Southampton expelled from Championship playoff final amid massive ‘Spygate’ scandal
Southampton face a shocking ban from the Championship playoff final and a future points deduction after admitting to spying on multiple opponents during the season
By
James Benge
May 19, 2026
at
2:12 pm ET
•
1 min read
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Southampton have been kicked out of Saturday’s Championship playoff final and docked four points for the 2026-27 season after admitting to spying on three different opponents during the course of the season.
The extraordinary Spygate row that has engulfed the EFL has not yet reached a definitive conclusion with Southampton still entitled to appeal the punishment that has been meted out on them after they admitted that they had not only spied against playoff semifinal opponents Middlesbrough but also Ipswich Town and Oxford United during the season.
Subject to that appeal, the status of which is due to be resolved on Wednesday, May 20, it is Middlesbrough who will take Southampton’s place in the Wembley final, facing off against Hull City for the near $300 million prize of promotion to the Premier League.
Middlesbrough players returned to training on May 18, six days after what appeared to be their elimination, and will now be favorites to return to the Premier League for the first time since 2018. The club welcomed their involvement in the final in a statement, saying: “We believe this sends out a clear message for the future of our game regarding sporting integrity and conduct. As a club, we are now focused on our game against Hull City at Wembley on Saturday.”
Boro made a formal complaint to the EFL on May 7, alleging that they had spotted a member of Southampton staff at their training ground three days out from the first leg of the semifinal. Pictures subsequently emerged the following week that showed an analyst with his phone, seemingly recording Middlesbrough’s session, immediately casting into doubt the 2-1 aggregate win for Tonda Eckert’s side.
