Southampton fans dubbed 'very entitled' as Middlesbrough view given on Spygate fallout | OneFootball

FLW's Middlesbrough fan pundit has given his verdict on Kim Hellberg's decision to forgive Tonda Eckert for spying on their training

Middlesbrough are preparing for the new Championship season after losing in the play-off final to Hull City.

The Teesside outfit fell victim to a 1-0 defeat courtesy of a stoppage time winner from Oli McBurnie to send the Tigers to the Premier League.

Kim Hellberg’s side only reached the play-off final because of Southampton’s expulsion from the competition after they had beaten Boro in the semi-finals 2-1 on aggregate.

The Saints were found guilty of spying on opposition teams, including Middlesbrough, which breached the EFL’s rules.

However, despite the animosity displayed between the two teams during their play-off clash, Hellberg has since admitted that he’s forgiven Southampton head coach Tonda Eckert for what they did.

The Swede has moved on from the incident, wiping the slate clean going into the new campaign, with pre-season training already underway.

Middlesbrough fans aren’t so forgiving of Southampton

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When asked if he shared Hellberg’s sentiment towards Eckert and Southampton, FLW’s Middlesbrough fan pundit Liam Day claimed that he will never be able to look past what happened between the two clubs.

He believes that their fans’ behaviour was unacceptable during the play-offs, calling them entitled, and that he will always associate the club with the spying scandal.

“Personally, I don’t think I’ll ever look past it just for the way Southampton fans acted,” Day told Football League World.

“They were very entitled, they’re still very entitled, and the way they’ve gone about it has just not been right.

“But I think the whole situation was probably over-exaggerated a bit maybe, but they cheated and they fairly got the right punishment.

“I can see why their fans are salty, but just the way they acted I don’t like them, I don’t think I ever will.

“It was just weird, it was very spoiled and I don’t think it’s a situation I’ll ever look past.

“I’ll always see Southampton as the cheats they are, and I think every Boro fan probably has a similar perspective.

“Do I really care about Southampton as a club? No. Do I like them? Absolutely not.”

Middlesbrough finished below Southampton in the Championship table despite being level on points due to an inferior goal difference.

Hellberg’s side were in the mix for a top two finish for much of the campaign, but a poor run of form led to them falling into the play-offs in the final months.

Meanwhile, the Saints enjoyed a 19-game unbeaten run to rise to fourth in the standings, which gave them home advantage for the second leg of their semi-final.

Middlesbrough took the lead at St. Mary’s within just a few minutes courtesy of Riley McGree after a goalless first leg at the Riverside.

But goals from Ross Stewart and Shea Charles gave Eckert’s side the win after extra time, yet Boro were granted the place in the final after the Hampshire outfit’s expulsion.

The Teesside outfit will now be hoping to contend for promotion again in 2026/27, and they have already made moves to bolster their first team squad.

Kyle Joseph has joined from Hull, while a permanent deal for Jeremy Sarmiento has been completed following his loan spell with the club last season.

Myles Peart-Harris has signed as a free agent, with more business expected between now and the market closing on 1 September.

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Middlesbrough have to let go of Southampton affair for next season

The rivalry between the Middlesbrough and Southampton fans raging on into next season is understandable, and even worth encouraging as it will add some spice to their two league meetings.

But for the two clubs, and their players, they have to move on or else it could become too big of a mental distraction over the next 12 months.

There’s a very real possibility they meet again in the play-offs in 2027 given they should both be in the promotion battle, which would be a fascinating repeating of history.

It’s healthy for Hellberg to forgive Eckert, particularly as the actual offence wasn’t anything too outrageous, and the context of the play-offs really ensured it was overblown.