EFL issues letter to clubs over social-media posts aimed at rivals

The English Football League has written to its member clubs on 13 November 2026, warning them about social-media posts that target other sides over disciplinary matters. The advisory follows a series of September posts involving Wrexham, Southampton and Birmingham City.

In September Wrexham published a Spygate-themed video on the club’s X account featuring owners Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney; the clip opened with Reynolds emerging from behind a tree and was nominally intended to promote shirt sponsor Firefox. In the skit the Deadpool star said: "Today, for no particular reason, we want to talk about the importance of privacy." The video preceded Wrexham’s Championship meeting with Southampton, which the Dragons won 2-1 at the Racecourse Ground.

A few weeks after the video, and following an EFL fine for Wrexham over fielding two ineligible players, Southampton replied on X beneath a Wrexham team news post for their next match against Sheffield United with the comment: "hope you've double checked this one lads".

Birmingham City also participated in the Spygate-themed exchanges in September, posting a graphic that showed both clubs’ badges cut into grass hedges and viewed through the eye of binoculars ahead of their meeting with Wrexham.

The EFL has sent a letter to club chairs and executives advising them to avoid posts that could have a reputational impact. The correspondence was issued after the September incidents involving the three clubs.

The letter represents the EFL’s formal response to the social-media exchanges that involved Wrexham, Southampton and Birmingham City and came shortly after the disciplinary action against Wrexham.