Southampton join catalogue of bizarre expulsions after spy scandal | OneFootball

Southampton have been expelled from the EFL Championship play-offs after a spying scandal and will miss Saturday's Wembley final.

According to Sainstmarching.com, an appeal was rejected on Wednesday and Saints will start next season on minus four points after intern William Salt was caught spying on Middlesbrough at Rockliffe Park before the semi-final. The club also admitted surveillance of Ipswich and Oxford United. Middlesbrough have been reinstated to face Hull this weekend.

Administrative breaches are more common. This season, Swindon beat Luton 2-1 in the EFL Trophy but fielded ineligible pair Aaron Drinan and Oliver Clarke, so Luton were restored and went on to win the competition at Wembley.

Real Madrid were ejected from the Copa del Rey for fielding suspended Denis Cheryshev at Cádiz. In 2014 Champions League qualifying, Legia Warsaw’s 6-1 aggregate over Celtic was undone when banned Bartosz Bereszyński came on, producing a 3-0 second-leg award and Celtic’s progress on away goals.

Mexico were barred from FIFA events after the Cachirules scandal, when overage players were used in 1988 U-20 qualifying, costing them Italia 90 and the 1988 Olympics. In CONMEBOL qualifying for Italia 90, Chile goalkeeper Roberto Rojas faked a flare injury in the 67th minute in Brazil, leading to a home walkover and a ban from USA 94.

Closer to home, Gateshead were excluded from the National League play-offs because their ground failed EFL ownership rules. Southampton’s case, hinging on an intern lurking near Rockcliffe Hall golf course, might be among football’s strangest expulsions.

Source: Sainstmarching.com