The Championship play-off final — one of the most lucrative single matches in world football — has been plunged into disarray after Southampton were expelled from the competition for spying on opponents, leaving fans, clubs, and travel operators scrambling to adapt with days to spare.

Southampton's expulsion followed the discovery that the club had spied on Middlesbrough in the build-up to their semi-final, as well as in earlier matches against Oxford and Ipswich during the season. Southampton have since admitted to three separate breaches and filed an appeal on Wednesday, meaning the identity of Hull City's Wembley opponents remains unresolved with Saturday's final almost upon us.

A final like no other

Hull are already confirmed participants, having defeated Millwall across two legs in the other semi-final. But the uncertainty surrounding Southampton's appeal has left the fixture — potentially worth hundreds of millions of pounds to the winner — in a state of flux.

BBC Radio Tees' Middlesbrough commentator Mark Drury captured the mood bluntly.