Spygate: Championship play-off final may be delayed by hearing

The Championship play-off final may not take place on Saturday 23 May as the English Football League (EFL) investigates the Spygate scandal involving the Southampton finalists.

A hearing conducted by the Independent Disciplinary Commission will take place on or before Tuesday 19 May.

The Saints were accused by the EFL of breaking the rules by observing one of Middlesbrough’s training sessions before last Saturday’s semi-final first leg at the Riverside.

Southampton will face Hull City in the play-off final for a place in the Premier League next season.

Although the EFL has warned fans that there may be changes to the fixture, they are operating on the basis that the final will go ahead as planned with a 16:30 BST kick-off time.

If the match needs to be rescheduled due to the outcome of the hearing and the subsequent appeal process, the EFL says it has “a range of contingency plans” in place.

The Championship fixture is the first of three play-off finals to be held over three days at Wembley, with the League One and Two versions taking place on Sunday and Monday respectively.

The stadium is sold out the following weekend, with the Rugby League Challenge Cup final on 30 May and the Women’s FA Cup final on 31 May.

A big musical event will take place at the stadium the following weekend on Saturday, June 6th.