Middlesbrough want Southampton kicked out of play-offs over Spygate

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• Published15 May 2026, 15:33 BST

Middlesbrough have called for Southampton to be expelled from the Championship play-off final over the Spygate saga that has dominated the English Football League's (EFL) end-of season showpiece.

Southampton beat Boro in extra time in the second leg to reach the Wembley final on Saturday, 23 May against Hull City - but that may have to be rescheduled depending on the outcome of an independent panel's hearing.

Boro will not be permitted to take part in the hearing, brought by the EFL over Saints' alleged spying at their Rockliffe Park training ground last Thursday - before the first leg of the play-off semi-final.

In a statement, Boro described the conduct as going against "sporting integrity and fair competition", external and believe that a sporting sanction is the only fair outcome.

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The hearing, conducted by an independent disciplinary committee, will take place on or before Tuesday, 19 May.

But with Middlesbrough not allowed to be present, they are calling on the EFL to expel Southampton from the play-offs in the interests of fairness and to deter clubs from spying in future.

"The conduct at issue, namely the observation and recording of our training session ahead of a fixture of such significance, goes to the heart of sporting integrity and fair competition," Middlesbrough's statement said.

"In these circumstances, the only appropriate response is a sporting sanction which would prevent Southampton FC from participating in the EFL Championship play-off final.

"We remain hopeful that the EFL, as regulator, will pursue such a sanction to protect the integrity of the game, safeguard all member clubs, and deter any attempt in the future to obtain an unfair and unlawful advantage in pursuit of promotion to the Premier League."

Boro absence could be key - analysis

Most of the attention around Middlesbrough's statement on Friday will centre around the club wanting Southampton thrown out of the play-offs.

We sort of knew this anyway, of course, but Boro coming out and putting it on the record ramps up the story another notch.

But buried in the detail is one important fact: the Riverside club have not been named by the Independent Disciplinary Commission as an "interested party".

This could turn out to be very important.

It means that if the final outcome is not to Boro's liking - so any result which results in Saints still playing Hull on 23 May - they have no right to appeal against the decision or challenge it.

It is standard practice for there to be only two "interested parties" in a disciplinary hearing - the one bringing the charge, in this case the EFL, and the other defending it, Southampton.

But Boro argue that it is unfair that they are now, in effect, locked out of the process.

After all, it is they who raised the complaint and provided all the evidence. They are the "party" who was being impacted by the spying.

It does create at least a little more certainty for the play-off final, however.

If Southampton are not removed then it means, unless the EFL were to appeal, the match would definitely go ahead as scheduled.

What's happened in Spygate?

Middlesbrough's training ground is located on the grounds of Rockliffe Hall in Hurworth-on-Tees, which is also home to a luxury hotel, spa, and golf resort.

It is alleged that on Thursday morning, before Saturday's semi-final first leg, a member of Southampton staff - who has since been named as analyst intern William Salt - parked at the golf club and walked a couple of hundred yards down a road which leads to the top of a small hill with a view overlooking the pitches.

He is then alleged to have been pointing his mobile phone at the training session while wearing in-ear headphones.

It is believed he may have been live-streaming the session via a video call.

After being approached by a member of Middlesbrough's staff, he is said to have refused to identify himself and deleted some content off his phone before running into the golf club toilets, where he changed his clothes and left the site.

How likely is it Southampton are thrown out of play-offs?

When news about the Spygate scandal broke, coming less than 48 hours before the first leg of the play-off semi-final, the prospect of Southampton being removed from the play-offs seemed fanciful.

But with each passing day, and every new development, it has become ever-more realistic.

The answer is simple: truly, nobody knows and can only guess.

The independent disciplinary commission has a framework, but no set sanction to apply.

When it comes to profit and sustainability, clubs who lose money above the three-season £39m limit know straight away how many points they will be deducted.

But the Southampton hearing will be a more subjective case, weighing up the body of evidence presented.

As Saints are accused of spying before a crucial play-off match, rather than a standard league game, this could be seen as an aggravating factor. It is for this reason that a sporting sanction seems more appropriate.

After all, a fine would mean little to Southampton and offer minimal deterrent if the club were to then win promotion, and with it a guaranteed £110m.

That leaves a sporting sanction: a points deduction - which the EFL would have to recommend to the Premier League is applied in the top flight - or effectively disqualifying Saints.

Related topics

• Middlesbrough
• Championship
• Southampton
• Football