Southampton have appealed the decision to expel them from the Championship play-off final for spying

Southampton say they have appealed against their removal from the Championship play-offs for spying as it is "manifestly disproportionate to every previous sanction in the history of the English game".

An EFL independent disciplinary commission on Tuesday evening expelled Southampton from the play-offs and reinstated Middlesbrough, who are now set to face Hull City in the final on Saturday.

The Tigers are also unhappy with being told they must face different opponents at short notice, with owner Acun Ilicali suggesting the club could take legal action if they lose the final.

The St Mary's club were also deducted four points in the Championship next season after admitting breaches of two EFL regulations.

Chief executive Phil Parsons apologised "to the other clubs involved, and most of all to the Southampton supporters" who he said "deserved better from the club".

Saints' appeal will be heard by an independent league arbitration panel later on Wednesday.

Parsons added that "what happened was wrong" but the club "cannot accept a sanction which bears no proportion to the offence".

Southampton pointed to a £200,000 fine issued to Leeds United in 2019 for spying on Derby as evidence of precedent.

However, when the Elland Road club were punished seven years ago, regulation 127 - which expressly forbids observing an opponent within 72 hours of a game - did not exist. It was introduced as a result of Leeds' wrong-doing.

"Southampton has been denied the opportunity to compete in a game worth more than £200m and one which means so much to our staff, players and supporters," Parsons added.

"We believe the financial consequence of yesterday's ruling makes it, by a very considerable distance, the largest penalty ever imposed on an English football club."

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How it unfolded at Middlesbrough's training ground

The statement referenced several previous points deductions, including Luton Town's 30-point penalty in 2008-09 - the largest ever handed down and which ultimately cost them their place in the league.

Southampton argued that Luton's deduction - which was for entering administration and illegal payments to players - had "no comparable revenue at stake" like the Championship play-off final.

Deductions for Derby County in 2021, Everton in 2023-24 and Chelsea's escape with just a financial penalty earlier this year for payments to agents and clubs were also mentioned.

"We say this not to minimise what occurred at this club, which we have accepted was wrong," Parsons added.

"We say it because proportionality is itself a principle of natural justice.

"The Commission was entitled to impose a sanction. It was not, we will argue, entitled to impose one that is manifestly disproportionate to every previous sanction in the history of the English game."

Hull City owner Ilicali told Sky Sports, external that he was unhappy with the situation but there was no other option "in order to finish this mess".

But when asked, he did not rule out considering legal routes should they fail to make the Premier League.

"I don't want to accuse anybody and until we see the full picture, but it has had too much of an effect on us," Ilicali said.

"I am representing a big club and a big family and I will not let our family get harmed with injustice.

"In order to finish this mess, I think Middlesbrough has to be chosen as the winner in this game so that they can go to the final.

"Then there is another question - in Middlesbrough's evidence of this game, is there enough to announce Middlesbrough the winner? This is another point.

"If there is big evidence, maybe it is OK. But if there is no evidence of this game that Middlesbrough can go to the final, then people say why are they there?"

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Will fans get a refund and will Saints appeal?

It was January 2022, and Southampton sat 14th in the Premier League table, 10 points clear of the relegation zone.

Saints had been in the top flight for 10 seasons, and had stabilised as a mid-table club under coach Ralph Hasenhuttl.

The club had just announced a takeover by Sport Republic, a company backed by Serb media mogul Dragan Solak.

"It is a pivotal moment in time," chief executive Martin Semmens told BBC Radio Solent.

It did turn out to be pivotal, but not in the way they had hoped.

"They've made a lot of mistakes," BBC fan writer Martin Sanders said. "But I think they've stood up and they've admitted a lot of those mistakes."

Sanders said that Parsons has made huge improvements within the club, and his role at the club should be applauded.

"Off the field, they'd done really well in looking to increase revenue," he added.

"They've probably got the best fan zones and matchday entertainment in the Championship.

"They've introduced pubs, there's a game centre. They're looking to bring revenue in, so they can compete."

The perception was that the club had stalled under their former owner, Chinese businessman Gao Jisheng. This was a chance for the club to push on again.

But Saints endured a dismal end to the 2021-22 season, losing nine of their remaining 12 games. They just stayed up but it was a sign of what was to come.

Three months into the new season, Hasenhuttl was sacked.

"He'd done a really good job on under a tight budget," Sanders said. "They sacked him at the first opportunity, and they appointed a manager [Nathan Jones] who just wasn't good enough for that level."

Saints would go on to finish bottom of the table, 11 points adrift of safety.

While Southampton earned an immediate return to the Premier League through the play-offs, the 2024-25 campaign was dismal.

Saints finished on just 12 points, narrowly avoiding Derby's all-time record of 11 for the lowest total.

"The fans were disgusted at the last season in the Premier League," Sanders said. "We almost went down as the worst team ever."

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Sport Republic appointed a series of under-performing and uninspiring managers.

Jones, Ruben Selles, Ivan Juric and Will Still all failed to get results.

Only Russell Martin, who earned promotion, claimed any credit from his time in charge.

When Still was sacked in November, Sport Republic turned to Tonda Eckert on an interim basis.

The German had only joined Southampton last summer as manager of their under-21 squad.

After picking up 12 points from 15 available, he was handed the first-team job on a three-year contract.

Eckert had no experience as a first-team manager, mainly working within academies, but had been the assistant manager at Barnsley and Genoa.

"I was always unsure about giving somebody - and it's easy to say in hindsight -that's not got experience in the game of managing a men's team," Sanders added.

"And some fans would say that's maybe come back to bite them a bit."

And it is going to bite them hard unless they win the appeal.

But despite some fans being critical of Parsons' statement, Sanders said it hit the right tone.

"From a Southampton fans' perspective, I thought was a good press release," he said "It took a long time to come out, but I think he was right in what he said."

Regardless of Parsons being staunchly defensive of the club's position, Sanders says there is no way Eckert can stay at the club - and everyone implicated has to be swept out too.

"Parsons and [owner] Dragan Solak will be fuming, but I think it's down to them to make huge changes with inside the football club," Sanders said.

"They will have to make wholesale changes, especially with from the coaching point of view if they want to regain any credibility.

"It's so important because the whole club is tarnished.

"How's this has been allowed to allow to happen is just shocking.

"Tonda Eckert will never manage a game for Southampton Football Club ever again.

"Nor should he, and the fans would not allow it."