Leeds United hero given Championship play-off reprieve after Southampton expelled
A former Leeds United favourite will face a current loanee in Saturday's Championship play-off final at Wembley.
Luke Ayling will face former Leeds United teammate Joe Gelhardt at Wembley this weekend following Middlesbrough's dramatic reinstatement into the Championship play-off final.
Middlesbrough lost their play-off semi-final to Southampton 2-1 on aggregate but the tie was shrouded in controversy amid allegations of spying from the south coast side. Ayling and his teammates continued preparing for a potential final despite defeat as the EFL carried out their investigation.
Southampton boss Tonda Eckert has since admitted spying on three separate clubs and in an incredible turn of events, have now been thrown out of the play-offs. An independent disciplinary commission also handed them a four-point deduction for next season, with Boro now set to face out-on-loan Gelhardt’s Hull at Wembley on Saturday.
An EFL statement read: “An Independent Disciplinary Commission has today expelled Southampton from the Sky Bet Championship Play-Offs after the Club admitted to multiple breaches of EFL Regulations related to the unauthorised filming of other Clubs’ training. In addition, the Club has received a four-point deduction that will be applied to the 2026/27 Championship table, alongside a reprimand in respect of all the charges.
“The effect of today’s order is that Middlesbrough are reinstated into the 2026 Play-Offs and will proceed to the Play-Off Final against Hull City. The final remains scheduled for Saturday 23 May, with the kick-off time to be confirmed.”
It continued: “Southampton admitted breaches of Regulations requiring 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. The admitted breaches concern fixtures against Oxford United in December 2025, Ipswich Town in April 2026 and Middlesbrough in May 2026.”
What happens next as Southampton expelled from play-offs?
Southampton have already appealed the decision and a separate hearing will take place today, having been accelerated due to the final being on Saturday. The Saints become the second Championship club to be punished for spying, the first of course being Leeds under Marcelo Bielsa during the 2018/19 campaign.
A member of Bielsa’s staff was spotted watching Derby County train from a public footpath and Leeds were fined £200,000 - which the Argentinian boss paid himself. At the time, there was no specific rule in place for spying but it was introduced as a result.
Ayling was part of the Leeds squad at that time and is now on the other end of such controversy. He and the Middlesbrough squad had been back in training this week and will now be heading to London on Sunday with a chance to reach the Premier League.
Standing in their way will be Gelhardt’s Hull, who finished sixth in the Championship before beating third-place Millwall in their semi-final tie. The Leeds loanee scored in the second-leg victory at the Den, his 15th goal of an excellent campaign.