How Hull City Reacted When They Learned Southampton Were Knocked Out of the Play-Offs
Southampton have lost their appeal to the League Arbitration Panel over their expulsion from the EFL Championship play-offs in the ‘spygate’ scandal. This means Hull City will now meet Middlesbrough in the final at Wembley. After the appeal was rejected, Southampton released a statement, and Hull also shared their thoughts on the decision.
Earlier, Ben Jacobs reported that Hull firmly believe they should be promoted automatically because it feels unfair to have such little time to prepare for Middlesbrough, especially after expecting to face Southampton. Hull made it to the final by beating Millwall 2-0 on aggregate, even though they were the underdogs.
The final between Hull and Middlesbrough kicks off on Saturday at 3:30pm at Wembley. The winner will earn a spot in the Premier League, with the reward believed to be worth around £200 million.
Hull might consider legal action if they don’t get promoted after this, hoping to secure their place in the top division. Journalist Alex Crook shared on social media that Hull still strongly believe they deserve automatic promotion after Southampton’s removal due to spying on Middlesbrough’s training session before their semi-final.
This will make the final an unusual and exciting match—it’s the first time a team knocked out in the semi-finals has been brought back for the final, giving Middlesbrough the chance to face Hull for a Premier League spot.

