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Southampton Coach Tonda Eckert Fined £28,000, Suspended Six Weeks

By Drooid · Oct 8, 2026, 2:39 PM UTC · How we work

Summary

Eckert Receives Suspended Ban

Southampton head coach Tonda Eckert received a six-week suspended ban and a £28,000 fine.
He admitted breaches of FA Rule E3.1 for observing Oxford United, Ipswich Town and Middlesbrough sessions.
The Regulatory Commission suspended the ban until the 2027/28 season, activating only on another breach.
Mitigation citing contrition, guilty plea and job risk reduced the sanction.
Owner Dragan Solak praised the outcome and confirmed the club will retain Eckert.

Summary

Salt Caught Filming

Eckert received police protection after death threats on LinkedIn during the spying scandal.
Intern William Salt was caught filming near Middlesbrough’s Rockliffe Park and deleted the footage.
The EFL disciplinary panel described the pressure on the junior staff member as particularly deplorable.
The case mirrors the 2024 FIFA ban of Canada’s Bev Priestman for drone spying at the Paris Olympics.

History

Historical Context

After the FA fined Manchester United £50,000 and suspended a scout in 2004 for filming Liverpool’s training ground, the governing body faced a far larger crisis in November 2016 when a child-abuse scandal prompted a helpline that received over 350 reports within weeks. The 2021 Sheldon report’s findings forced stricter safeguarding rules that now underpin recent disciplinary actions against clubs such as Southampton.

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Eckert Receives Suspended Ban

Southampton head coach Tonda Eckert received a six-week suspended ban and a £28,000 fine.
He admitted breaches of FA Rule E3.1 for observing Oxford United, Ipswich Town and Middlesbrough sessions.
The Regulatory Commission suspended the ban until the 2027/28 season, activating only on another breach.
Mitigation citing contrition, guilty plea and job risk reduced the sanction.
Owner Dragan Solak praised the outcome and confirmed the club will retain Eckert.

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