Blackburn Rovers will face Southampton at St Mary's in December, a fixture that could see Saints manager Tonda Eckert still serving a punishment from the Football Association's 'Spygate' investigation. The FA will decide on Wednesday whether to impose further sanctions on Eckert individually for his role in the surveillance scandal.
Eckert's side were removed from last season's Championship play-off final, despite beating Middlesbrough in the semi-finals, after an intern was discovered spying on Boro's training. Southampton later admitted to also conducting surveillance on Oxford United and Ipswich Town during the campaign. The club was handed a four-point deduction for the current season as a result, a penalty that has left them with a goal of making up those lost points and the 90 minutes of play they represent.
The head coach could face a touchline ban, a fine, or even a period where he is unable to manage in England. Eckert has spoken to the FA about the incident. "I've had the chance to sit down and just talk the FA through everything that happened," he said. He described the collective punishment as "a big, big punishment. Absolutely unheard of in the history of sports."
For Blackburn Rovers, the focus remains on their own Championship campaign, where they currently sit 16th with nine points from eight games. Their recent form has been mixed, with one win, two draws and two losses in their last five outings, a sequence that includes a 2-2 draw at Portsmouth last time out. The team will be looking to improve their output, having scored a specific number of goals this season, details of which can be found in the club's stats section.
The Rovers squad will prepare for their next match at home to 21st-placed Cardiff City on 10 October, a game listed on the fixtures page, before the scheduled trip to face Southampton and their potentially sanctioned manager on 5 December.
Further reading: Lancashire Telegraph
