Some Leeds supporters have been reacting on social media after the Yorkshire Evening Post reported that the English Football League intend to implement a new ‘Spygate’ rule following the drama which engulfed United earlier in the year.
We plead guilty to breaching EFL rule 3.4, after Marcelo Bielsa admitted to sending one of his scouts to observe a Derby County training session from the nearby public footpath 24 hours before our Championship encounter with the Rams on January 11.
Both the EFL and the Football Association had lodged formal investigations into the incident after the police stopped Bielsa’s scout, and the boss’ guilty plea led to Leeds being slapped with a £200,000 fine in February – which he paid himself – despite the English Football League struggling to single out the specifics of which rule we broke and put it down to acting without ‘good faith’.
Now, EFL members are set to vote on the potential implementation of a rule that would forbid clubs from observing opposing team’s training sessions within the 72 hour period leading up to a game.
The vote will be held in Portugal this week at the EFL’s annual general meeting.
It is expected the EFL will also face growing pressure from Championship clubs over Financial Fair Play, after Aston Villa recorded losses in excess of £80millon in their promotion-clinching campaign, despite FFP regulations limiting second-tier sides to operating loses of £39million over a three-year accounting period.
The Villains’ limit, though, was £61million over the three-year period thanks to their final year in the Premier League falling within the timeframe.
Championship sides are expected to push for the Birmingham-based outfit to receive a points deduction despite their promotion, although the Premier League appear reluctant to the idea.
When the Yorkshire Evening Post’s report of the EFL’s plans for a ‘Spygate’ rule, and Villa’s financial situation, was shared on Twitter, here’s how these Leeds fans reacted…
EFL to ban all public footpaths.
— Ash Cook (@ashcook4) June 6, 2019
They might as well make it a proper rule as intent has been signalled by the farce of sypgate ????
They’d do better to worry about the FFP situations of Villa and Derby though tbh way more important— Mrs Chris M (@CSM76) June 6, 2019
@PhilHayYEP what about #divegate or #cheatgate or #contherefgate real rules being broken or what about #sellingprideparkgate you can’t make this stuff up
— Richard Seddon (@00Seddon1965) June 6, 2019
Meeting was held in Portugal? Bielsa’s £200k paying for an EFL jolly up? Surely things like FFP and blatant conning of refs are for more important things to address. Any rulings coming in to stop clubs selling their grounds to themselves to cook the books?
— Jamie King (@jamiekingleeds) June 6, 2019
and dont forget , the FL/FA will now want to ban the blue bucket for MB as it is a visual distraction to opposing players ,,,Leeds must stop wearing white as it is too bright and gives opposing players sore eyes MOT is to be banned as it is referring to what cars have every year
— Mark Eddison (@mkeddie1502) June 6, 2019
In Portugal?Is the money they receive in disproportionate fines paying for that I wonder.Also, cracking down on Twitter banter?What an absolute load of drivelling nonsense. Couldn’t run a bath that lot.
— Dave ???????? (@Dav_m160) June 6, 2019
What if they have “open” training sessions? ????
— Nathan Phillips (@NathanP92) June 6, 2019
ah yes, where they fined us £200k for breaking no rules at all, maybe we should just sell our ground to ourselves for £100m
— marc blackburn (@marcyeboah) June 6, 2019
…..and they’re still going on about this ???????? we’re not famous anymore ???? #lufc
— Adam Cater (@cater_adam) June 6, 2019
But some clubs are still cheating ffp to win leagues and they do nothing
— jason walker (@jason131969) June 6, 2019
So why were we fined again no rules against it yet
— David Powell (@DavidPowell8) June 6, 2019
Does that make the fine Leeds got unlawful
— Tommy ????????Hesson (@HessonTommy) June 6, 2019
We’re Leeds United, we’ll spy where we want!
— Soulboy73 (@Soulboy731) June 6, 2019