The spy scandal which could see Southampton kicked out of the play-off final - and what happens next
Will Southampton be kicked out of the play-offs for spying? Will the final be rescheduled? We break down what happens next.
Just as it comes to a conclusion, the Championship season has been thrown into disarray. A spying scandal involving Southampton could force the play-off final, which is due to take place at Wembley on Saturday 23 May, to be rescheduled – or the Saints could even be thrown out of it altogether. We’re in uncharted territory, and it’s not clear who will compete for promotion to the Premier League or when.
BBC Sport are among outlets reporting that the play-off final could be moved in order to give the EFL time to both determine whether or not Southampton have broken competition rules and then, if necessary, to decide upon a punishment. As it stands, supporters of both Hull City and Southampton are being sold tickets for the game without knowing whether the game will take place as planned or not.
With so much confusion and uncertainty surrounding the ‘spygate’ case and its potential outcomes, we’ve put together an explanation of what Southampton are alleged to have done, what the possible outcomes are, and why it’s different from when Leeds United got caught doing the same thing back in 2019.
Spygate explained: Allegations against Southampton and possible outcomes
‘Spygate’ kicked off when Middlesbrough claimed to have caught a member of Southampton’s staff, an intern named William Salt, filming their training session on 7 May just ahead of the first leg of their Championship play-off semi-final at the Riverside Stadium, which ended 0-0.
A photo has emerged which appears to show someone filming Middlesbrough with their phone, half-hidden behind a tree near their training ground at Rockliffe Hall. Southampton have since been charged with a breach of EFL Regulation 127, which prohibits teams from observing or attempting to observe another team’s training within three days of a fixture between the clubs.
The EFL are currently scrambling to get evidence and written submissions from all parties to enable them to make a decision on the case as quickly as possible. A hearing conducted by the Independent Disciplinary Commission is expected to take place no later than 19 May, with the hearing hoping to make a ruling on whether or not Southampton have broken the rules.
That’s step one of the process which is now taking place. If insufficient evidence is found to determine that Southampton broke the rules, then it’s likely that the play-off final goes ahead as planned between the Saints and Hull, who beat Millwall 2-0 on aggregate in their semi-final.
If they are found guilty, however, then it’s almost impossible to say what would happen next. The EFL would have very little time to determine an appropriate punishment with no precedent set by previous cases.
Options at their disposal would include a fine or expelling Southampton from the play-offs – in which case it is expected that Middlesbrough would take their place. If that happens, then it’s likely that the EFL will seek to find an alternative date for the match in order to give the two sides adequate time to prepare for the new fixture. Middlesbrough are continuing to train in anticipation of a verdict which could reinstate them to the play-offs.
A rescheduled fixture could be a nightmare for thousands of fans, with tickets on sale already to Hull and Southampton supporters – as it stands, it’s entirely unclear how likely it is that the game goes ahead between the two teams next Saturday, and nor is there any way to know when the decision will be made.
Another possible punishment, a points deduction for Southampton, would almost certainly involve the Saints being docked points for the 2026/27 campaign, as any deduction which altered the final Championship table for the current season would render the play-off fixtures that have taken place invalid. The logistics of deducting points for the 2025/26 season make it almost impossible.
Why is this different from when Leeds spied on Derby in 2019?
A question many Southampton fans will have been asking is what makes this case different from an incident in early 2019 when Leeds, then in the Championship under the management of Marcelo Bielsa, were found to have spied on Derby County ahead of a league fixture between the two teams.
Leeds were eventually fined £200,000 for their actions, primarily because the EFL did not have a specific regulation outlawing spying at the time. Instead, Leeds were charged under EFL Regulation 3.4, which requires clubs to act in “utmost good faith.”
After that incident, new rules were added which explicitly banned spying activities, and it is those more specific rules which Southampton now stand accused of breaking. That could mean a harsher punishment, although it’s not certain how dim of a view the EFL will take of the situation.
This is, in other words, a completely unprecedented situation. Southampton are the first team to be charged with a breach of Regulation 127 and the EFL will be deciding on a punishment entirely without precedent – if indeed the Saints are found guilty. That hasn’t happened yet.
If the EFL decide that the play-off final does have to be moved, it’s not clear when the game might be played. Wembley is booked the following weekend, with the rugby league Challenge Cup final set for 30 May and the Women’s FA Cup final on 31 May. The EFL claims it has “a number of contingency plans.”
For now, it has advised supporters that they “should be aware that the outcome of disciplinary proceedings may yet result in changes to the fixture” – but the BBC reports that they are proceeding on the basis that the final will take place as planned at 16:30 BST on 23 May. Whether that proves true or not remains to be seen, with no clear-cut timeline available to help supporters make decisions about transport and accommodation.