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Yeah

*You can't punish me. I didn't know, guv. Nobody told me.

Sad but true

It's called 'freedom of movement' and he wasn't breaking the law.

If the FA decide to take action, it will be overturned in a court of law. (should it get that far)

No-one is saying he broke the law. This is borne out by the police releasing the man without charge after they were called to the ground.

If the FA take action I've no doubt it will be accepted by Leeds and not taken to court. (I'm not even sure a court would interfere with a ruling by a sport's governing body would it? Not unless there is a blatant miscarriage of 'justice' meted out.)

It still stinks though...

Surely when Alex Ferguson had a helicopter hover above Man City training before the derby that was worse as City WERE training behind closed doors. A guy stood on a public path watching isn't as bad as that surely.

Man City had only themselves to blame for that - should have paid for a roof!

I'd be surprised if Leeds accepted an FA reprisal.
Governing bodies don't have the same clout they used to. They are being taken to court on a regular basis these days.
At the end of the day, they cannot infringe on the law/rights individuals/people have.

It's the way it is now.

I don't know anything about that mitchell and I can't find anything via Google,

Were Man Utd/Fergie punished for it? Did Fergie admit it publicly? Was the incident even investigated by the FA?

Besides......what football club pays a supporters mortgage?

It's football....that's all it is.

There's atrocities happening all over the world. (off a football pitch)

So who really bloody cares.

Frank Lampard does!

None of the above. It was just a shrug of the shoulders and acceptance that scouting is a normal part of the game. Even Charlie Nicholas on Sky has just been taking about how it was perfectly standard practice back in his day.

Doesn't sound like he was just watching from the road if he came across suspiciously enough for someone to call the police.

Not sure I have an opinion beyond that, everyone wants to get whatever advantage they can, so long as it's done within the rules of the game you've got to expect it to happen.

Probably more of a story because it's Leeds and nobody likes Leeds

He was stood at the side of the pitch on the footpath watching, there are images on social media of his vantage point and position and the pitch they train on is only about 20 metres from the public path. He wasn't hidden because he had no idea he was doing anything wrong so never hid the fact he was from Leeds, he was even in an LUFC car! If he thought it was an issue I'm sure he'd have picked a different vehicle to turn up in...

I think that's the crux of the issue.

The irony of Frank Lampard being the one to kick up this stink is that Villa Boas openly admits to doing this on a regular basis when working as Mourinho's assistant at Chelsea!

Quote from an interview in the telegraph 2014

"My work enables Jose to know exactly when a player from the opposition team is likely to be at his best or his weakest,? he explained. ?I will travel to training grounds, often incognito, and look at our opponents? mental and physical state before drawing my conclusions. Jose will leave nothing to chance.?

If course it is.

Leeds have been cheating for more than 50 years!

But one thing I don't understand. If the practice is so widespread why have the FA not investigated before? Why now? Does the FA hate Leeds too?

Because nobody has made an official complaint to the FA before. Charlie Nicholas, Paul Gasgoine, Gary Linekar have all mocked how ridiculous this is considering it's been common for many years. Gary Linekar even wrote in his autobiography that whenever he saw an opposition scout watching training he'd always practice penalties to the opposite side that he would use in the game to throw them off. If a report is made the FA have to investigate it regardless whether it breaks any rule or not but they would be hard pressed to pass any penalties for something that there's no rule against. What would they then do, take back all the trophies Chelsea won while they had their 'opposition observation department' who's job it was to do exactly this?

Gsxza!! Haha!

Good idea re Chelsea!

As for Leeds, how about a 12 point deduction?

If there's one positive to come out of 'spygate' it's the fact that the media obsessing over that seems to have meant they completely glossed over Bailey Pea**** Farrels attempt to remove that Derby lads head!