Hull City still waiting to hear Championship play-off final's fate with Spygate hearing approaching
Hull City are still in the dark about whether they will be playing their Championship play-off final on Saturday and who they will be facing, as an independent disciplinary commission prepares to hear the "Spygate" case against Southampton.
The Tigers are due to face the Saints at Wembley on May 23 to decide which team joins Coventry City and Ipswich Town in next season's Premier League.
But the matter is complicated by two Football League charges against Southampton for allegedly spying on a Middlesbrough training session two days before the sides met at the Riverside in the first leg of their semi-final.
This is the first such case since new rules after Leeds United admitted to spying on Derby County during the 2018-19 season. Potential punishments range from a fine to a points deduction or expulsion from the play-offs, which the Teessiders are arguing for.
Boro are not participants in the process, a case between the League and Southampton.
The hearing is due to be heard by a three-strong panel on Tuesday, with the League asking for a judgement "at the earliest possible opportunity."
Both sides have the right of appeal. If that were to be taken up, the chances of playing the final as scheduled would be at great risk.
Wembley is unavailable the following weekend, when some teams begin World Cup warm-up games. Hull's Amir Hadziahmetovic and Ivor Pandur have been called up by their countries, as has Boro’s Sontje Hansen, with others hopeful of following.
Hull and Middlesbrough's players trained on Monday after weekends off, the latter determined to carry on preparations to face Southampton on Saturday, the latter ready to step in if that changes.
The Tigers have sold 30,000 tickets for Wembley, and their allocation has now been increased to 38,000.