Southampton

From betting charges to discrimination to match fixing, BBC Radio Solent's Jono Holmes and Adam Blackmore took a look at other historical FA cases and what they might mean for Southampton boss Tonda Eckert as he awaits his 'Spygate' hearing on Thursday.

One of their avenues of comparison is the case of Marcelo Bielsa, who admitted spying on opponents while Leeds United boss in 2019 but faced no individual punishment - though he did claim he paid the club's £200,000 fine personally.

"I know people instantly say they didn't punish Bielsa, so why should they punish Tonda Eckert?" Blackmore said.

"The only thing that is different is that they have charged him with three breaches of bringing the game into disrepute, unlike Bielsa, and he has accepted the charges. There was no charge on Bielsa.

"If I was his lawyers I'd be making the point that they didn't ban Bielsa. The rules that have changed are EFL rules, not FA rules."

However, a more recent charge came against Canada's women's team after they sent a drone to spy on opponents New Zealand during the 2024 Olympics in Paris.

The Canadian Soccer Association (CSA) were handed a £175,720 fine, docked six points in their group and head coach Bev Priestman, plus two other officials, were banned for a year by Fifa as a result.

"If the FA look to Fifa for guidance, then three counts of spying... not going to look great on Tonda," Blackmore said.

Listen to the full discussion above or on BBC Sounds here.

How are Grimsby Town and Swansea City linked through their recruitment and analysis?

In the newest episode of the 72+ podcast, Aaron Paul, Jobi McAnuff and Cambridge United boss Neil Harris find out in conversation with Grimsby CEO Polly Bancroft, who talks Jamestown Analytics, club growth, ambitions and what it's like to be one of the few female chief executives in the EFL.

That's after the panel are joined by Adam Blackmore, BBC Radio Solent's sports editor, to chat Spygate, the looming verdict over Tonda Eckert and how the club is feeling in this decisive week.

There's also discussion and debate on Championship table-toppers Swansea City and League One strugglers Peterborough United.

Listen to the full episode above or on BBC Sounds here - and don't forget to subscribe to get each episode into your My Sounds feed.

A new episode of BBC Radio Solent's Goin' Home podcast is now available.

Adam Blackmore and Jo Tessem unpack another difficult away day for Saints against Wrexham and assess Tonda Eckert's looming FA hearing.

Listen above or on BBC Sounds here - and don't forget to subscribe to get each episode into your My Sounds feed.

Tom Gayle
BBC Radio 5 Live and Final Score reporter

Image source, Getty Images

The Southampton players' body language was telling at full-time. Man for man, it was a look of guilt as they clapped the away support.

This was a game they should not have lost, a sentiment I think even some Wrexham fans would agree with, once they've removed their Spygate goggles.

Look I get it, Tonda Eckert's team play rock 'n' roll football. Wherever possible, Southampton are on the front foot trying to win the game. But surely they've got to be more streetwise in tight matches.

Late on in the second half I counted a six-man front line for the visitors. Full backs Ryan Manning and James Bree supporting the attacking threat of Samuel Edozie, Finn Azaz, Cyle Larin and Tom Fellows.

Statistics don't tell the whole picture, but the fact Southampton have kept only one league clean sheet away from home since Boxing Day 2024 is a damning reflection of their long-term defensive flakiness on the road.

Image source, Getty Images

Southampton boss Tonda Eckert is not underestimating Saturday's opponents Wrexham despite Phil Parkinson's side making a mixed start to the season.

Wrexham have won only one of their seven first league games and lost 6-0 at West Ham in their most recent Championship fixture.

However, Eckert feels their hosts for the game on Saturday (15:00 BST) are better than their points tally suggests.

"They've had quite a few games where they have been a lot better than the results showed," he told BBC Radio Solent.

"I think they've got some quality in the team and they are consistent in the way they set up.

"It's going to be a tough one. The pressure is always on us and that's a positive thing because the pressure comes from expectation."

The Saints will be aiming for their first victory on the road in the Championship this season, having drawn two and lost one away from home so far.

Wrexham will look to bounce back from their bruising 6-0 defeat to West Ham United last week with a victory over another promotional hopeful in Southampton.

After their opening day loss to Watford though, the Saints have not been beaten in the Championship and have been victorious in their past two games, while the Red Dragons have only won one in seven.

• Wrexham have lost four of their last five league meetings with Southampton (W1), including both last season.

• Southampton's two wins over Wrexham last season were by an aggregate score of 7-1 – the most goals any side scored against the Red Dragons in the 2025-26 Championship.

• After only conceding five goals in their first six Championship games this season, Wrexham lost 6-0 to West Ham last time out, their heaviest Football League defeat since February 2004 to Bournemouth (also 6-0).

• Southampton have won 18 league games in 2026, last winning more in a calendar year in 2011 (33), and last doing so within the top two tiers of English football in 2006 (19).

• No player has been involved in more Championship goals this season than Southampton's Finn Azaz (7 – 3 goals, 4 assists), while he leads the competition for open play assists (4) and is joint-first for chances created from open play (14).

Image source, Getty Images

Sport Republic chief executive Rasmus Ankersen has resigned from his position as a director at Southampton.

The 42-year-old will take a step back from his role at the club but remains a co-owner of the Championship side.

Ankersen has had a lesser role at Saints in recent years due to being president of Turkish side Goztepe. Despite this, he has still remained involved with the club's recruitment.

Ankersen was previously at Brentford, between 2015 and 2021, in a period when the Bees won promotion to the Premier League.

Sport Republic is owned by Serbian businessman Dragan Solak, who owns a majority stake in the Saints.

They also own a majority stake in French side Valenciennes alongside Goztepe, who are currently bottom of the Turkish Super Lig.

Southampton head coach Tonda Eckert says his players "deserve all the credit" after they beat Bristol City 4-1 on Saturday.

Two goals from Cyle Larin, and strikes from Kuryu Matsuki and Finn Azaz capped off an excellent performance, and extended their unbeaten run in the league to six matches.

"If you see the block of games that we come from it's not easy, especially if you then face a team who had a whole week to prepare," he told BBC Radio Solent.

"The midweek game against Swansea we knew that we have to run more and we did run more and more intense than we have all season.

"Obviously that takes takes a toll, that's just the reality so early on in the season and then it was just different energy levels on the pitch today."

He added: "Then [to] still to find a way deserves all the credit, so this one today belongs to the players."