Tonda Eckert Predicted To Get Touchline Ban For FA Charges
Thursday, 23rd Jul 2026 10:35

Ex referee Keith Hackett also the former head of the Professional Game Match Officials Limited (PGMOL) has given his opinion on what he sees will be the punishment for Tonda Eckert if he is found guilty of the 3 FA Charges.

Hackett who was speaking exclusively to footballinsider247.com had this to say.

"Firstly, they have to determine his guilt

"They will then consider any submissions from Eckert and the club. I would expect a substantial punishment.

"A touchline ban that may reach double figures of games, plus a fine in the region of £10k."

The FA are in a difficult position, in that in the context of the rule that Eckert has been charged with, he could not have been charged if he had been accused of spying in the Premier League or any other league other than the EFL.

He could spend his weekday's sitting in a tree overlooking any Premier League club training ground or for that matter any EFL club as long as it was more than 72 hours before a game against Southampton.

So how do you quantify the rule E3.1 which states

"A participant shall at all times act in the best interests of the game and not act in any manner which is improper or brings the game into disrepute or use any one, or a combination of violent conduct, serious foul play, threatening, abusive, indecent or insulting words or behaviour".

It's like saying murder is legal as long as it is on a Monday or Tuesday and is in Manchester or Liverpool.

From this perspective you would have to say that if a Liverpool employee was caught outside Manchester United's training ground then he would not be able to be charged by the Premier League, but the FA could charge him, that hasn't happened yet and i doubt if it ever will.

If as Hackett suggests, Eckert will receive a touchline ban of say 10 games and a £10,000 fine, then I would think both the manager, the club and indeed Saints supporters would take that in an instant so see an end to this whole situation.

One that no one has actually come out from behaving well.

All Photos Via Reuters

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highfield49 added 11:00 - Jul 23 Aren't the FA supposed to liaise with the Daily Mail before making any judgement?
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Bowlercow added 11:26 - Jul 23 Firstly Hacket should keep his gob shut especially whilst there is an on going situation Secondly Football Insider NEVER publish anything about Saints that isn't trying to demeen us It's us against the rest this year I hope we stuff it to them all
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cliveganderson added 11:37 - Jul 23

The EFL can only punish the club, not individuals and they have already issued that, albeit disproportionate, punishment. The FA charge is against Eckert not the club and so the FA may not want to do anything that punishes the club further. A 10 game touchline ban would cause harm to the club and so therefore a large fine for Eckert and a suspended ban may be more appropriate.

WestSussexSaint added 13:54 - Jul 23

Highfield49, I think they are waiting to see which Boro execs are available to sit on their independent panel.

Cliveganderson, I don’t disagree agree with your view on what is appropriate but I think you are misguided in assuming the FA will give a flying fig about what punishment has already been handed to the club. They are separate from the EFl and will want to be seen to conduct their own process and judgement on the situation. If they had any empathy at all for Saints they would have concluded their investigation weeks ago rather than wait until any punishment can have maximum impact.

IanRC added 13:59 - Jul 23

You are correct cliveganderson but when have the authorities ever been fair to our club and its supporters. On the other hand they reserve excessive leniency for the likes of Leeds and Chelsea, both of whom committed far more egregious deeds that gave them far more advantage. Football is too corrupt to be called the beautiful game anymore. Oh and Hackett is a biased pi!!ock.

Monksway added 18:05 - Jul 23 How can any individual bring the game into more disrepute than FIFA, UEFA, The FA, EFL and Premier League combined. The endless executive snouts in the trough and a flexible set of rules depending on a club's wealth and influence have done more to discredit the game than Tonda ever has or will.
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kingolaf added 21:37 - Jul 23 Point is a touchline ban hurts the club and we’ve already had enough punishment. Who gives a shiny sh*te what some old ref has to say.
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Jesus_02 added 15:26 - Jul 24

The club are cannot apeal the EFL decision to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) as this was subject to the resolution at the time. This does not cover any decision the FA make as it wasnt part of the accepted resolution. I can imagine a case where the club appeal first through the FA then through (CAS). I think that they would successfully appeal a substantial touchline band as it unduely effects the club and they have already been punished twice for the same offence.

For this reason I expect the FA to lean more towards a finacial penalty with a short touchline ban and a more lenghy ban suspended based on future behaviour.

My other thought is that the charges do not relate to spying itself but his treatment of staff in making them do it. Rule E3.1 is very broad in the same way EFL Regulation 3.4 (which requires clubs to act toward each other with good faith). Both Rules were present at the time of the Leeds incident, the latter of wich we recieved -4points and Leeds recieved 200k fine for. I dont belive the FA Charged Bielsa with anything. So in this case there IS precedent.

The FA will want to be seen as authoratative but will also need to ballance the risk of the club appealing winning and making them look weak.

By the woring of rule E3.1 it appears that maybe the FA are charging Tonda not with spying but how he has spoken to Will Salt. Which in my view would be an amazing over-reach. It would be like Ofgem getting involved with a case of bullying at British gas when there are already institutions (ACAS) that legaly arbitrate these situations. He is obviously not guilty of violent conduct so one can only assume he has used "threatening, abusive, indecent or insulting words or behaviour"

In short the FA need to tread carefully or end up looking like chumps.

SalisburySaint added 08:23 - Jul 26

I’ve been checking on google to see what action the FA took with Leeds and Bielsa (who admitted on spying on every opponent), just to find out a presedence.

It appears they didn't do anything, so not sure why they should be looking at Eckert at all or give him any additional fine or suspension, as they as far as I’m aware, unlike the EFL, have not changed their rules on watching opponents training, and it is still acceptable in Premier League.