Let's see what happens on the appeal. It's bonkers that they have done it and have been caught in the way they have done."

Shearer also had sympathy for the Southampton fans at the heart of this story, saying: "The fans are the ones who suffer, they're the ones who pay their money every single week, year after year after year. The fans are the ones that have been punished."

There are arguments both for and against the severity of the punishment levied against Southampton

Of course, the answer to the ultimate question of whether the sanctions levied against Southampton over the Spygate affair is a highly subjective one, but it's reasonable to ask why Southampton have been denied a place in the play-off final and docked four points for next season, when Leeds United were only fined £200,000 in 2019.

There are several different responses that they could get to such a defence. Firstly, the incident that occurred between Derby County and Leeds United came before a regular Championship match between the two teams rather than a play-off semi-final. It's also the case that Leeds were fined under different rules to those which were brought in as a direct result of that incident.

It's also clear that this was not a one-off. Southampton were also found to have done the same before Championship matches against Oxford United in December and Ipswich Town in April, while there have also been whispers that it may well have involved more matches than these.

But that said, there does seem to have been a degree of an oversight on the part of the EFL in that there was no indication what the punishment for breaching rule 127 might be before the commission met to discuss the case. In the criminal justice system, all crimes have sentencing guidelines which clearly show the range of punishments that could be applied should somebody be convicted of a crime.

Southampton have not been convicted of a criminal matter, but the financial gains that they would have made from a quick return to the Premier League would have been vast, in the region of £200 million over the next three seasons as a minimum. This, it might be argued, means that the punishment needs to be set at a high level as well.

With the appeal needing to be completed quickly because the play-off final is due to be played in three days, the Saints will at least not be left hanging on for long for the outcome of it all. But it is clear that this entire saga has cast a cloud over this season's EFL play-offs, and Southampton now being dependent on the clemency of the EFL to be able to rescue their season will serve as a warning to all clubs that they clearly take this matter of espionage very seriously indeed.