Southampton’s expulsion from the Championship play-off final has been upheld after an appeal from the club over the EFL’s disciplinary action.
Saints were found guilty of spying by an independent panel after admitting to filming training sessions of opposing Championship sides, Oxford United, Ipswich Town and Middlesbrough.
Those actions were in breach of Football League regulations and, along with Southampton’s expulsion from the play-off final, the independent disciplinary commission awarded Saints a four-point deduction for the 2026/27 season.
Southampton immediately appealed the severity of the punishment and, ahead of the verdict, released a statement apologising for their actions but strongly disagreeing with the “manifestly disproportionate” sanction.
However, the club’s appeal to overturn their punishment was unsuccessful meaning they will not reinstated for Saturday’s climactic match and Middlesbrough, who Saints defeated 2-1 in the semi-finals, will now face Hull City at Wembley instead. The kick off time for the final will be 3.30pm.
Follow latest updates with our live blog below:
Southampton discover appeal decision over Spygate - live
- Southampton were expelled from the play-offs after admitting unauthorised filming of other clubs in Spygate saga
- Their appeal against the severity of the punishment has been rejected
- Saints release statement doubling down on 'disproportionate' sanction but pledge to respond with 'humility'
- Middlesbrough will play Hull in Saturday's Championship play-off final at Wembley
- COMMENT: Southampton are guilty of needless idiocy after £200m cock-up
Matt Le Tissier wades in on Southampton spygate: ‘On trial for murder for stealing Mars bar’
03:00 , Will Castle
Southampton have been sensationally expelled from the Sky Bet Championship play-offs, a decision that has sparked outrage and disbelief among football figures, including club legend Matthew Le Tissier.
"Personally I try to put a neutral hat on but I feel like the punishment does feel a bit disproportionate," he stated.
"It feels like you’ve been put on trial for murder when all you’ve done is stolen a Mars bar from the corner shop. That’s kind of what it feels like to me."
Harry Redknapp describes Southampton play-off expulsion as ‘very harsh’ after ‘stupid’ mistake The former Southampton manager Harry Redknapp believes that the club’s expulsion from the Championship play-offs is “very harsh” – though admitted that their spying scandal was a “ridiculous thing to do”.
02:00 , Will Castle
Former Southampton manager Harry Redknapp believes that the club’s expulsion from the Championship play-offs is “very harsh” – though admitted that their spying scandal was a “ridiculous thing to do”.
“I think it's very harsh, I didn't see that coming - I thought they would get a heavy fine,” Rednkapp told BBC Radio Solent. "[What they have done] is so stupid it's beyond belief."
"What are you learning by someone filming a bit of training? What are you learning by watching them train for an hour? It was a ridiculous thing to do.
"They have made a big, big error and they have been severely punished they really have.”
Josh Windass demands Championship play-offs restart with Wrexham replacing Southampton after ‘Spygate’
01:00 , Will Castle
The decision to expel Southampton sparked calls for a complete reset of the play-offs, notably from Wrexham forward Josh Windass, whose team finished just outside the top six.
"This Southampton story is one of the maddest I’ve seen," Windass wrote on Instagram. "But why isn’t the play-offs starting again with the 4 other teams? Boro v Hull would have been the semi!! Confused."
Taking Southampton out of the equation, Wrexham would have faced third-placed Millwall in the semi-finals.
Wrexham star demands Championship play-offs restart after ‘Spygate’
Full story: Southampton’s EFL appeal rejected with play-off ban for spying scandal upheld
00:00 , Richard Jolly
Southampton have failed in their appeal to get their expulsion from the Championship play-offs overturned.
Saints were thrown out of the play-off final by an independent disciplinary commission after they admitted multiple breaches of spying on other teams – including on play-off semi-final opponents Middlesbrough before the first leg.
They immediately appealed the decision but a league arbitration panel upheld the punishment, which also includes a four-point deduction for next season’s Championship campaign.
Southampton’s EFL appeal rejected with play-off ban for spying scandal upheld
What rules did Saints break?
23:30 , Will Castle
Southampton were found guilty of breaching EFL Regulation 3.4, which requires clubs to act towards each other with the utmost good faith, and EFL Regulation 127, which forbids clubs from observing other clubs’ training within 72 hours of a match.
Regulation 127 was introduced after Leeds admitted spying on Derby’s training sessions in 2019.
They were punished with a £200,000 fine which manager Marcelo Bielsa paid himself.
A stiff penalty for Saints
23:10 , Will Castle
Several sports teams around the world have paid a hefty price for spying on their opponents over the years but the potential financial cost to Southampton for their infraction could be the heaviest.
The playoff final is frequently described as the "richest match in football" because the winners are promoted to the Premier League and therefore guaranteed around £200m in future earnings.
If their expulsion holds, the ramifications of the sanction would dwarf any previous financial penalty for espionage in sport. The McLaren f1 team were fined $100m in 2007 after receiving a confidential copy of `errari's car design from a disgruntled former employee of the Italian team. The leak came to light when the McLaren engineer asked his wife to photocopy the document and she took it to a high street copy shop. Unfortunately for McLaren, the employee at the shop was a Ferrari fan who immediately tipped off the team.
As well as the unprecedented fine, McLaren were stripped of all constructors' `championships points for the season and Ferrari's Kimi Raikkonen pipped McLaren's Lewis Hamilton and Fernando Alonso to the drivers' title in the last race of the year.
The term "Spygate" was first attached to a sports story in the US when the NFL's New England Patriots were sanctioned $250,000 in 2007 for videotaping the coaching signals of their opponents from an unauthorised location during games.
Play-off final details confirmed
22:50 , Will Castle
There’s been a lot of uncertainty for fans and footballers alike regarding the specific details of this Saturday’s Championship play-off final.
If Southampton’s appeal had been successful, they would not only have been reinstated into the match, but the game’s kick-off time would have reverted to 4:30pm - a headache for fans who may have already sorted travel plans for a match starting (and finishing) an hour earlier.
But we now know that the contest, played between Hull City and Middlesbrough at Wembley Stadium, will kick off at 3:30pm.
Southampton are guilty of needless idiocy after £200m blunder
22:30 , Richard Jolly
The club that wanted to know everything seemed to have missed one minor detail in their investigations. More than 12 hours after one of the more explosive announcements in EFL history, the main story on Southampton’s club website still concerned Ross Stewart’s call-up to Scotland’s World Cup squad. And ‘the Loch Ness Drogba’ will indeed be one of the best nicknames in the United States this summer.
A more immediate issue, however, was Southampton’s expulsion from the play-offs; even the four-point deduction applied to next season’s Championship campaign felt a footnote. Southampton launched an immediate appeal; should it fail, however, then this sorry episode will rank as one of the most expensive miscalculations in footballing history.
Before being thrown out, Southampton were the favourites to beat Hull in Saturday’s play-off final. Promotion could be worth £200m. Even put the morality of their amateurish antics to one side for a moment and this is the £200m cock-up.
Southampton are guilty of needless idiocy after £200m blunder
Credit to the EFL
22:25 , Will Castle
It’s been hasty business for the past few days but credit to the EFL for showing how to hear a case and appeal at speed.
Your play-off final is set: Hull City vs Middlesbrough.
Middlesbrough share the news
22:18 , Will Castle
A statement from the EFL ⤵️ https://t.co/jQMzAyIvt2
— Middlesbrough FC (@Boro) May 20, 2026
Written reasons to be published in due course
22:11 , Will Castle
The EFL will publish the full written reasons for the decision in due course while Southampton wait to see if individuals, including manager Tonda Eckert, will face misconduct charges from the FA.
That should make some interesting reading.
Book closed on Spygate
22:05 , Will Castle
The matter is now considered settled after the appeal hearing with Southampton unable to take the decision to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (Cas).
The EFL confirmed: “The decision is final and cannot be appealed”.
That’s it for the Spygate scandal.
Southampton's sanction for spying upheld
22:00 , Will Castle
The incident occurred on the morning of Thursday 7 May. Middlesbrough were at their Rockliffe Park training base preparing for the play-off semi-final second leg against Southampton 48 hours later when a member of staff spotted a Southampton intern analyst filming Boro’s training on a mobile phone while standing behind a tree.
Southampton, who admitted the charges, were also found guilty of filming training sessions involving Oxford United in December and Ipswich Town in April during the regular season.
Southampton lament 'extremely disappointing outcome' in statement
21:56 , Will Castle
Southampton have responded to their appeal being rejected.
A statement read: “Southampton Football Club has this evening been informed that the EFL’s League Arbitration Panel has upheld the sanctions imposed earlier this week. As a result, the club will not participate in Saturday’s Championship Play-Off Final.
“This is an extremely disappointing outcome for everybody connected with Southampton Football Club. We know how painful this moment will be for our supporters, players, staff, commercial partners and the wider community who have given so much backing to the team throughout the season and we apologise once again to everyone impacted by this.
“While we fully acknowledge the seriousness of this matter and the scrutiny that has followed, the club has consistently believed the original sporting sanction was disproportionate, a view that has been widely shared by many in the football community over the last 24 hours.
“We would like to place on record our sincere thanks to our supporters for the support, patience and loyalty they have shown throughout an incredibly difficult period. We will share information as soon as possible in relation to ticket refunds for those who bought tickets to Wembley.
“Southampton Football Club has a proud history and strong foundations, but it is clear that trust now needs to be rebuilt. That work begins immediately. The club will reflect carefully on the events that have led to this point, learn from them and take the necessary steps to move forward responsibly.
“While tonight is a painful moment, this football club will respond with humility, accountability and determination to put things right.”
Southampton fail in appeal after fuming over 'disproportionate' punishment
21:45 , Will Castle
Southampton claimed that their punishment was “manifestly disproportionate” the “largest penalty ever imposed on an English football club” as they broke their silence on the verdict.
Saints chief executive Phil Parsons lamented the club being stripped of an occasion “worth more than £200m” when Leeds United were fined £200,000 for a similar offence in 2019, with the Championship play-off final often called the richest game in football given the sizeable sums on offer to the winner that come with promotion to the Premier League.
Middlesbrough, who lost 2-1 to Southampton in the two-legged semi-final, welcomed the outcome of the initial hearing, saying in a statement: “We believe this sends out a clear message for the future of our game regarding sporting integrity and conduct.”
EFL statement after Southampton appeal rejected
21:40 , Will Castle
The EFL have released a statement after Southampton’s appeal was rejected:
It reads: “A League Arbitration Panel has today dismissed Southampton Football Club’s appeal against the Independent Disciplinary Commission’s decision in respect of breaches of EFL Regulations.
“As a result, the original sanction remains in force. Southampton’s expulsion from the Sky Bet Championship Play-Offs stands, alongside the four-point deduction to be applied to the Club’s 2026/27 Championship record and the reprimand in respect of all charges. In accordance with EFL Regulations, the decision of the League Arbitration Panel is final.
“Following the conclusion of the proceedings, the Sky Bet Championship Play-Off Final between Hull City and Middlesbrough is confirmed as taking place at Wembley Stadium on Saturday 23 May, kicking off at 3.30pm.”
A League Arbitration Panel has today dismissed Southampton Football Club’s appeal against the Independent Disciplinary Commission’s decision in respect of breaches of EFL Regulations.
— EFL Communications (@EFL_Comms) May 20, 2026
As a result, the original sanction remains in force. Southampton’s expulsion from the Sky Bet… pic.twitter.com/K9yfvMyoc1
BREAKING: Southampton’s EFL appeal rejected with play-off ban upheld
21:31 , Will Castle
Southampton’s expulsion from the Championship play-off final has been upheld after an appeal from the club over the EFL’s disciplinary action.
Saints were found guilty of spying by an independent panel after admitting to filming training sessions of opposing Championship sides, Oxford United, Ipswich Town and Middlesbrough.
Those actions were in breach of Football League regulations and, along with Southampton’s expulsion from the play-off final, the independent disciplinary commission awarded Saints a four-point deduction for the 2026/27 season.
Southampton’s appeal to overturn their punishment was unsuccessful meaning they will not reinstated for Saturday’s climactic match and Middlesbrough, who Saints defeated 2-1 in the semi-finals, will now face Hull City at Wembley instead. The kick off time for the final will be 3.30pm.
Southampton’s EFL appeal rejected with play-off ban upheld
Southampton hire lawyer fighting Man City's 100+ charges for Spygate appeal process
21:16 , Will Castle
Southampton are said to have drafted in Lord Pannick KC, Manchester City’s leading lawyer in their fight against 100+ alleged financial breaches, for their defence as they appeal the verdict over the Spygate saga.
First reported by The Lawyer, Pannick is a late addition to Southampton’s legal team as they look to overturn their play-off expulsion.
One of the country’s most renowned lawyers, Pannick is known to charge between £5,000 and £10,000 an hour for his expertise and has previously represented Boris Johnson and Shamima Begum.
Exclusive: FA considers charging Southampton manager Tonda Eckert with misconduct over spying scandal
21:00 , Will Castle
We’re still on tenterhooks waiting for the verdict of Southampton’s appeal, which is set to close the book once and for all on Spygate.
But for Saints boss Tonda Eckert, he could be thrown straight back into the firing line as the FA consider pursuing him for misconduct.
Miguel Delaney reports:
FA considers charging Southampton manager Tonda Eckert over spying scandal
Aston Villa on course for European glory
20:57 , Will Castle
To another final now, and Aston Villa have just gone into half-time of their Europa League final 2-0 up against Freiburg!
Both goals have been absolute stunners as well, with Youri Tielemans sensationally volleying home Morgan Rogers’ floater to break the deadlock on 41 minutes before Emi Buendia curled into the top left corner in stoppage time.
Sensational from Youri Tielemans 🤯
— Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) May 20, 2026
An absolute rocket to give Aston Villa the lead in the Europa League final 🚀
📺 TNT Sports & HBO Max pic.twitter.com/zOZAIDXLKg
Buendía brilliance ✨
— Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) May 20, 2026
Emiliano Buendía with a beauty to make it 2-0 to Aston Villa just before half-time 🎯
📺 TNT Sports & HBO Max pic.twitter.com/sVmWF0Leoa
WATCH: Southampton kicked out of Championship play-off final over spying scandal with Middlesbrough reinstated
20:41 , Will Castle
Missed any details of this remarkable Spygate story? Check out a recap of everything that has happened with our handy video:
Tick tock
20:35 , Will Castle
We’re hearing murmurs that a verdict on Southampton’s appeal could be revealed in a matter of minutes... but there is also talk we might be some time from it yet.
Stay tuned.
Lawyer weighs in on likely outcome of appeal
20:21 , Will Castle
While we don’t yet know the likely outcome of today’s appeal, or the legal ramifications of Southampton’s behaviour, one interpretation offered by Daniel Gore, Senior Associate at law firm Withers, is:
“Southampton appear to have admitted the breaches so any appeal will have to focus on the fairness and rationality of the sanction.
“They may say that it is unprecedented and excessive to be kicked out of the playoff competition in circumstances where they won the playoff tie on a footballing basis.
“The problem will be that a reasonable sporting sanction in a knock out competition is often tied to progression in the competition – a points deduction, alone, in the following season would not be a significant deterrent to future misconduct in the playoffs (especially if it does not apply in the Premier League), which is a factor the Independent Disciplinary Commission would have considered.”
Over in Istanbul
20:05 , Will Castle
Elsewhere in football, Aston Villa’s bid for European silverware has just kicked off as they face Freiburg in the Europa League final.
While we wait for the verdict of Southampton’s appeal, why not keep tabs on the drama? We’ve got all the updates from Istanbul below:
Aston Villa vs Freiburg LIVE: Score and updates from Europa League final
Southampton were co-operative with the EFL - is their fury justified?
19:45 , Will Castle
Southampton chief executive Phil Parsons was keen to emphasise the club’s co-operation with the EFL in his statement confirming their appeal.
“We have provided our full co-operation to the EFL's investigation and disciplinary process,” he said after saying the club has accepted and admitted their wrongdoing.
“Following the appeal, we will also be writing to the EFL to volunteer our participation in a working group on the practical application and enforcement of Regulation 127 across the Championship. Contrition without change is hollow, and we intend to demonstrate change.”
It’s clear that Saints were hopeful this co-operation would land them some goodwill with the disciplinarians regarding their punishment. In expulsion from the play-offs, it’s safe to say this did not come.
Earlier this year, Chelsea escaped a sporting punishment (transfer ban or points deduction) for a litany of financial breaches, something that was in part put down to their “unprecedented” self-reporting of irregularities to the relevant governing bodies. This was heavily criticised as it effectively showcased that cheats can prosper and come away with a slap on the wrist for their crimes, as long as they admit to them.
In Southampton’s case, the EFL have come to the verdict that their offence deserves more than said slap on the wrist. Let’s see if it’s upheld...
Still we wait
19:27 , Will Castle
It has been 90 minutes since Southampton’s appeal hearing was believed to have got underway. Still, we await news or a verdict from that hearing - but it can’t be too long now.
A reminder that if Southampton are successful in their appeal, they will be reinstated in the play-off final at the expense of Middlesbrough.
Who did Southampton admit to spying on?
19:11 , Will Castle
As part of the investigation, Southampton admitted to multiple breaches of EFL regulations relating to spying on opponents – or, in the language of the rules, observing their training sessions within 72 hours of scheduled games.
The matches in question were a 2-1 defeat to an Oxford team who would end up relegated, in which Southampton were terrible, a 2-2 draw with Ipswich and the stalemate in the first leg of the play-off semi-final against Middlesbrough.
There’s a painful irony to the fact Southampton won none of those matches, yet they are in this mess.
Appeal verdict will signal end of Spygate saga
18:49 , Will Castle
As we await the verdict of Southampton’s appeal, Sky Sports is reporting that the decision of today’s hearing will be final, with no option to appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS).
BREAKING: Sky Sports News understands that no matter the result of today's appeal, this will be the end of the Spygate saga
— Sky Sports News (@SkySportsNews) May 20, 2026
Neither the EFL or Southampton can take the case to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), which means the decision taken for Southampton's appeal will… pic.twitter.com/fbInSdEOeF
Eckert to take charge of play-off final if appeal successful
18:30 , Will Castle
Tonda Eckert will take charge of the Championship play-off final should Southampton’s appeal be successful, per the Daily Mail.
However, the Saints boss may only be out of the firing line momentarily with the FA considering pursuing him over misconduct.
Eckert could face a lengthy ban from football if found to have brought the game into disrepute.
Josh Windass demands Championship play-offs restart with Wrexham replacing Southampton after ‘Spygate’
18:08 , Will Castle
The decision to expel Southampton has sparked calls for a complete reset of the play-offs, notably from Wrexham forward Josh Windass, whose team finished just outside the top six.
"This Southampton story is one of the maddest I’ve seen," Windass wrote on Instagram. "But why isn’t the play-offs starting again with the 4 other teams? Boro v Hull would have been the semi!! Confused."
Taking Southampton out of the equation, Wrexham would have faced third-placed Millwall in the semi-finals.
Wrexham star demands Championship play-offs restart after ‘Spygate’
Southampton appeal hearing to begin at 6pm
17:49 , Mike Jones
The appeal hearing to decide if Southampton’s punishment will be overturned is set to begin at 6pm according to the BBC.
The result of that hearing and the decision on which team will feature in the play-off final will be revealed shortly afterwards.
Harry Redknapp describes Southampton play-off expulsion as ‘very harsh’ after ‘stupid’ mistake
17:30 , Jack Rathborn
“I think it's very harsh, I didn't see that coming - I thought they would get a heavy fine,” Rednkapp told BBC Radio Solent. "[What they have done] is so stupid it's beyond belief."
"What are you learning by someone filming a bit of training? What are you learning by watching them train for an hour? It was a ridiculous thing to do.
"They have made a big, big error and they have been severely punished they really have. I don't know how it is going to pan out. We certainly haven't heard the last of it. I thought they would get a massive fine but to be thrown out the play-off final is really very severe."
Redknapp brands Southampton play-off expulsion ‘very harsh’ after ‘stupid’ mistake
Hull owner considering legal action
17:10 , Harry Latham-Coyle
Hull owner Acun Ilicali has told Turkish media the club are considering their legal options after Southmpton’s explusion, with their lawyers’ opinion that they should go directly to the Premier League without playing Middlesbrough in the play-off final.
He did not rule out action when he spoke to Sky Sports, expressing frustration about the situation and warning postponing the final would present a “big, big problem” given international call-ups.
“For eight days, we have prepared for Southampton,” Ilicali said. “Now, today the team is off so there’s no training. Wednesdays we always give off to the boys.
“Then it comes to Thursday and Friday they cannot train, so it’s maybe one day of preparation and full training. We miss nine days of training (to prepare for Boro) so in this case we are very disappointed.
“I believe in my boys and our coach 100 per cent, but when you look at the picture it doesn’t seem too fair that we don’t know who we play.”
FA considers charging Southampton manager Tonda Eckert with misconduct over spying scandal
16:50 , Harry Latham-Coyle
Still, then, we wait for news of Southampton’s appeal – but manager Tonda Eckert could find himself in the disciplinary dock again soon enough, Miguel Delaney reports:
FA considers charging Southampton manager Tonda Eckert over spying scandal
Southampton are guilty of needless idiocy after £200m cock-up
16:30 , Richard Jolly
The club that wanted to know everything seemed to have missed one minor detail in their investigations. More than 12 hours after one of the more explosive announcements in EFL history, the main story on Southampton’s club website still concerned Ross Stewart’s call-up to Scotland’s World Cup squad. And ‘the Loch Ness Drogba’ will indeed be one of the best nicknames in the United States this summer.
A more immediate issue, however, was Southampton’s expulsion from the play-offs; even the four-point deduction applied to next season’s Championship campaign felt a footnote. Southampton launched an immediate appeal; should it fail, however, then this sorry episode will rank as one of the most expensive miscalculations in footballing history.
Southampton are guilty of needless idiocy after £200m blunder
Matt Le Tissier claims Southampton 'on trial for murder after stealing a Mars bar'
16:10 , Press Association
Southampton great Matthew Le Tissier has likened the club’s expulsion from the Sky Bet Championship play-offs to being put on trial for murder when you have stolen a chocolate bar.
Saints are reeling from the independent disciplinary commission’s decision to boot them out of Saturday’s Wembley showpiece against Hull and replace them with beaten semi-finalists Middlesbrough.
Southampton have admitted to spying on Boro before the first leg, among multiple breaches of EFL regulations, and chief executive Phil Parsons has apologised to all involved ahead of Wednesday’s appeal.B
ut Parsons has called the punishment “manifestly disproportionate to every previous sanction in the history of the English game” and club great Le Tissier has also hit out at it.
“Personally I try to put a neutral hat on but I feel like the punishment does feel a bit disproportionate,” the former Saints star, who has been working with the club in an advisory role, told The Sun.
“It feels like you’ve been put on trial for murder when all you’ve done is stolen a Mars bar from the corner shop. That’s kind of what it feels like to me.
“Yes, there’s wrongdoing, there’s a rule in place and the club perfectly accepted that there was going to be punishment.“But the surprise has come to a lot of people that the punishment does feel disproportionate with regard to what the actual offence was.”
Play-off final time changed
15:50 , Harry Latham-Coyle
There are obviously transport considerations involved in the shifting of the final an hour forward if it is Middlesbrough involved, but it seems slightly strange not to just have the game kicking off at 3.30pm BST regardless. Spare a thought for any Hull fans who had already booked their travel down and may now find themselves scrambling to get to Wembley an hour earlier.
Fans enjoying the Spygate saga
15:38 , Luke Baker
It’s fair to say that fans have had some fun with this story. Binoculars and camouflage abounding...
WATCH: Southampton kicked out of Championship play-off final over spying scandal with Middlesbrough reinstated
15:15 , Luke Baker
Missed any details of this remarkable Spygate story? Check out a recap of everything that has happened with our handy video:
A stiff penalty for Saints
14:50 , Reuters
Several sports teams around the world have paid a hefty price for spying on their opponents over the years but the potential financial cost to Southampton for their infraction could be the heaviest.
The playoff final is frequently described as the "richest match in football" because the winners are promoted to the Premier League and therefore guaranteed around £200m in future earnings.
If their expulsion holds, the ramifications of the sanction would dwarf any previous financial penalty for espionage in sport. The McLaren f1 team were fined $100m in 2007 after receiving a confidential copy of `errari's car design from a disgruntled former employee of the Italian team. The leak came to light when the McLaren engineer asked his wife to photocopy the document and she took it to a high street copy shop. Unfortunately for McLaren, the employee at the shop was a Ferrari fan who immediately tipped off the team.
As well as the unprecedented fine, McLaren were stripped of all constructors' `championships points for the season and Ferrari's Kimi Raikkonen pipped McLaren's Lewis Hamilton and Fernando Alonso to the drivers' title in the last race of the year.
The term "Spygate" was first attached to a sports story in the US when the NFL's New England Patriots were sanctioned $250,000 in 2007 for videotaping the coaching signals of their opponents from an unauthorised location during games.
BREAKING: Southampton condemn severity of punishment in statement
14:25 , Luke Baker
Southampton have finally spoken out about their expulsion from the play-offs and, in a club statement, have condemned the severity of punishment.
Saints chief executive Phil Parsons confirmed the club are appealing against the sanctions, which they say are “manifestly disproportionate” to any other sanction handed down in the history of the English game, and although Parsons apologised to supporters for the conduct of club staff, the club are adamant the penalty is far too harsh.
“The commission was entitled to impose a sanction. It was not, we will argue, entitled to impose one that is manifestly disproportionate to every previous sanction in the history of the English game,” Parsons said.
“We believe the financial consequence of yesterday’s ruling makes it, by a very considerable distance, the largest penalty ever imposed on an English football club.”
A statement from Phil Parsons, Chief Executive, Southampton Football Club.
— Southampton FC (@SouthamptonFC) May 20, 2026
Play-off final times confirmed
14:20 , Flo Clifford
The EFL announced on Wednesday morning that if the play-off final is contested between Boro and Hull, the kick-off time for this Saturday at Wembley would be brought forward to 3.30pm.
If the outcome of Southampton’s appeal means they are playing Hull, the match will kick off at the original scheduled time of 4.30pm, the EFL said.
Josh Windass demands Championship play-offs restart with Wrexham replacing Southampton after ‘Spygate’
14:00 , Flo Clifford
The decision to expel Southampton has sparked calls for a complete reset of the play-offs, notably from Wrexham forward Josh Windass, whose team finished just outside the top six.
"This Southampton story is one of the maddest I’ve seen," Windass wrote on Instagram. "But why isn’t the play-offs starting again with the 4 other teams? Boro v Hull would have been the semi!! Confused."
Taking Southampton out of the equation, Wrexham would have faced third-placed Millwall in the semi-finals.
Wrexham star demands Championship play-offs restart after ‘Spygate’
No chance to appeal to CAS, Sky reports
13:37 , Flo Clifford
Sky Sports is reporting that the decision of today’s hearing will be final, with no option to appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS).
BREAKING: Sky Sports News understands that no matter the result of today's appeal, this will be the end of the Spygate saga
— Sky Sports News (@SkySportsNews) May 20, 2026
Neither the EFL or Southampton can take the case to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), which means the decision taken for Southampton's appeal will… pic.twitter.com/fbInSdEOeF
Lawyer weighs in on likely outcome of appeal
12:01 , Flo Clifford
While we don’t yet know the likely outcome of today’s appeal, or the legal ramifications of Southampton’s behaviour, one interpretation offered by Daniel Gore, Senior Associate at law firm Withers, is:
“Southampton appear to have admitted the breaches so any appeal will have to focus on the fairness and rationality of the sanction.
“They may say that it is unprecedented and excessive to be kicked out of the playoff competition in circumstances where they won the playoff tie on a footballing basis.
“The problem will be that a reasonable sporting sanction in a knock out competition is often tied to progression in the competition – a points deduction, alone, in the following season would not be a significant deterrent to future misconduct in the playoffs (especially if it does not apply in the Premier League), which is a factor the Independent Disciplinary Commission would have considered.”
Harry Redknapp describes Southampton play-off expulsion as ‘very harsh’ after ‘stupid’ mistake
11:43 , Jack Rathborn
“I think it's very harsh, I didn't see that coming - I thought they would get a heavy fine,” Rednkapp told BBC Radio Solent. "[What they have done] is so stupid it's beyond belief."
"What are you learning by someone filming a bit of training? What are you learning by watching them train for an hour? It was a ridiculous thing to do.
"They have made a big, big error and they have been severely punished they really have. I don't know how it is going to pan out. We certainly haven't heard the last of it. I thought they would get a massive fine but to be thrown out the play-off final is really very severe."
Redknapp brands Southampton play-off expulsion ‘very harsh’ after ‘stupid’ mistake
Flynn Downes on the impact of Tonda Eckert at Southampton
11:32 , Jack Rathborn
Flynn Downes spoke recently with the BBC about the impact Tonda Eckert has had on Saints.
“His attention to detail is unreal,” said the Saints player. “Literally every little thing, he just gives you.
“It makes it so easy. You go out on a Saturday and you know what you’re doing, you know what the other team are doing.”
FA considers charging Southampton manager Tonda Eckert with misconduct over spying scandal
11:21 , Miguel Delaney
The Football Association is considering charging Southampton manager Tonda Eckert with misconduct over the spying scandal that has seen Saints expelled from the Championship play-off final.
Eckert has remained tight-lipped despite a barrage of questions in press conferences around the play-off semi-final second leg. The EFL has not confirmed whether the German was found to have been involved in the spying scandal, but more details will be revealed when the independent tribunal’s written reasons for the sanctions are published following Southampton’s appeal.
FA considers charging Southampton manager Tonda Eckert over spying scandal
Championship play-off final kick-off time confirmed
11:13 , Jack Rathborn
Saturday's Sky Bet Championship play-0off final between Hull City and Middlesbrough has been confirmed for a 3:30pm BST kick-off.
Should Saints succeed with their appeal, though, and advance to the final to play Hull City, then the kick-off time for the fixture will remain at 4:30pm BST.
Southampton are guilty of needless idiocy after £200m cock-up
11:00 , Richard Jolly
Saints have been expelled from the play-offs before Saturday’s final against Hull, with Middlesbrough taking their place, but, as Richard Jolly writes, the club are now set to deal with the stigma of being labelled as cheats for years to come.
Southampton are guilty of needless idiocy after £200m cock-up
When will Southampton appeal against play-off expulsion be decided?
10:45 , Flo Clifford
The EFL confirmed that Southampton could appeal against the decision and that "parties are working to try and resolve any appeal” on Wednesday 20 May – only three days before the play-off final, which will go ahead as planned on Saturday 23 May at Wembley.
Saints admit spying on multiple clubs
10:30 , Flo Clifford
While the incident at Middlesbrough’s training ground ahead of the 0-0 play-off first-leg game was what set off this whole scandal, Southampton also admitted spying on two other clubs.
Saints admitted they did it for two other games – December’s 2-1 defeat to Oxford and April’s 2-2 draw against Ipswich.
Including the 0-0 draw at the Riverside in the play-offs, it means they won none of the three games involved.
What rules have Saints broken?
10:20 , Flo Clifford
Southampton were found guilty of breaching EFL Regulation 3.4, which requires clubs to act towards each other with the utmost good faith, and EFL Regulation 127, which forbids clubs from observing other clubs’ training within 72 hours of a match.
Regulation 127 was introduced after Leeds admitted spying on Derby’s training sessions in 2019.
They were punished with a £200,000 fine which manager Marcelo Bielsa paid himself.
What happens next?
10:10 , Flo Clifford
Southampton launched an immediate appeal, which will be heard on Wednesday.
As they had pleaded guilty, the appeal is against the severity of the punishment.
But Middlesbrough, who had called for Southampton to be thrown out of the play-offs after catching an intern analyst filming from behind a tree, got their wish, and will now face Hull for a place in the Premier League next season.
Southampton kicked out of Championship play-off final over spying scandal
10:00 , Flo Clifford
Southampton have been expelled from the Championship play-offs for spying, and Middlesbrough will now face Hull City in the final at Wembley on Saturday.
Southampton, who had beaten Boro 2-1 on aggregate in the semi-finals, admitted multiple breaches of Football League regulations and said they were guilty of unauthorised filming of other clubs’ training sessions.
An independent disciplinary commission has also given Southampton a four-point deduction, which will apply to next season’s Championship, as well as ending their chance of promotion this season, which could be worth £200m.
Southampton kicked out of Championship play-off final over spying scandal
Good morning
09:50 , Flo Clifford
Hello and welcome to the next instalment in the Spygate saga.
Southampton have been expelled from the play-off final after admitting unauthorised filming of rival clubs, including Middlesbrough, their semi-final opponents.
Now Boro will face Hull in Saturday’s final, while Southampton have appealed the severity of their punishment, which includes a four-point deduction in the Championship next season as well as the play-off expulsion.
We’ll have live updates and the result of the hearing right here.
