For teams in the richest domestic football competition in the world, relegation from the Premier League is a catastrophic outcome that clubs look to avoid at all costs and expense.

Southampton will no longer play in the EFL Championship promotion playoff final against Hull City and will be replaced by Middlesbrough.

EFL sides including Hull, Middlesbrough, Bolton and Stockport are heading to Wembley Stadium this weekend for the final game in the 2025/26 season

Championship, League One and League Two semi-finals will take place between Friday May 8 and Friday May 15; finals at Wembley across Bank Holiday weekend of May 23, 24 and 25, Sky customers can watch on TV or via the Sky Sports app; non-Sky customers can ...

Southampton were found guilty of a “deplorable” act of putting pressure on a junior member of staff to spy on Middlesbrough, the EFL has said. Saints are now under investigation by the Football Association in relation to the ‘Spygate’ scandal which cost them their place in the Championship play-off final.

The EFL announced the sanction on Tuesday, four days before the final on Saturday, after Southampton admitted to spying on other clubs.

It was a day full of drama as Hull City nipped Wrexham at the wire to slip into sixth and the last seed in the promotion playoffs

The FA has opened an investigation into Southampton’s Championship ‘spygate’ scandal after the club was expelled from the play-offs and docked points by the EFL.