The Championship play-offs have been thrown into turmoil following allegations of spying, with multiple clubs now reportedly reviewing CCTV footage to check if they were also targeted.
The controversy erupted ahead of the first leg between Middlesbrough and Southampton at the Riverside Stadium, where a member of Southampton's backroom staff was allegedly caught spying on a Middlesbrough training session.
The matter was referred to the English Football League (EFL), and Southampton were charged before the two sides played out a goalless draw on Saturday. During the match, Middlesbrough fans brought binoculars and aimed chants at their counterparts.
Southampton boss Tonda Eckert faced numerous questions about the incident before and after the game, before cutting short his post-match press conference. Reports suggest the Saints will not contest the EFL charge.
Other Clubs Suspect Spying
However, the incident is far from over. According to talkSPORT, a number of Championship clubs are now studying CCTV footage to determine if they may have been spied on by Southampton during the season. It is not known if West Bromwich Albion is among them.
Additionally, the Guardian reports that Middlesbrough have been approached by several other clubs who suspect they may have been victims of spying. Again, it is unclear if Albion is one of these clubs.
The Guardian report stated: "Other second-tier clubs have shared with the Guardian their surprise at the ease with which Southampton adapted to supposedly unexpected team shapes and appeared able to second-guess set-piece routines during an unbeaten run of 19 league games."
Boro Boss Calls for Anger
The two sides will meet again on Tuesday evening for the second leg. After the first leg, Middlesbrough boss Kim Helberg insisted every Championship club should be angry about the situation.
He said: "I think every club in the Championship should be angry about this. Some people say it doesn't give you a big advantage. That's wrong; it's a massive advantage. Without it, it would have been impossible for them to know our shape in the first half. We have never used that shape before today.
"It's just unfair. It's not OK. There was anger. There's a loss of respect. It makes me disappointed. It was a big game and they saw everything we were doing – set pieces, goal-kicks, everything."
