If there's one thing all clubs want to do is to play in the top division. It's so important that clubs might do just about anything to achieve promotion to the top division.
This has become evident recently with a club being caught spying on an opposition side.
This season’s Championship play-offs have been plunged into chaos, with the EFL charging Southampton over alleged spying of semi-final opponents, Middlesbrough, before their two-legged tie.
This incident reportedly involves a Southampton performance analyst, with the specific nature of the allegations thought to centre around filming and pictures taken to record training.
The staff member was reportedly caught hiding behind a tree by a member of Boro’s media team and was ordered to delete the footage from their phone before leaving the Rockliffe Park training base.
Manager, Tonda Eckert, had refused to speak on the matter, repeatedly saying that he does not want to comment while the investigation is ongoing. He walked out of his pre-match press conference after being asked by a reporter: "Are you a cheat?"
'Spygate’, as it’s now become known, made the tie between Southampton and Middlesbrough incredibly heated; with Boro boss, Kim Hellberg, understandably losing respect for those in the opposition dugout.
However, the EFL have now acknowledged that the game may have to be rescheduled, with a hearing to determine Southampton’s fate due to take place next Tuesday. If they are found guilty, potential punishments include a fine, points deduction or elimination from the play-offs.
Kim Hellberg was asked after the game about the possibility of Southampton being excluded from the final.
"I’m not going to make any suggestions on that or say anything about that question," said Hellberg, who was emotional in his post-match press conference. "I’ll talk about what I think, and it’s too short a time here to answer that question again. We’ll see what happens."
The EFL said in a statement on Thursday evening: "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."
An independent commission will examine the charges and if found guilty, the panel has a range of sanctions open to it, ranging from a warning to expulsion.
The EFL has not confirmed this but did request a hearing take place "at the earliest opportunity" when it announced the charges against Southampton last Friday evening.
Hull have issued a statement saying full details of the ticket sales process would be communicated "in due course."
"Until then, we kindly ask supporters to refrain from contacting the ticket office while final details are being confirmed," the statement added. "We appreciate your continued patience and support."
The timing of ticket sales from the finalists have been aligned in previous years for a variety of reasons, including to avoid one club's fans inundating their ticket office if the opponent goes early in putting them on sale.
On Wednesday, the Daily Mail published photos of the man alleged to have been caught filming Boro's training session last Thursday and identified him as being part of Southampton head coach Tonda Eckert's staff.
A kick-off time has still not been confirmed for the playoff final either, but it is understood that at this stage this is in line with previous seasons.
The dispute between Middlesbrough and Southampton brings back memories from 2019 when Marcelo Bielsa’s Leeds United were fined £200,000 by the EFL.
A Leeds member of staff was caught acting suspiciously outside Derby County’s training ground before facing Frank Lampard’s side on 10 January, with the club later apologising.
Then-manager, Marcelo Bielsa, later admitted when discussing the 2019 incident that he sent a member of staff to watch training sessions of every opponent during the 2018-19 season, with the EFL stating that Leeds failed to treat teams with "good faith."
Though Bielsa maintains the club didn't cheat and that the decision to observe opponents was merely down to stupidity. "I observed all the rivals we played against and watched the training sessions of all opponents," said the Argentine.
"So why did I send someone to watch them? Just because I thought I wasn’t violating the norm. All the information I need to clarify [my tactics] I gather without watching the training session of the opponent … but we feel guilty if we don’t work enough. Watching it [the opponents training] allows us to have less anxiety and, in my case, I am stupid enough to allow this kind of behaviour."
The EFL subsequently brought in a rule which specified: "No club shall directly or indirectly observe (or attempt to observe) another club's training session in the period of 72 hours prior to any match."
I see this as a separate move. I strongly believe that Southampton should be replaced in the final. A fine or points deduction will severely damage the integrity of the league.
I found it amusing that Tonda Eckert walked out of the press conference. No one who's guilty would answer the question that was asked.