Journalist who asked Tonda Eckert if he is a cheat says Southampton ‘got off lightly’

Journalist Dom Shaw, who asked Tonda Eckert if he is a cheat, says Southampton ‘got off lightly’ while talking before the playoff final.

Earlier this month, Southampton’s Tonda Eckert walked out when asked if he was a cheat following news emerging about Spygate.

Both had been talking to the media following the Championship play-off semi-final second leg with the Saints coming out on top, a 2-1 victory, Shea Charles with a strike in extra time to send Southampton to the playoff final, facing Hull City on the 23rd of May.

In his press conference, Kim Hellberg said the ‘Spygate’ saga overshadowed his Boro’s defeat, with it alleged a member of Southampton staff was caught trying to watch a Middlesbrough training session last Thursday.

Eckert’s came to an abrupt ended when constantly being asked about Spygate and the club facing an EFL misconduct charge.

Shaw asked Eckert “are you a cheat?” to which a fed up Eckert got up, and left the room, a Southampton press officer told the journalist to have a bit of respect.

 

Thinking back to the moment the Southampton press officer told a Boro reporter to “show some respect” after asking Tonda Eckert if he’s a cheat.

Whoof. pic.twitter.com/yEM3ebF0dV

— Second Tier podcast (@secondtierpod) May 21, 2026

On the 13th of May, Dom Shaw spoke to BBC Radio Tees about the moment Tonda Eckert walked out of another Southampton press conference following his “are you a cheat?” question.

Interviewer: What was the reaction in the room after he walked out?

Dom Shaw: I can imagine from the local perspective a bit of frustration that the press conference has been cut short after five or six minutes but that’s not on me. They chose to cut the press conference short. They could have answered that. If you are not a cheat, you’d want to defend yourself wouldn’t you?

Interviewer: Absolutely.

Dom Shaw: Someone, you know, I’ve had it a couple of times today, how dare you accuse someone of being a cheat? I haven’t accused anyone of being a cheat. I’ve asked him if he’s a cheat because that’s what he has been accused of. I’m giving him the opportunity there to defend himself, the right to reply and you know, why didn’t he take that opportunity?

I was accused afterwards of doing it on purpose because I knew that that would be the response, that would be what will happen. Me and you sit in press conferences every week, God knows how many over the course of a season.

It’s very, very rare you get a manager stepping up and walking out. So for it happened twice in four days, I think that says more about those involved at the top table rather than those asking the questions.

“I think Southampton have got off lightly!”

The Northern Echo’s Dom Shaw discusses Southampton’s expulsion from the Championship play-off final. pic.twitter.com/TvKx4qmcO6

— Sky Sports News (@SkySportsNews) May 23, 2026

 

Reporter: “Dom Shaw from the Northern Echo. Now Dom was the journalist who asked that question to Tonda Eckert after the second leg last week when it looked like of course Middlesbrough were out. Dom, you cover Middlesbrough home anyway, you’ve been there all season. Can you believe what’s happened this past week?

Dom Shaw: “It’s been a remarkable week. It’s been a remarkable fortnight since of course it first emerged that Middlesbrough had been spied on ahead of that first leg.

“And I think after the second leg, although we knew that Boro were pushing for the strongest possible sanctions and felt that Southampton had to be kicked out.

“At that stage, I don’t think you expect it to happen. You hope it should happen. You hope it will happen. You think it should happen. But I don’t think you can expect it to happen.

“It feels like over the course of last 9, 10, 11 days, there’s just been a dramatic twist in development every day.”

Reporter: “We just heard that question there that you asked in the press conference down at St Mary’s. It was a pretty big moment, that, wasn’t it? And what did you make of the way Southampton sort of responded to that at the time?”

Dom Shaw: “Well, just think if I’m putting myself in those shoes, if someone accuses you of being a cheat and you’re not a cheat, I think you want the right to reply. I think you want the right to defend yourself and say, I am categorically not a cheat.

“We will see what evidence comes out. I can only say so much at this stage. I thought Eckert’s reaction was telling that day.

“I think for Southampton to call for respect that day, given the way that they have conducted themselves. I think even this week to claim that the punishment was disproportionate when we’ve now seen the evidence and the scale of what was going on.

“Been expelled from the playoffs in a four-point deduction. I think Southampton have got off lightly.”

Social media users reacted after the journalist who asked Tonda Eckert if he is a cheat says Southampton ‘got off lightly’…

@AndyT3ch: I think Boro are very lucky to be there today. Hull should have been given a bye to the Premier League.

@OllieSkyrme1: @DomShawEcho 👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼

@SaintRobinho86: Any chance of asking the same questions to our local journo’s in the interests of impartiality? #SaintsFC

@priv_756: 🤣🤣🤣 bullied by the media, kicked out of a game worth £200m and a -4 deduction, players suing the club, clubs suing the club, very lightly mate

@moto26261: They did get off, very lightly.. Expulsion was correct for cheating in the play offs, but only a 4 point deduction for cheating from Dec to April in the league is a joke. They affected the whole table & should have been relegated. I hope other clubs are lining up to sue them. 🤬

@AlishaW1709: Alright @SkySportsNews let’s move on from us now shall we? We got the punishment, we aren’t there today. Focus on the bloody football. Not interviewing journalists still banging on about how we were lucky. Focus on Hull and Boro today yes? #SaintsFC

@danitfc25: Got off lightly 🤣 don’t get me wrong I think Southampton cheating should face punishment but to say they got off lightly when the punishment is a place worth 200m in the premier league and 4 points deduction when Leeds only got a 200k fine is bonkers.

@forder_tom: I would be embarrassed to be a Middlesbrough fan today. Shouldn’t be there regardless of what we did.

@Binson84: Fine would have been sufficient. Blown way out of proportion. Ridiculous Middlesbrough are playing today. Can’t stand hull but hope they win today

@DonnyGav7: Punish Southampton yes, think chucking them out is OTT, but that’s the decision. The bit that doesn’t sit right with me is giving Middlesbrough a second chance. They got beat fair & square on the pitch, don’t deserve a second chance, should be Hull going up for me. #EFL #HULMID

@JustSaints_: Balanced. 🤥

@beatlesaint: Yeah cos Saints fans and every single player and employee of the club who this had nothing to do with aren’t suffering at all today are they? Absolute twat. You should be better than this SkySports 😡