Southampton kicked out of Championship playoff final and docked four points for spying

Southampton have been expelled from the Championship playoff final and docked four points after admitting to unauthorised filming of opponents' training sessions. The English Football League's independent disciplinary commission found the club guilty of breaches involving three opponents: Oxford United (December 2025), Ipswich Town (April 2026), and Middlesbrough (May 2026). As a result, Middlesbrough have been reinstated to face Hull City in the playoff final.