Middlesbrough arrive for Wembley final

Middlesbrough’s players arrived for training on Tuesday as the club prepared for the Championship play-off final against Hull City at Wembley Stadium, according to Sky Sports reporter Keith Downie. The session came a day after the English Football League said Southampton had been expelled from the play-offs by an independent disciplinary commission. The commission’s ruling reinstated Middlesbrough into the promotion decider after a case centered on unauthorized filming of opponents’ training sessions. Hull and Middlesbrough are now scheduled to meet in London on Saturday, May 23. ### Why were Middlesbrough back in final preparations on Tuesday? Keith Downie said in a post on X that Middlesbrough’s players had arrived for training ahead of the Wembley final. The post came after a fast-moving 48 hours in which the play-off lineup changed following the disciplinary ruling involving Southampton. Tuesday’s training session was the first clear public sign that Middlesbrough had moved from legal uncertainty back into match preparation. Sky Sports had reported earlier that the club was seeking Southampton’s expulsion from the final as the “only appropriate response” to the case. (skysports.com) ### What did the EFL decide about Southampton? The EFL said on May 19 that an independent disciplinary commission had expelled Southampton from the Sky Bet Championship play-offs. The league said Southampton admitted to “multiple breaches” of EFL regulations related to the unauthorized filming of other clubs’ training. The EFL statement said those breaches concerned the training sessions of other clubs and led to Southampton’s removal from the competition. (skysports.com) Sky Sports reported that the admitted breaches related to training ahead of matches against Oxford United, Ipswich Town and the play-off semi-final against Middlesbrough. ### How did the case start? Middlesbrough’s complaint stemmed from an incident before the first leg of the semi-final against Southampton. (efl.com) The EFL said earlier this month that Southampton had been charged after a complaint from Middlesbrough over alleged unauthorized filming on private property. Sky Sports reported that a photo emerged showing a man outside Middlesbrough’s training ground with a camera, and Downie said he had seen Middlesbrough staff reviewing CCTV footage after the alleged spying incident. (efl.com) Those reports formed part of the timeline that led to the disciplinary process. (efl.com) ### So who is in the final now, and when is it? Hull City and Middlesbrough are listed as the finalists for the Sky Bet Championship play-off final on Wembley Stadium’s event page. Wembley lists the match for Saturday, May 23, 2026, with a 4:30 p.m. kickoff. The EFL’s play-off schedule also lists the Championship final for Saturday, May 23, across the Spring Bank Holiday weekend. (skysports.com) Earlier league notices had said kickoff times would be confirmed later, but Wembley’s event listing now shows the start time. ### What is at stake at Wembley? The Championship play-off final determines the last promotion place to the Premier League from the 2025-26 Championship season. (wembleystadium.com) The EFL describes the play-offs as the annual series used to decide the final promotion places in each division. Saturday’s match will therefore send either Hull City or Middlesbrough into the Premier League. Wembley’s listing names Hull City v Middlesbrough as the Championship play-off final, and tickets are being handled through the competing clubs, according to the stadium page. (efl.com) ### What happens next before kickoff? Saturday, May 23, is the next fixed date in the case and in the promotion race. (efl.com) Wembley Stadium lists Hull City against Middlesbrough at 4:30 p.m. local time, while Sky Sports and the EFL have both published the final as part of the Championship play-off schedule. (skysports.com) (wembleystadium.com)