EFL chief confident play-off final result will stand as Hull plot legal action

EFL chairman Rick Parry is confident that the result of today’s Championship play-off final will stand amid the uncertainty surrounding the recent ‘Spygate’ saga.

Southampton set up a final meeting with Hull City following their 2-1 semi-final aggregate win over Middlesbrough, the Tigers having overcome Millwall to secure a trip to Wembley.

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However, Saints’ triumph was overshadowed by confirmation that backroom staff of the south coast side were spying on Boro training sessions in the lead up to their final-four showdown.

An independent panel reviewed all the evidence and the decision by the EFL was to kick Southampton out of the play-offs, with Boro taking their place in today’s clash with Hull.

Saints appealed the decision, which was rejected earlier this week.

However, that is unlikely to be the end of the matter, with various legal challenges still possible.

talkSPORT reported earlier this week that Hull have consulted lawyers to see whether they have a case for automatic promotion.

And now owner Acun Ilicali has confirmed they will take legal action if the Tigers lose on Saturday.

“Our legal team says that we have to go for action, that’s for sure,” Ilicali told the BBC.

“So we have no doubt about it. Here, all we want is justice. If justice is broken, nobody will enjoy football.”

Speaking exclusively with talkSPORT’s Chief Football Correspondent, Alex Crook, at Wembley, Parry believes that ‘we have to move on’ from the off-field saga.

Crook asked whether Parry is confident that whoever wins today will be playing Premier League football next season, to which the EFL chief replied: “I hope so, yes of course. We have to move on, the season has to finish, players are going off to the World Cup on Monday.

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“We all need clarity now and we all need certainty and what we have a habit of doing in football, all the precedents say that however frustrating it can be at times, you tend to look at punishments prospectively.

“If you had to unravel the whole of the previous season’s league table, you would never get a competition finished.

“So that is always a guiding principle, punishments happen forwards, not backwards.

“So yes, again if you look at the performance of the teams over the season, Middlesbrough in the automatic places for a long period, Hull, brilliant story from only just avoiding relegation last season to the play-offs this season, contrasting stories, two great stories, it’s a great final.”

Crook also enquired whether the precedent has now been set should a team be found guilty of spying on an upcoming opponent.

“I think the precedent is fairly clear now and the challenge with that is there will always be different circumstances,” Parry continued.

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“Everybody on social media wants us to think in black and white, the reality is we have to work with a palette of grey, you can’t cope with every eventuality, there might be minor cases, there might be serious cases, this is a pretty clear precedent.

“I don’t think too many teams will be spying on training going forwards.”

Hull City vs Middlesbrough: How to follow

Adrian Durham presents live coverage of the contest from 2pm on talkSPORT.

To listen via the talkSPORT website, click HERE for the livestream.

You can also tune in on the talkSPORT app here, on DAB digital radio, through your smart speaker and on 1089 or 1053 AM.