The inside story of 'Spygate' — featuring a pine tree, disguises, damning WhatsApps and a sport in shock

It all started behind a pine tree.The setting was Middlesbrough’s Rockliffe Park training ground, two days before the club were due to meet Southampton in the Championship play-off semi-finals.Will Salt, a first team performance analyst intern working for Southampton, had travelled north to gather intelligence on the club’s opponents as they trained a few metres away beyond a metal fence. He stationed himself behind the tree and got out his mobile phone to record Middlesbrough’s players, hoping he would go unnoticed.Advertisement