Taylor Harwood-Bellis explains real reason behind Middlesbrough 'spying' celebration

Taylor Harwood-Bellis has explained the real reason behind his Middlesbrough ‘spying’ celebration during Southampton’s 2-1 playoffs semi-finals win.

The ‘Spygate’ scandal seems to have no end in sight at this point. What once felt as a one-off spying offence from Southampton now keeps snowballing into a systematic ‘spying’ operation done by the entire coaching department.

Every hour, new reports are coming out detailing how Tonda Eckert forced Saints intern analysts into spying on opposition clubs training sessions. And with that, everything Southampton fans and players did for banter over the two null-and-void playoffs semi-final legs against Middlesbrough comes out as more shameful and ignorant.

During the first leg at Riverside, plenty of travelling Saints supporters showed up in Camouflage and bush outfits. Back then, that was meant as a dig at Boro considering almost every Southampton fan was convinced the club was getting dragged into a controversy for committing a small offence.

Taylor Harwood-Bellis ‘spying’ celebration against Middlesbrough

In the second leg, Southampton sealed a 2-1 aggregate win over Middlesbrough where Taylor Harwood-Bellis joined in with his ‘spying’ celebrations. He went running to his teammates to celebrate Shea Charles 2-1 winner and made binoculars gestures directed at a few Middlesbrough players.

That moment didn’t sit right with Boro fans. Right after the St. Mary’s return leg, they kept calling out Harwood-Bellis actions online and Southampton’s playoffs final expulsion afterwards gave them an opportunity to have the last laugh on that incident.

Being real, the 24-year-old centre-back wouldn’t have done the ‘spying’ celebration had he known beforehand that Southampton were indeed at fault the whole time. Following the Championship playoffs final expulsion and a 4-point deduction, Harwood-Bellis has come forward to clear the air on those ‘spying’ celebrations.

Harwood-Bellis explains reason behind Middlesbrough celebration

Taking to Instagram, Taylor Harwood-Bellis explained the real reason behind his controversial Middlesbrough actions. He said: “Had I known the severity of the situation, I would never have done what I did on the pitch. In the moment, it was meant as a bit of fun in a situation that we as players were not informed about.”

Well, it wasn’t the most provocative celebration we see in football nowadays. However, seeing Southampton’s image tarnished as a Championship club with each passing day, Harwood-Bellis explaining himself over the Middlesbrough ‘spying’ celebration was absolutely needed.

That now makes him appear less unsportsmanlike in English football and won’t deter future Premier League suitors from making a transfer move for Harwood-Bellis on behavioural grounds. Not to forget, pleading innocence on the binoculars gestures also keeps Taylor away from any FA sanctions coming his way, because let’s be honest, Southampton are due more punishment in the coming days.

The most obvious FA sanction Saints can see coming, will be for Tonda Eckert. There are evidences of him coming up which shows Tonda used to shove the ‘spying’ task on junior interns against their will. That will almost certainly warrant a multi-year FA ban on the German and prevent him from getting any coaching gig at an English club in the near future.

Will more members from the Southampton boardroom hierarchy get proven guilty in the ‘Spygate’ scandal, let’s wait to find out.