Southampton's 'Spygate' Scandal Continues to Spark Taunts, Now from Wrexham Owners

Southampton Football Club is still facing repercussions for its involvement in the "Spygate" scandal, with Wrexham's celebrity co-owners Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney adding to the taunts.

Ahead of a Saturday match between their teams in England's second-tier Championship, Reynolds and McElhenney released a video containing pointed references to Southampton's actions last season. The incident saw Southampton expelled from the promotion playoffs for unauthorized filming of opponents' practice sessions.

"Today, for no particular reason, we want to talk about the importance of privacy," Reynolds says in the video, emerging from behind a tree. "Specifically how to prevent spies from seeing what you're doing."

"Because there's some things that you just don't want any other people to see," McElhenney added.

The video, which promoted Wrexham's front-of-kit sponsor Firefox, also targeted Oxford, Ipswich, and Middlesbrough – the three teams Southampton admitted to spying on last season. The reference to a tree alludes to a Southampton intern who was spotted filming a Middlesbrough training session from behind one, an incident that triggered the investigation into the club's conduct.

The "Spygate" saga resulted in Southampton being barred from the playoffs, costing the team a chance at promotion to the Premier League. The club also incurred a four-point deduction at the start of the current season. Manager Tonda Eckert was subsequently charged by the Football Association with bringing the game into disrepute, with an arbitration panel deeming the actions a "contrived and determined plan from top down to gain a competitive advantage."

Opposing teams have not let the matter go unnoticed. Wrexham had previously made light of the situation, posting match details with a spy emoji and a reminder to "Check Training Ground" for unauthorized visitors.

Southampton's season opener against Watford saw fans of the opposing team taunt Eckert's team, with even the Watford mascot mimicking the use of binoculars. During a later match against Bristol City, Southampton supporters were heard chanting, "We spy when we want, we spy when we want, we are Southampton, we spy when we want."

Despite the ongoing scrutiny, Southampton has shown resilience on the field. After losing their first match, the team has secured four wins and two draws, climbing to ninth place in the Championship standings and positioning themselves for another playoff run or a push for automatic promotion to the Premier League.