Middlesbrough 'hope' raised of replacing Southampton in Championship play-off final | OneFootball

FLW's Middlesbrough fan pundit has given his verdict on whether the club will be reinstated to the play-offs

Middlesbrough were eliminated from play-off contention from Southampton but they still have some hope of being reinstated into the competition.

The Saints are facing an EFL hearing relating to a spying charge, with it being alleged that the club filmed and took photos of Boro’s pre-match training session prior to their semi-final clash.

It remains to be seen what the outcome will be, or what punishment a guilty verdict could warrant, but it’s possible the Hampshire outfit could be kicked out, with Kim Hellberg’s side reinstated in their place.

An independent commission will conduct a hearing, which is set to begin before or on 19 May, with the EFL hoping a swift resolution can be found.

Leeds United were previously fined £200,000 for their role in the 2019 Spygate scandal when they were found guilty of spying on Derby County’s training session.

However, that incident led to the league implementing a rule which prohibited spying on opponents within 72 hours before a fixture, meaning a harsher penalty could now be on the table.

Middlesbrough still have promotion hope

When asked if he has any hope of Southampton being kicked out of the play-offs, FLW’s Middlesbrough fan pundit Liam Day claimed that it’s the punishment that the club deserve as it would set a precedent that this is against the rules and will be taken seriously.

However, he believes it’s unlikely that the Saints will be kicked out of the competition, although he is holding out a slim bit of hope as long as the chance remains that Boro can take their place.

“There’s a bit of hope, don’t get me wrong,” Day told Football League World.

“I think it’s the right thing to do still.

“You look at the laws and what’s happened in the past with teams like Swindon, they were kicked out for fielding an ineligible player.

“I feel like it’s the right thing to do still, I feel like they’ve broken the rule and you need to punish them the right way.

“Do I think the EFL will do that? No.

“But there’s a bit of hope though because I think it’s what needs to be done to set a precedent that you can’t do this, it’s a bad rule to break and in a knockout competition.”

Day has claimed that he doesn’t want to see Southampton promoted for the way they’ve acted through this whole scandal, and that he believes this wasn’t the first time the club had been spying on another team before facing them.

“Don’t get me wrong, I think it happened multiple times during the season, but they got caught in the knockout competition,” he added.

“For the punishment, they need to be kicked out of the competition.

“So I think it’s the right thing to do, I just don’t want to see them get promoted.

“The way they’ve acted over the week has been an absolute disgrace, so I really hope they get kicked out obviously.

“I don’t think it’s going to happen, but there is still a bit of hope.”

Middlesbrough and Southampton finished level on points in the regular Championship season, with Hellberg’s side coming fifth.

But an extra time goal from Shea Charles proved the difference between them over two legs, with Tonda Eckert’s team winning 2-1.

The Hampshire outfit are set to face Hull City in the play-off final, with the Tigers beating Millwall 2-0 in their semi-final.

However, Boro could yet be reinstated to their place if Southampton are kicked out of the competition.

Middlesbrough returning to play-offs would be an extraordinary step

A guilty Southampton verdict is a likely outcome at this stage given the public evidence, as well as reports that they will accept the charge.

However, it would be quite an extreme example to set by removing them from the play-offs for breaking this rule, and it would be even more excessive for Boro to be reinstated.

It would be a surprising outcome, though the lack of real precedent for this in the EFL means any option is still on the table.

This entire saga has been quite disruptive for the players, including now Hull who have to prepare for a play-off final without knowing for certain who their opponents will be for the scheduled 23 May final.