'It's been messy' & 'no winners among fans' - play-off final chaos

Middlesbrough were beaten by Southampton over two legs of their Championship play-off semi-final [Shutterstock] Usually, the preparations for the Championship play-off final are set in stone. A four-side, end-of-season mini tournament ends at Wembley with two teams vying for a spot in the Premier League. But this is no normal play-off campaign.

Southampton's expulsion for spying on Middlesbrough in the build-up to their semi-final earlier this month - in addition to games against Oxford and Ipswich earlier this season - has created chaos. As things stand, the final is set to take place as planned - albeit with amended kick-off times based on who will actually contest the fixture. Hull are already through, having beaten Millwall over two legs, yet Southampton's appeal on Wednesday means it is not yet settled who will face who at Wembley.

And that fixture - potentially worth hundreds of millions pounds to the victor - is set to take place in just three days' time. BBC Radio Tees' Middlesbrough commentator Mark Drury summed it up succinctly: "It's not the build-up anybody would want for a game of this magnitude. "Obviously, it's been messy.

Well, messy doesn't even cut it, does it really? " A just or harsh punishment? Reaction to Southampton expulsion 'It's a dream': Boro fans gear up for Wembley Southampton expelled from play-offs for spying Middlesbrough's, perhaps unexpected, appearance at Wembley provides a headache for both the club and their fans.