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Hull City take legal action ahead of play-off final

Published 16:25 20 May 2026 BST

Updated 16:25 20 May 2026 BST

SportsJOE
Hull City take legal action ahead of play-off final

Homesport

The Tigers have a case of their own!

Hull City are consulting lawyers amidst the 'Spygate' saga which has expelled Southampton from the play-off final.

With the South Coast club initially beating Middlesbrough 2-1 on aggregate, Southampton were bound for Wembley, though the Saints have since been effectively kicked out of the competition and handed a four-point deduction for next season in the second tier.

Branded the "£200m match", the situation on the South Coast has suddenly got very messy, with Saints players reportedly seeking legal action themselves - due to being denied serious potential bonuses if they would have won football's most lucrative game.

With The Tigers now awaiting Boro in the final, they've since launched a claim of their own.

As per Ben Jacobs, the Humberside club are consulting lawyers to see if they have a case to be promoted straight to the Premier League themselves.

This is due to the club being unhappy with the fact that they've been preparing to face the Saints only for over a week, since their 2-0 victory over Millwall at The Den.

Southampton's appeal will be carried out tonight, with the club claiming their punishment is "too harsh".

In the Hull City camp, the players had a pre-planned day off on Wednesday, before returning tomorrow for a two-day preparation ahead of the final.

The Tigers are leaving their legal avenues open, including a prospect of a challenge after the final, per Ben Jacobs.

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