Southampton boss Tonda Eckert responds to Wrexham’s Spygate jibe

Tonda Eckert responds to Wrexham’s Spygate mockery ahead of Southampton clash

Southampton head coach Tonda Eckert has admitted that Wrexham’s latest Spygate joke was not particularly amusing to him ahead of Saturday’s Championship meeting between the two clubs.

Wrexham’s co-owners, Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney, recently used a promotional video for the club’s shirt sponsor, Firefox, to poke fun at Southampton’s spying controversy from last season.

The video referenced Southampton’s unauthorised filming of rival training sessions, including incidents involving Middlesbrough, Oxford United and Ipswich Town. The clip also featured a tree, a nod to the Southampton staff member who was reportedly spotted observing Middlesbrough’s training from behind one.

The controversy resulted in Southampton being removed from last season’s Championship play-offs after the club admitted to several breaches of EFL rules. The Saints were also handed a four-point deduction at the beginning of the current campaign.

Despite the punishment, Southampton have recovered strongly and remain in contention for promotion, although uncertainty continues to surround Eckert’s future while the Football Association considers its case against him.

Wrexham, meanwhile, have quickly become one of English football’s most recognisable clubs following the investment of Reynolds and McElhenney. The Welsh side climbed from the National League to the Championship in just three years and narrowly missed out on the play-offs last season.

Their upcoming meeting with Southampton gave the owners another opportunity to revisit the Spygate saga through their Firefox advert.

Asked whether he had seen the video before Southampton’s trip to North Wales, Eckert confirmed that both he and his players were aware of it.

“The players have watched it. I’ve seen it last night. It doesn’t change anything,” he said.

“You can imagine that the whole situation is not particularly funny for me, but I think that’s all there is to say.”

Southampton supporters react to Wrexham’s Spygate joke

Eckert was not the only Southampton figure unimpressed by Wrexham’s social media post, with several Saints supporters responding angrily online.

One fan wrote: “I can’t wait to put 5 past you again, cringey lot you.”

Another supporter criticised the involvement of Wrexham’s owners, saying: “Imagine your club owners doing this. Embarrassing.”

A further Southampton fan referenced the league table while taking aim at Wrexham, writing: “Mind the gap guys. Maybe you should spy it might save your season.”

Another supporter warned Wrexham to return to the discussion after Southampton striker Cyle Larin had scored a fourth goal in the match.

Not every Wrexham fan supported the decision to mock Southampton, however. One questioned whether the video had simply given their opponents extra motivation, writing: “Why are we writing Southampton’s team talk for them?”

Southampton look to answer on the pitch

With the Spygate controversy dominating the build-up, Southampton will be eager to ensure their response comes on the pitch when they face Wrexham.

The Saints have already erased their four-point deduction through a positive start to the season and are targeting another promotion challenge.

However, Eckert’s position remains uncertain, with a decision from the FA potentially arriving before Southampton’s South Coast derby against Portsmouth on October 11.

For now, the German coach can only focus on preparing his team, with Southampton hoping to end the pre-international-break fixture on a positive note.