Oli McBurnie’s stoppage-time goal gave Hull City a dramatic victory in the Championship play-off final over reinstated Middlesbrough and took the Tigers back to the Premier League. Boro were given a place in the final after Southampton, who beat them over two legs in the semi-final, were expelled on Tuesday for the Spygate scandal.
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Southampton have been thrown out of the play-offs after admitting they spied on three clubs in the Championship season. Middlesbrough, beaten by Southampton in the semi-final, have been reinstated and will now play Hull City for a place in the Premier League. The EFL charged Saints with watching training sessions involving Oxford United and Ipswich Town, in addition to filming Middlesbrough as they prepared for the first leg of their play-off semi-final on 7 May.
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Frank Lampard’s Coventry City side are back in the Premier League after an absence of 25 years thanks to a Bobby Thomas header six minutes from time that will be remembered in the East Midlands with as much joy as the one scored by Keith Houchen in the 1987 FA Cup final. The equaliser wiped out the lead deservedly secured for Blackburn Rovers by Ryoya Morishita nine minutes into the second half.
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The Championship play-offs will feature six teams from next season. The EFL announced its clubs had passed a proposal to increase the number of play-off participants from four to six at an all-club meeting on Thursday. Supporters of the change believe it will create more interest in the run-in to the Championship season, as it gives more teams a chance to qualify for the post-season and a shot at promotion to the Premier League.
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EFL clubs will next month vote on an expansion of the Championship playoffs to six teams after being given approval to pursue the radical change by the Football Association’s board. The 72 EFL clubs were on Tuesday invited to an extraordinary general meeting on 5 March, when the vote will take place on a new playoff format that would begin next season. A simple majority of the 72 clubs and 24 in the Championship – 37 and 13 votes in favour respectively – is required to formalise a regulation change.
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