Southampton ‘Spygate’ hearing delay casts doubt over play-off final scheduling
Spying charges against Southampton may not be heard until Tuesday, placing a question mark over the scheduling of next week’s Championship play-off final.
The club were charged last week by the EFL with spying on a training session held by semi-final opponents Middlesbrough, with the league asking for an independent commission to examine the case “at the earliest opportunity”. The EFL issued a statement on Thursday afternoon to say the hearing would take place “on or before Tuesday, May 19”. Given the high stakes involved, an appeal from one or more parties in the case seems almost certain, putting a question mark over whether the appeal could be heard before the date scheduled for the final, May 23, if the initial hearing does not happen until Tuesday. However, the EFL said it “continues to plan on the basis that the Championship play-off final will take place as scheduled”. The EFL said the match was scheduled to kick off at 4.30pm. The EFL, which was at pains to point out that it did not have control of the timetable due to the independent nature of the hearing, said the exact date for the hearing “remains under discussion” and is expected to be confirmed shortly. While the league continues to plan for May 23, it admitted: “Supporters should, however, be aware that the outcome of the disciplinary proceedings may yet result in changes to the fixture.” The league added that it has “a number of contingency plans should they be required”. The EFL said Hull and Southampton will share further information on their respective sales processes later on Thursday. Moving the match to the following weekend is a no-go – Wembley will host rugby league’s men’s and women’s Challenge Cup finals on May 30 and the Women’s FA Cup final the following day. From the following weekend onwards, the stadium is given over to non-football events, such as Harry Styles’ 12 shows between June 12 and July 4.
Published: by Radio NewsHub