Spygate and Ipswich Town: What was the impact?

Ipswich Town's Jaden Philogene (right) and Southampton's James Bree battle for the ball at St Mary's Stadium on 28 April [PA Media] Southampton FC are in disgrace after admitting spying on three teams, including Ipswich Town, during the last Championship season. Saints were already in trouble after they were caught surreptitiously filming their play-off semi-final opponents Middlesbrough in training ahead of the match on 7 May. The Hampshire club also admitted to filming Town and Oxford United, resulting in their removal from the play-off final and a four-point deduction in the Championship next season .

Ipswich, already promoted to the Premier League after finishing second in the Championship, have not commented on the controversy. So does Southampton's admission ultimately matter to the Suffolk club and its supporters – and could things have been different? Southampton analyst intern William Salt is said to have been pictured filming a Middlesbrough training session [Other] According to The Athletic , a member of Southampton staff watched Ipswich Town as they trained at Eastleigh's training ground ahead of the key Championship fixture at St Mary's Stadium on 28 April.

It said the Saints staffer was disguised in Eastleigh FC kit in an attempt to blend in. The match was billed as a must-win for Saints, who needed a win to keep their hopes of a second-place finish and automatic promotion alive. Three points for Ipswich, meanwhile, would have virtually guaranteed their return to the Premier League.

In the end, it finished level at 2-2, leaving Southampton in the play-offs and Ipswich needing a final day victory against QPR to be sure of promotion. Southampton's spying may not have resulted in the win they had hoped for, but Audrey Cobb, an Ipswich fan for more than 60 years, told BBC Radio Suffolk's Wayne Bavin she still thought it was "disgusting. " Cobb, of Felixstowe, said: "I cannot understand why a team would be so underhand.