Ex-Southampton staff member 'helping Middlesbrough' build Spygate case in shock twist

A former Southampton employee is reportedly helping Middlesbrough with the Spygate controversy , as the club gathers evidence to bolster their case. The image of Southampton's analyst – identified as William Salt – allegedly watching Boro's training session last Thursday, was reportedly not an isolated occurrence. Salt was photographed partially concealed behind a tree at Middlesbrough's Rockliffe Park training ground, clutching a mobile phone as he allegedly 'spied' on tactical drills within 72 hours of the Championship play-off semi-final first leg at the Riverside Stadium. The EFL has since charged Southampton with misconduct, with an independent disciplinary panel now set to examine the situation. However, Boro are understood to be demanding sporting sanctions against Southampton and reportedly possess evidence from at least two other Championship clubs who suspect they were also 'spied on'. According to The Athletic , a former member of Southampton's staff is now also aiding Boro with the case, having supplied a statement detailing the alleged practice of 'spying' on opponents before matches. The south coast side, meanwhile, are conducting their own internal investigation into what occurred before the first leg and are said to be treating the allegations extremely seriously. The report adds Salt returned to their training ground at Staplewood on Wednesday, despite previously being granted several days off after the charges were brought. Boro have lodged a dossier with the EFL containing further grievances. Their team bus was also targeted by Southampton fans at St Mary's ahead of the second leg, with bottles thrown. Boro returned to the North East on Wednesday after being unable to fly home on Tuesday night. JOIN US ON FACEBOOK! Latest news, analysis and much more on Mirror Football's Facebook page The squad will train on Thursday rather than leaving on post-season holidays as they await the resolution of the saga, with the play-off final against Hull City at Wembley pencilled in for Saturday, May 23. A potential sanction could see Southampton thrown out of the play-offs and, should they fail to secure promotion, possibly handed a points deduction next season. Boro manager Kim Hellberg made his position clear regarding the matter following the 2-1 defeat to Saints in the second leg, saying: "We will see what happens. First thing is that I want to congratulate the Southampton players. "They've done brilliantly. To their supporters, they haven't been a part of this. They need to be congratulated and happy for their team. "I want to say that to them. I think they deserve it. They fought very well. Then, of course, for me in a role as a coach, because that's the thing I can talk about from my perspective. "I worked 15 years as a coach to try to get to the Premier League . That's my dream. That's been my dream for 15 years. "When that is taken away from you, I think it's no longer fair. It has nothing to do with what they see or what they saw, how they affected the game, or if it was free kicks they saw, or goal kicks they saw, whatever they saw." Join our new WhatsApp community and receive your daily dose of Mirror Football content. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.