Liverpool - Spy gate (Out of court settlement)

[Hughes35]

What I think is a very interesting story being reported this morning in the times and some other outlets.

Back in 2013 Liverpool paid Man City a 1 million pounds settlement after city employed cyber experts to check their scouting system was secure and found the information had been hacked by Liverpool. The hack came just one year after 3 City scouts moved to Liverpool and it's alleged that they had accessed the City database hundreds of times.

https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/liverpool-paid-manchester-city-1m-spy-settlement-mxkns7mb6

 

[Classical Mechanic]

Very scummy operation Liverpool. God only knows what they think they’re doing behind the scenes.

 

[amolbhatia50k]

A 10 point deduction would be fair for everybody.

 

[Buchan]

Liverpool in ‘being Liverpool’ shocker.

 

[Thunderhead]

£1m quid is a bloody hefty payment

 

[Hughes35]

£1m quid is a bloody hefty payment

This is why I think it's quite a big story. 1 million quid as an outsider looking in is an admission that you've done wrong and trying to sweep it under the rug.

 

[Red_Aaron]

That's a huge fine really but in the context of the sums that clubs generate is it a big enough deterrent?

The calls for points reductions are obviously tongue in cheek but I do wonder if these days we shouldn't see more of these handed out to clubs. Financial penalties to the elite are irrelevant so alternative punishment needs to be established imo

Not that if advocate a points deduction in this case mind. I'd actually relegate both clubs

 

[Eric7C]

A 10 point deduction would be fair for everybody.

Yep.

They might still finish top 4 mind you.

 

[Random Task]

By rights, committing such a heinous act should result in immediate expulsion for the CL, a domestic league points reduction of no less than 28 and a transfer market ban that runs indefinitely.

And an 8 game ban for Evra.

 

[Ish]

By rights, committing such a heinous act should result in immediate expulsion for the CL, a domestic league points reduction of no less than 28 and a transfer market ban that runs indefinitely.

And an 8 game ban for Evra.

And t-shirts for Suarez

 

[TheReligion]

Interesting. What players, if any, do we think they might have pinched from City using their network?

 

[Dorian Gray]

I don't know what is the sadder part - that we resorted to shit like this or the fact that this was done around the time we brought in Stewart Downing, Charlie Adam et al

 

[Pexbo]

To be fair, it doesn’t sound like “hacking” at all. It sounds like City’s IT team completely dropped the ball and forgot to remove the scouts credentials from the system and they abused that. I wouldn’t be surprised if it was an off domain system the scouts all used without much oversight.

 

[GhastlyHun]

To be fair, it doesn’t sound like “hacking” at all. It sounds like City’s IT team completely dropped the ball and forgot to remove the scouts credentials from the system and they abused that. I wouldn’t be surprised if it was an off domain system the scouts all used without much oversight.

My first impression too.

 

[Spaghetti]

To be fair, it doesn’t sound like “hacking” at all. It sounds like City’s IT team completely dropped the ball and forgot to remove the scouts credentials from the system and they abused that. I wouldn’t be surprised if it was an off domain system the scouts all used without much oversight.

Were this the case, there wouldn’t be a 1 million pound settlement, would there?

 

[11101]

Were this the case, there wouldn’t be a 1 million pound settlement, would there?

It's still stealing information. City just made it much easier than it needed to be.

Had it actually been a true hacking there would likely be a criminal investigation instead.

 

[Varun]

Scousers stealing shit? Incredible Jeff!

 

[BlueMoonOutcast]

£1m is De Bruyne's wages for a month. It's nothing. We should have pursued legal action in my opinion, what they did is disgraceful.

 

[fergiesarmy1]

Were this the case, there wouldn’t be a 1 million pound settlement, would there?

Still breaking the law and I would assume they all signed some kind of non compete, non disclosure contracts when they started at city so these individuals should also be in a sticky wicket.

 

[Dumbstar]

I don't know what is the sadder part - that we resorted to shit like this or the fact that this was done around the time we brought in Stewart Downing, Charlie Adam et al

Hahaha. And we lost Sterling to... City. I think City should be paying us for wilfully feeding such shit information and seeing us even further back of that we're even possible.

 

[Robbie Boy]

Horrible club.

 

[Dorian Gray]

To be fair, it doesn’t sound like “hacking” at all. It sounds like City’s IT team completely dropped the ball and forgot to remove the scouts credentials from the system and they abused that. I wouldn’t be surprised if it was an off domain system the scouts all used without much oversight.

More details seem to point in this direction. Apparently there is a scouting system called "scout7" which almost all top clubs use. After City scouts moved to Liverpool, their scout7 City account credentials weren't revoked and they continued to use it. Clearly questionable and unethical tactics but not really hacking the City system.

 

[Dorian Gray]

Hahaha. And we lost Sterling to... City. I think City should be paying us for wilfully feeding such shit information and seeing us even further back of that we're even possible.

My theory is that the 1m pound was given to keep City's mouth shut as they threatened to expose our absolute incompetence of using their data to sign dross like this. FSG agreed to pay up rather than become a laughing stock and provide the topic of another Liverpool meme.

 

[Dorian Gray]

Scousers stealing shit? Incredible Jeff!

Sorry for being the meme nazi but it's "Unbelievable Jeff"

 

[M113FF]

More details seem to point in this direction. Apparently there is a scouting system called "scout7" which almost all top clubs use. After City scouts moved to Liverpool, their scout7 City account credentials weren't revoked and they continued to use it. Clearly questionable and unethical tactics but not really hacking the City system.

Pure conjecture that City account credentials weren't revoked.The inference from the articles is that they were using a remaining City scout's log-ins.

 

[Art Vandelay]

I don't know what is the sadder part - that we resorted to shit like this or the fact that this was done around the time we brought in Stewart Downing, Charlie Adam et al

Brilliant.

 

[Pexbo]

I don't know what is the sadder part - that we resorted to shit like this or the fact that this was done around the time we brought in Stewart Downing, Charlie Adam et al

Maybe City had become aware of the scouts accessing the database and took the piss with some absolute rave reviews of those players.

 

[ClaytonBlackmoorLeftPeg]

Interesting. What players, if any, do we think they might have pinched from City using their network?

That’s completely irrelevant.

In addition, it’s not just about buying players, they may well have decided NOT to sign players based upon information City had collated - and saved millions by NOT buying someone they may otherwise have bought.

 

[thegregster]

Liverpool in the gutter as per usual.

 

[TheReligion]

That’s completely irrelevant.

In addition, it’s not just about buying players, they may well have decided NOT to sign players based upon information City had collated - and saved millions by NOT buying someone they may otherwise have bought.

Thanks for letting me know what is and isn't relevant

 

[VeevaVee]

To be fair, it doesn’t sound like “hacking” at all. It sounds like City’s IT team completely dropped the ball and forgot to remove the scouts credentials from the system and they abused that. I wouldn’t be surprised if it was an off domain system the scouts all used without much oversight.

Sounds like this, but still not right obviously. I'm sure it'll be brushed over being Liverpool though.

 

[ClaytonBlackmoorLeftPeg]

Thanks for letting me know what is and isn't relevant

Well clearly you needed education!

Just because illegally auctioning intelligence MAY or MAY NOT have led to a club signing a player, accessing that information itself is an issue, it’s not just based on whether the club took action based on the stolen intelligence.

 

[TheReligion]

Well clearly you needed education!

Just because illegally auctioning intelligence MAY or MAY NOT have led to a club signing a player, accessing that information itself is an issue, it’s not just based on whether the club took action based on the stolen intelligence.

I didn't say it wasn't did I?

 

[Blueman]

Haha, if city had done this we would be roasted in the media. Or if arsenal had done this to utd back in the day it would have been massive news.

Glad the story been released though, LFC lawyers have been blocking it for years.

 

[Brophs]

I don't know what is the sadder part - that we resorted to shit like this or the fact that this was done around the time we brought in Stewart Downing, Charlie Adam et al

Lovely

 

[Halds]

Well that's embarrassing.. I can see, that City believes Edwards was a part of it. I hope that's not true, and that it's 'just' actions from these scouts without involving anyone higher up at the club. If anyone involved in this is still around, they should be sacked immediately.

 

[Jimmy_Bond]

£1m is De Bruyne's wages for a month. It's nothing. We should have pursued legal action in my opinion, what they did is disgraceful.

Man City fan using the word "disgusting" about another club.

 

[Cheech Wizard]

I don't know what is the sadder part - that we resorted to shit like this or the fact that this was done around the time we brought in Stewart Downing, Charlie Adam et al

They were bought under Damien Comolli in 2011 and both left before this happened.

 

[Cheech Wizard]

Well that's embarrassing.. I can see, that City believes Edwards was a part of it. I hope that's not true, and that it's 'just' actions from these scouts without involving anyone higher up at the club. If anyone involved in this is still around, they should be sacked immediately.

Sack our scouts, are you mad?

 

[Jimmy_Bond]

Haha, if city had done this we would be roasted in the media. Or if arsenal had done this to utd back in the day it would have been massive news.

Glad the story been released though, LFC lawyers have been blocking it for years.

Spot on. Liverpool dominated media keeping it quiet.