Jamie O'Hara questions Middlesbrough call and demands Hull City go up - it's an 'absolute shambles' | OneFootball

The lead-up to this year's Championship play-off final has caused plenty of controversy

The lead-up to this season's Championship play-off final has been nothing short of extraordinary, albeit due to events away from the pitch.

All of Millwall, Southampton, Middlesbrough and Hull City harboured ambitions of joining Coventry City and Ipswich Town in next season's Premier League, with the EFL also celebrating 40 years since the inception of the post-season lottery which has delivered so many iconic moments.

Hull were the first of the four sides to secure their passage to the most lucrative game club football has to offer, as they defeated the third-placed Lions over two legs with a 2-0 scoreline, whilst the other semi-finals involving Saints and Boro were full of drama even before the first encounter took place at the Riverside Stadium.

Whilst Tonda Eckert's side eventually emerged 2-1 victors on the pitch after extra-time after the second leg at St Mary's on May 12th, the 'spygate' saga, which began the previous week after allegations of unauthorised filming from a Saints analyst within a 72-hour timeframe ahead of kick-off on Teesside, meant that the full-time score on the South Coast was unlikely to be the end of the drama, and so that has proved.

Even though an original 'planned' kick-off time for Saturday involving Hull and Southampton emerged, as well as the sales of thousands of tickets, an independent disciplinary commission confirmed on Tuesday, May 19th that Saints were to be expelled from the Championship play-offs and served a four-point deduction for 2026/27 after admitting to multiple breaches.

The club then lodged an appeal, which led to further stances on theirs, Hull and Middlesbrough's behalf, being reported, before a league arbitration panel upheld the aforementioned sanctions, confirming that the two northern sides will face off at Wembley at 3:30PM in two days time.

Jamie O'Hara issues Hull City promotion stance after Southampton, Middlesbrough play-off drama

Rather unsurprisingly, it is a situation which hasn't exactly pleased all associated with the three clubs, with many also believing Hull are at a major disadvantage despite securing a place at Wembley on the pitch against all odds.

The Tigers were reportedly gearing up to face Southampton despite the aforementioned uncertainty, with head coach, Sergej Jakirovic, and owner, Acun Ilicali, making their stances on the situation particularly clear.

It was reported earlier in the week that City would be seeking legal advice of their own if the date of the fixture was to change. Even though a kick-off on Saturday, May 23rd has stuck, it has since been claimed a challenge after the play-off final cannot be ruled out depending on the result due to frustrations over a change of opponent and a limited period of preparation.

The East Yorkshire outfit, like Middlesbrough haven't been in the Premier League for nine years, and even spent one campaign in League One five years ago, and talkSPORT pundit, Jamie O'Hara, believes the saga should end with Jakirovic's team being granted an automatic promotion after a 'farcical' situation.

"Hull should just be promoted to the Premier League. It’s an absolute farce," he said on X.

"Boro lost (the semi-finals) simple as. You can’t then be put into a final, you lost because you couldn’t score. If Hull lose the final, they should sue the EFL.

"Absolute shambles," the former midfielder added.

Hull City feelings ahead of Middlesbrough play-off final revealed

While the initial spygate drama unfolded, Tigers fans have vented their frustration about uncertainties regarding travel arrangements, and it has been debated at length how the situation will impact Jakirovic and his squad.

17-goal striker, Oli McBurnie, issued a rallying cry midweek on social media which was met with enthusiasm from some supporters, although a report from Hull Live has stated that behind-the-scenes, staff have lost a degree of such feelings.

At the same time, it has been revealed that Jakirovic has been able to keep his squad in check amidst the chaos, and that any talk of City putting pressure on the authorities to receive an automatic promotion to the Premier League is far from the case, regardless of any potential internal discussions.

However, there is still a chance one of the most remarkable and unexpected seasons - given a two-window transfer fee restriction and several injuries - can end in North London glory for the Bosnian and his chargers.