Simon Jordan reacts after EFL make 'very strange decision' regarding Southampton | OneFootball

Simon Jordan believes Southampton being kicked out of the Championship play-off final is a disproportionate punishment for the 'spygate' saga.

Southampton have been dealt a huge blow after they were kicked out of the Championship play-off final as punishment for the 'spygate' saga.

Southampton were caught filming the training session of their play-off semi-final opponents Middlesbrough ahead of the first leg at the Riverside Stadium earlier this month, with the game eventually finishing 0-0 despite a dominant display from the hosts.

The Saints then booked their place in the final with a 2-1 win over Boro in the second leg at St Mary's last week, with Shea Charles' 116th-minute strike sealing a 2-1 victory, but their participation in the Wembley showpiece was thrown into doubt as the club awaited their sanction after being charged by the EFL.

In a bombshell announcement on Tuesday night, the EFL confirmed that Southampton had been expelled from the play-off final, with Middlesbrough taking their spot instead, and they have also been docked four points for next season after the club admitted to spying on Oxford United in December and Ipswich Town in April.

The Saints have appealed against their punishment, and in a statement released on Wednesday afternoon, CEO Phil Parsons apologised to supporters and conceded that the club "accept that there should be a sanction", but he insisted that they "cannot accept" a penalty that "bears no proportion to the offence".

In another potential twist, talkSPORT journalist Alex Crook has reported that Hull City, who Southampton were due to meet in the final, are speaking to lawyers to determine whether they have a case to be promoted automatically to the Premier League after the removal of their opponents, rather than having to face Boro at Wembley on Saturday.

Simon Jordan reacts as Southampton expelled from the Championship play-off final

Former Crystal Palace owner and pundit Simon Jordan gave his reaction to Southampton's expulsion on Wednesday morning, and while he admitted that their actions deserved to be punished, he claimed that the sanction was disproportionate, particularly given that Leeds United were only given a £200,000 fine for a similar offence in 2019.

"I think it's a very strange decision," Jordan said on talkSPORT.

"You have to have gone some way from Leeds being sanctioned in 2019 for £200,000 to explusion from a game that's worth £250 million.

"That is some way to leap.

"There's always been good faith rules inside the EFL, so they've adjusted the rules to be able to specifically cater for these sorts of circumstances in terms of what Leeds did in 2019.

"But they've moved the dial to go from a circumstance where they fined somebody £200,000 to somebody being booted out of a play-off final that could be worth £250 million.

"The EFL, if you talk to Trevor (Birch) or Rick (Parry), will probably say, 'listen, independent commissions make the decisions'.

"But you must have argued some case, the EFL must have put expulsion on the table.

"So when Southampton are getting very upset about it, which, by the way, they should do because it is, in my view, disproportionate, their own stupidity is something they should be sanctioned for.

"There are two different methodologies here, the play-offs are a knockout tournament, the league games are something different, so the rules and the dynamics had to be looked at differently.

"Do I think it is disproportionate? Of course I do.

'Spygate' saga may not be over yet amid Southampton and Hull City action

It is fair to say that the 'spygate' saga has split opinion, but Jordan is right that the punishment handed to Southampton is excessive, especially when compared to the relatively small fine Leeds were given in 2019.

Few would disagree that the Saints should be sanctioned for their actions, but it is understandable that they feel aggrieved by the extreme nature of the verdict, and with the club planning to launch a strong appeal, they may yet have an opportunity to play in the final.

It is also difficult not to feel some sympathy for Hull, and with owner Acun Ilicali revealing that his legal team believe they should be automatically promoted to the Premier League in the wake of Southampton being expelled, the situation could be about to become significantly more complicated.