Southampton chief executive Phil Parsons has spoken warmly of the club's supporters following what he described as "a tough summer" in the wake of the Spygate scandal, with an FA hearing into head coach Tonda Eckert set to take place this week.

A difficult period acknowledged

"It's been a tough summer, let's not pretend this has been an easy situation to get through," Parsons told BBC Sport. "Not just for us, this is the fans coming together, this is the community around Southampton, how businesses are impacted."

The remarks follow a turbulent sequence of events at St Mary's. Southampton admitted to spying on three rival clubs during the 2025-26 Championship season, a scandal that led directly to their expulsion from the play-off final and an EFL panel docking them four points for the current campaign. Both the club and Eckert have issued public apologies.

The forthright admission of wrongdoing and the consequent sanctions have left Southampton managing a reputational as well as a sporting challenge. Parsons, who joined the club in 2023, was at pains to stress that the fanbase has not walked away.

Season tickets and attendances hold firm

The numbers, at least, offer some encouragement. The club reported in July that more than 15,000 supporters had renewed their season tickets for 2026-27, with chief revenue officer Greg Baker calling the response "a real reflection of the passion and loyalty of our fanbase" in what reads, unavoidably, as press-release language. But the match-day figures give the claim some grounding: the average attendance across Southampton's opening four Championship home matches this season stands at 28,945, up from 28,444 across the whole of the 2025-26 campaign.

"We've got incredibly loyal fans and they've come back in huge numbers and supported us," Parsons said. That backing is not insignificant for a club carrying a four-point deduction into a season where every point has added weight.

Owner's commitment not in doubt, says Parsons

Owner Dragan Solak publicly backed Eckert in the summer, stating that the head coach "deserves a second chance" and that he would not be sacked. Parsons indicated that whatever the FA hearing concludes, Solak's appetite to invest in the club will not diminish.

"Dragan talks to everybody very regularly," Parsons said. "He loves the club. He really wants to take it forward in the right way. We've got some really interesting projects around the club longer term. It's not just a one-year piece."

The ambition to return to the Premier League was stated plainly, and the financial strain that comes with chasing that goal was acknowledged: "The football is always about wanting to get back to the Premier League. You want to compete as quickly as possible, and financially that is quite draining on a club."

Early form offers a platform

Context matters here. Eckert inherited a side hovering three points above the relegation places when he replaced Will Still in November 2025. He steered them to the play-offs before the Spygate expulsion removed their shot at promotion. Now, despite the four-point penalty hanging over the campaign, Southampton have made a reasonable start to the new season, winning four of their first eight Championship matches and drawing two more to sit on 14 points as the international break arrives, placing them 13th.

Whether those 14 points would read as 18 without the deduction matters enormously to where Saints sit come the spring, and it is a number supporters will have in mind throughout the season.

Parsons was careful not to draw comparisons with previous campaigns. "If we can pull off a good season, that's just what everyone is looking for and to put everything behind us, because it's been a difficult period," he said. The FA hearing this week will determine what further consequences, if any, Eckert faces personally. Until that verdict is known, the backdrop to Southampton's Championship season remains unresolved.

Frequently asked

What punishment did Southampton receive for Spygate?
Southampton were expelled from the Championship play-off final for the 2025-26 season and had four points deducted from their 2026-27 Championship campaign following an EFL panel ruling.
What is happening at Southampton's FA hearing?
The FA charged head coach Tonda Eckert with misconduct in July 2026. A decisive hearing is scheduled for this week, and the outcome could result in further personal sanctions against Eckert.
How are Southampton doing in the Championship this season?
Despite carrying a four-point deduction, Southampton have won four and drawn two of their first eight Championship matches in 2026-27, accumulating 14 points and sitting 13th as the international break begins.