I've seen Hull City revival but Southampton scandal is souring Wembley buzz | OneFootball

One of the biggest games in the Tigers' 122-year history has been overshadowed by off-pitch drama

History will show you that advancing to any match at Wembley Stadium isn't something that comes around too often for Hull City and the Tigers' supporters.

Indeed, the East Yorkshire outfit had to wait a lengthy 104 years to eventually feature in North London, and they have since returned four more times between the years 2008 and 2016.

Therefore, it was no surprise when a whole range of emotions came over all associated with the club after the final whistle of the second leg of the Championship play-off semi-finals against Millwall at The Den came.

Much like Phil Brown's heroes of 2007/08, the Tigers have come from seemingly nowhere to reach another showpiece event and be standing on the brink of the Premier League under the charismatic and already cult figure, Sergej Jakirovic.

Unsurprisingly, aside from the relief of surviving relegation to League One on the final day of 2024/25 at Portsmouth, the overriding emotion of last season was certainly apathy - you could have heard a pin drop the week before at the MKM Stadium when Nat Phillips' goal for Derby County plunged Ruben Selles'-then side back into the bottom three, for example.

However, under a head coach full of self-belief, a newly-assembled squad - amid transfer limitations - who epitomise what the city of Hull is about in terms of work-rate and attitude, have the chance to become the latest heroes in black and amber.

As such, reaching Wembley for a fifth time should be met with such a buzz, only that isn't fully the case on this particular occasion.

Southampton spygate scandal is souring Hull City moods ahead of Championship play-off final

Having been present at City's last Wembley appearance 10 years ago against Sheffield Wednesday, it was definitely a strange occasion to be a part of.

Of course, promotion back to the 'big time' under Steve Bruce, courtesy of Mo Diame's wonder strike, was not to be sniffed at. But given the off-pitch issues surrounding the club's then-owners, nowhere near as many fellow supporters were basking in the North London glory in comparison to the 2008 success over Bristol City - which was memorable for more than just the initial achievement of promotion.

Unsurprisingly, after Acun Ilicali and other club members have worked endlessly to make the MKM Stadium, in itself, an enjoyable place to be - as well as being as full as possible again - on matchdays, over 30,000 tickets have already been snapped up for the upcoming final.

Therefore, the prospect of seeing one half of Olympic Way brimming in City colours would normally be a mouth-watering prospect, only that there are now less than five days until the 'planned' final and off-pitch drama is still dominating proceedings.

Unsurprisingly, the 'Spygate 2.0' scandal involving Southampton and Middlesbrough brought about plenty of contrasting verdicts and assumptions when it came to alleged events, which have since seen the South Coast side expelled from the competition, with the Teessiders now reinstated for the final amid instant appeals from their counterparts, which could stull see a date change come to light.

Of course, the Tigers' squad have done remarkably well to bat away several instances of adversity, but it is hard not to agree with the stances of Jakirovic and Ilicali, with that the club is at a disadvantage for many reasons, particularly if the game is to be re-arranged for a later date, with over one week already elapsing since the memorable second leg in SE16 against the Lions.

It was also said by sporting director, Jared Dublin, that the squad were preparing to take on Southampton as they were the on-pitch victors against Kim Hellberg's side, although those preparations will now have to be altered for a third meeting against Boro this term, with the two sides taking one victory apiece.

Hull City fans are now full of hope under Sergej Jakirovic regardless of Wembley outcome

Despite, rather understandably, being frustrated as they are left in the lurch heading into the Wembley final in terms of logistics, one thing City fans, again, can also unite on, is the hope they have for the future under Jakirovic.

The 49-year-old's most recent social media rallying cry will only showcase further proof that a special bond between himself, the players and supporters in just 11 months has been forged.

In a recent exclusive interview with Football League World, the aforementioned Brown heaped praise on the Bosnian for doing exactly that, mirroring exactly what the mood around Hull and East Yorkshire was like throughout the majority of his time in HU3, which included a spell among the top six of the Premier League in 2008/09 as the club continued to ride the crest of a wave.

Amid all the uncertainty, there is, of course, a match still to be played. Of course, there has been a buzz about the fanbase for the majority of the campaign, aside from a nerve-wracking seven-game winless run in April which led to the most, hashtag 'Typical City' endings you could possibly have imagined against Norwich City on May 2nd, and that, for some, has still remained the case as North London looms.

However, it isn't fully the build-up you would expect considering the magnitude of the game, the prize and the hundreds of millions of pounds which are at stake.