Spygate appeal: Southampton lose appeal against expulsion from play-offs

EFL rules forbid any team from trying to watch another side training in the 72 hours before a game Southampton's appeal against being thrown out of the Championship play-off final for spying has been rejected. The match will now go ahead on Saturday between Hull City and Middlesbrough (15:30 BST kick-off), with a place in the Premier League on the line. An EFL independent disciplinary commission on Tuesday evening expelled Southampton from the play-offs and reinstated Middlesbrough, who had lost 2-1 to the Saints on aggregate in the semi-finals. Southampton admitted spying on three rivals' training sessions - including Boro before the semi-final first leg - but had appealed against their expulsion, calling it "manifestly disproportionate to every previous sanction in the history of the English game". However, the EFL has rejected Saints' appeal and upheld the punishment. "A league arbitration panel has tonight dismissed Southampton Football Club's appeal against the independent disciplinary commission's sanction following the admittance of multiple breaches of EFL regulations," the EFL said on Wednesday. "The determination means that the original sanction of expulsion from the Cham