The EFL has announced that the Championship play-off final may be suspended due to the ongoing disciplinary proceedings surrounding allegations that Southampton spied on Middlesbrough prior to their semi-final tie.

Southampton were charged with spying by the EFL on May 8, a day before they drew 0-0 with Middlesbrough at the Riverside in the semi-final first leg.

Middlesbrough officials allegedly caught a Southampton staff member covertly filming their training session just 48 hours before that game.

Boro staff reportedly spotted the individual, identified as a Saints analyst, observing from a public area overlooking their Rockliffe Park base.

The response from Boro manager Kim Hellberg was one of fury, which only intensified after Southampton came from behind at St Mary’s to win the second leg 2-1 and set up a play-off final against Hull City.

Afterwards, Hellberg described Southampton’s conduct as “disgraceful”, and his side have continued training in the hope that the Saints could yet be kicked out of the play-offs, allowing them to face Hull instead.

EFL hint at postponement amid Southampton row

And with an Independent Disciplinary Commission hearing set for next Tuesday, the EFL on Thursday said that the outcome of those proceedings “may yet result in changes to the fixture”, which is scheduled for Saturday, May 23 at Wembley.

A statement released by the EFL read: “The EFL can today provide an interim update on the ongoing disciplinary proceedings involving Southampton following Tuesday’s Championship Play-Off Semi-Final Second Leg.

“The Independent Disciplinary Commission hearing will take place on or before Tuesday, 19 May.

“The exact date remains under discussion and is expected to be confirmed shortly.

‘The Commission will issue its decision as soon as possible following consideration of the relevant submissions and evidence.

“As the proceedings are being conducted by an Independent Disciplinary Commission, the EFL does not control the proposed timetable.

“Notwithstanding this, the EFL continues to plan on the basis that the Championship Play-Off Final will take place as scheduled on Saturday 23 May, with the kick-off time confirmed as 4.30pm.

“Supporters should, however, be aware that the outcome of the disciplinary proceedings may yet result in changes to the fixture.

“The EFL has a number of contingency plans should they be required, which also includes consideration of any appeal process, if required.”

What have Middlesbrough and Southampton bosses said?

Middlesbrough boss Hellberg was emotional in speaking after his side’s play-off exit.

“I have worked for 15 years as a coach, trying to get to the Premier League,” he told his post-match press conference.

“When you go home to your family and say, ‘no, I’m not coming home, I’m going to watch more Southampton games because I need to see it’, and you’re going into the play-offs… this is the thing.

If we wouldn’t have caught that man who they sent up, five hours to drive, you would sit here and say, ‘well done in the tactical aspect of the game’, and I would go home and feel like I had failed to get my players ready.

“When that is taken away from you in that way, when someone decides, ‘we’re not going to watch every game, we’re going to send someone instead and film the session and see everything’, and hope they don’t get caught, I guess that is why he was switching clothes and all these things – I can say it because I know it happened.

“It breaks my heart in terms of all the things I believe in.

“They are my feelings about it. I think it’s disgraceful. It makes me very sad.”

Meanwhile, Southampton boss Tonda Eckert walked out of the press conference following his side’s win after he was asked: “Are you a cheat?”

Southampton, though, have launched an internal review.

Their chief executive, Phil Parsons, said in a statement released on Tuesday: “The club is fully cooperating with the EFL and the disciplinary commission, whilst also undertaking an internal review to ensure that all facts and context are properly understood.

“Given the intensity of the fixture schedule and the short turnaround between matches, we have requested time to complete that process thoroughly and responsibly. We understand the discussion and speculation that has followed over recent days, but we also believe it is important that the full context is established before conclusions are drawn.”