Some stories have a way of getting bigger with every passing hour.
What started as a rumour about someone hiding in bushes has now become one of the most dramatic scandals in history.
And today, it escalated again.
Because for the first time, the man at the centre of it all has a name.
And a face.
Southampton spy identified as ‘spygate’ scandal unfolds
According to the Daily Mail, the Southampton staff member who was caught filming Middlesbrough’s training session ahead of their EFL Championship play-off semi-final has been identified as intern analyst William Salt.
The image is extraordinary.
The photograph shows Salt filming on his phone at what is alleged to be Middlesbrough’s training ground.
The same location where he was later confronted by club staff, asked to delete the footage, and told to leave.
He fled the scene before entering the Rockliffe Hall golf club next door.
It’s now been revealed that Salt used his bank card to buy a coffee at the venue.
A detail that has opened up the possibility of a paper trail that could extend far beyond this single incident.
Because the implications of what’s emerging go significantly wider than one rogue visit to one training ground.
One EFL Championship club believe they were spied on by Southampton after changing manager prior to facing them this season.
Middlesbrough now believe this may not be the first time it has happened to them either.
The EFL charged Southampton before the first leg of the semi-final
Southampton then won the second leg 2-1 at St Mary’s.
The final is now hanging over everything.
The independent disciplinary commission is fully aware of the urgency.
With Sky Sports confirming that a range of sanctions are possible, up to and including expulsion from the play-offs entirely.
Middlesbrough’s preferred outcome is exactly that.
The Daily Mail report strong connections between Salt and Southampton manager Tonda Eckert.
The next 24 hours are described as crucial.
And a man who bought a coffee with his bank card, may have given investigators exactly the paper trail they needed.
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