Southampton await outcome of Spygate investigation (Image: Simon Dael/Shutterstock)
Southampton’s disciplinary hearing into charges related to allegations of spying on a Middlesbrough training session began on Tuesday morning. Public hearings will be held remotely rather than in person, as is normally the case. Indeed, when Hull City faced EFL charges last summer, having been dragged into the incident by a third party despite already having secured a spot at Wembley, their hearing was handled in the same way.
Boro remain confident that they have presented a convincing body of evidence to the EFL to substantiate their case and justify their position that Southampton should be kicked out of the play-offs. The deadline for a verdict is a pressing issue, given that the play-off final is currently scheduled to be held on Saturday. Hull City and Southampton are already selling tickets for their matches.
However, the EFL warned in a statement last week that the match dates could be changed due to a potential ruling at the disciplinary hearing, and also confirmed that contingency plans were in place.
It is understood that these plans include rescheduling the final in the event Southampton are sent off and Boro return, with next Tuesday being proposed as an alternative date.
However, with the World Cup taking place this summer and clubs required to release the players involved by May 30th, time is of the essence to resolve Southampton’s case and reach a conclusion regarding the play-off final.
The exact timing of the verdict depends entirely on how the hearing unfolds. The EFL will effectively act as prosecutor in the case, Southampton will be the defendant and a three-member disciplinary panel will act as judge and jury.
One report on Tuesday morning suggested that the verdict may not be handed down until Wednesday, but this is not certain.
According to Teesside Live, a decision is expected to be made within the next 24 hours, which could naturally come as early as Wednesday, and the disciplinary committee could take some time after the hearing to assess all the evidence and reach a conclusion.
Again, this depends entirely on how the case plays out. This shows the EFL are considering the time pressures and are hoping to make an announcement on Tuesday, with Southampton claiming they will receive at least some indication of the expected result today.
This weekend’s Wembley final could be postponed to a later date (Image: Getty)
Ultimately, however, the matter is firmly in the hands of the disciplinary committee.
There is an offer from Southampton’s camp to accept the charges leveled against them rather than contest them. Such a result would naturally greatly accelerate the process.
However, as was the case with Swindon Town’s charges over the EFL Trophy earlier this season, the focus of the ensuing hearing will shift to punishment, with Southampton widely expected to argue that forcing Boro to leave amounted to an unduly harsh punishment.
It will then be up to the EFL to submit what sanction it believes should be awarded, before the disciplinary committee examines the evidence and renders a verdict.
If Southampton choose to contest the charges, the first consideration will be whether they have breached the regulations, before considering potential sanctions.
Once a verdict is reached, both the EFL and Southampton will have the right to appeal. Normally this would take 14 days, but the EFL is understood to be pressing for everything to be completely completed by Friday.
Mr Boro has tried unsuccessfully to intervene at the hearing and has no right to appeal the verdict. However, similar to the situation with Derby County a few years ago, if the borough remains unsatisfied with the outcome, it could pursue legal proceedings in the civil courts.
Express sports on FB! Get all the best sports news and more on our Facebook page.
