Championship play-off final may be delayed by Spygate hearing

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• Published14 May 2026, 16:12 BST

The Championship play-off final may not go ahead on Saturday 23 May as the English Football League (EFL) investigates the Spygate scandal surrounding finalists Southampton.

A hearing conducted by an Independent Disciplinary Commission will take place on or before Tuesday 19 May.

Saints have been charged by the EFL with breaking rules by observing one of Middlesbrough's training sessions before last Saturday's semi-final first leg at the Riverside.

Southampton are due to face Hull City in the play-off final for a place in the Premier League next season.

The EFL is working on the basis that the final will go ahead as planned, with a kick-off time of 16:30 BST, but has said "supporters should be aware that the outcome of disciplinary proceedings may yet result in changes to the fixture".

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Should the match need to be rescheduled due to the outcome of the hearing and any subsequent appeal process, the EFL says it has a "number of contingency plans" available.

The Championship fixture is the first of three play-off finals held across three days at Wembley, with the League One and Two versions due to be held on the Sunday and Monday, respectively.

The stadium is booked out the following weekend, when the Rugby League Challenge Cup final will be played on 30 May and the Women's FA Cup final on 31 May.

A major music event takes place at the stadium on the following weekend on Saturday 6 June.

The hearing, conducted by a three-person panel, will be managed by Sport Resolutions, an independent mediation company.

The EFL has asked for an expedited hearing to accommodate next Saturday's final while Southampton have argued they need time for an internal review.

All parties categorised by the commission as holding an interest in the case - which could include Middlesbrough - will have a right of appeal, but any ruling from an appeal is considered final as EFL rules do not permit cases to be taken to the Court of Arbitration for Sport.

There is currently no framework in place regarding a suitable sanction should Southampton be found guilty. Possible options include a fine, a points deduction or throwing Southampton out of the play-offs.

Before the EFL's statement, Hull City's sporting director Jared Dublin expressed sympathy for the fans over the uncertainty but said the club are continuing their preparations as normal.

"We are 100% focused on the final at Wembley and preparing to face Southampton until we are told otherwise," he told BBC Radio Humberside. "We don't want any distractions.

"If I were to put myself in the supporters' shoes, I would be equally edgy."

Analysis - Extraordinary saga far from resolution

Southampton and Hull fans will need to have a good read through the terms and conditions when they get their match tickets.

They tend to relate to a warning that an event might not take place as planned and can be subject to change.

The EFL, understandably, does not want to say what contingencies it has in place as a back-up but, merely by mentioning "contingency plans", the organisation is admitting there is a very good chance its showpiece game might not happen as originally planned.

The Independent Disciplinary Commission might not meet until as late as Tuesday, four days before the play-off final, and whoever loses out in the next stage of this extraordinary saga is almost certain to decide the verdict is worth appealling against.

That would surely stop the match happening as intended.

The EFL has already confirmed the League One and Two finals will take place as planned on Sunday and Monday. We also know Wembley is being used on Saturday and Sunday the following weekend, which is effectively the deadline for the game to take place as it marks the end of the club season.

This would leave uncertainty around when a potentially re-arranged game might be played.

Fans have been warned. Travel and accommodation arrangements are just another element of uncertainty around a row that is some way from resolution.

Related topics

• Championship
• Southampton
• Football
• Hull City