Spygate: Portsmouth rivals Southampton expelled from play-offs in huge EFL punishment
Pompey will lock horns with south-coast rivals Southampton in the Championship next season.
Pompey’s south-coast rivals Southampton have been expelled from this season’s Championship play-offs.
Tonda Eckert’s side have admitted to breaching multiple EFL Regulations in relation to unauthorised filming of Middlesbrough’s training earlier this month.
The Football League received an initial complaint from Boro ahead of their first play-off semi-final tie at the Riverside Stadium on May 9. Southampton went on to reach the Wembley final after a 2-1 aggregate win across the two-legs.
However, the EFL have since expelled the St Mary’s outfit from the final and instead reinstated Middlesbrough, who will now face Hull City in this Saturday’s showdown, after a hearing from the Independent Disciplinary Commission.
The EFL have confirmed Pompey’s rivals admitted to breaches of Regulations which require clubs to act with the utmost good faith and prohibiting the observation of another Club’s training session within 72 hours of a scheduled match.
Those breaches relate to fixtures against Oxford United in December 2025, Ipswich Town in April and Middlesbrough earlier this month.
In addition to their play-off final expulsion, Eckert’s side have also been slapped with a four-point deduction for 2026-27 campaign, alongside a further reprimand in respect to all charges.
This means Pompey will lock horns with their bitter rivals once again next term, which will see two further instalments of the south-coast derby.
Southampton have the right to appeal the Commission’s decision, which could result in a change to Saturday’s Wembley showdown.