A reminder of the events of the past few weeks which have culminated in Southampton being thrown out of the Championship play-off final.

Responding to the news of Southampton's expulsion from the play-off final, Liberal Democrat MP for Eastleigh and member of the Culture, Media and Sport Select Committee Liz Jarvis said: “Many Southampton fans in my constituency will be hugely disappointed with the way that their season has ended.

“I feel sorry for the club’s fans and players, having missed out on a return to the Premier League after such a hard-fought campaign.

“I will be closely monitoring this story in the coming days and weeks.”

Image source, Getty Images

Former Southampton striker Brett Ormerod, who played for the club between 2001 and 2006, said he was "a bit in shock".

"Why would Southampton feel the need to do it - simply because every club has a data analysis team."

Speaking on Radio 5 Live he added: "With my hand on my heart, I don't see why they felt the need to do it. You can have all the data you want but it doesn't win football matches - the players do.

"I do think it is overly harsh and I do hope it gets turned over on appeal. I feel sorry for the players and supporters."

In a statement the EFL has said that Saturday's Championship Play-Off Final between Hull City and Middlesbrough will kick-off at 15:30 BST.

Should the outcome of Southampton's appeal process result in the final being contested by Hull City and Southampton, the kick-off time for the fixture will remain at 16:30, it said.

Simon Stone
BBC Sport Chief Football News Reporter

As of late evening on Tuesday, a source with understanding of the situation said Southampton had not been given the precise reasons for the decision and their lawyers were expecting to have to work through the night on it.

However, it is understood the club feel strongly that the punishment is disproportionate, given Leeds were fined £200,000 for their transgression in 2019.

Although the rules have been stiffened up since then, Southampton feel the punishment will end up costing them more like £200m, all things taken into consideration.

The Southampton chief executive Phil Parsons emailed staff last night saying the club are confident they can reverse the decision - a source says their legal team think it is more likely than not they will.

All parties agreed to deal with the matter to a conclusion today to avoid the prospect of the final being moved to Thursday.

Image source, Richard Shelley

Saints fan Richard Shelley told the BBC: “It’s perfectly fair – we cheated, we cheated more than once and we got caught."

He said when he saw the news pop up on his phone on Tuesday night there was "shock, then turned to anger and embarrassment".

"It has tarnished what has been for many years a great family club."

He added the club, which has so far remained silent, “should be putting out a statement to the fans and an apology".

Former Saints midfielder Jo Tessem spoke of his shock and heartbreak at missing out on the chance to see his old club get back to the Premier League.

"I am disappointed that the club had to go to these lengths to get the information they did."

The BBC Radio Solent Saints summariser added: "We have rules and we need to follow them. We have been punished hard for not following very simple rules and maybe football needs to set these rules and punish hard to get people to follow them.

"Clearly when you admit to doing this three times it feels like you don't have much of a leg to stand on."

Southampton fan and former Team GB Olympian Iwan Thomas said he felt "very flat and deflated".

"We've done wrong here... we have. I feel so sorry not only for the fans but also for the players for that loss of a chance to play at that highest level... they must be absolutely fuming.

"The punishment is so severe...what real advantage would Saints have got?

"This is a dark day for Southampton," he added.

Adam Blackmore, BBC Radio Solent sports editor, described it as "the darkest day in Southampton's 141-year history".

"As a neutral observer who has grown to love dealing with the club over many years, and loved getting to know the people who work at the club and support it, the stain goes beyond the people who were responsible.

"It will sit with the club for many years, and that is something they did not consider when they made their appalling decisions to put the club's reputation at risk.

"You also have an owner who has put in £100m this year to support the club with the hope he may get something back at the end of it and now that has been taken away as well, so what will it do for the financial future of Southampton?

"What they put at risk was never worth doing it for."

Image source, Getty Images

Former Middlesbrough defender Julio Arca has been speaking to 5 Live Breakfast.

"It's been a crazy few days..." he said.

"Obviously, they have proved that they [Southampton] did something wrong to put Middlesbrough in the final.

"I think Middlesbrough has a great opportunity to achieve what they were looking for, for the last 10 years because it's been 10 years since the last time they were in the Premier League.

"So, you have to take opportunities when they come and I'm sure they will do their best to achieve a promotion. I'm sure the players regardless they should be motivated enough to play ...it's not going to be an easy game but in a final you know anything can happen.

"It will be great to watch the game there."

Former Southampton boss Harry Redknapp said: "I think it's very harsh, I didn't see that coming - I thought they would get a heavy fine."

Speaking to BBC Radio Solent he added: "What they have done] is so stupid it's beyond belief. What are you learning by someone filming a bit of training? What are you learning by watching them train for an hour? ...it was a ridiculous thing to do.

"They have made a big, big error and they have been severely punished they really have.

"I don't know how it is going to pan out... we certainly haven't heard the last of it... it's a crazy situation... I thought they would get a massive fine but to be thrown out the play-off final is really very severe."

Former AFC Bournemouth chairman and sports lawyer Trevor Watkins has just told BBC Radio Solent: "We look at this and think 'my goodness how on earth has it happened?' ...there's a lot of detail to come out in due course.

"It will be argued by lawyers today, we'll see what the result it - from my perspective it's unprecedented, it's a new rule. I think there is every opportunity for arguments to sway a panel today."

He added: "The fans that go to every game will be so sad today... but there is hope and there will be a future and there will be games next season... where and when remains to be decided."

Image source, Getty Images

Former FA chairman and Manchester City chief David Bernstein said he was "really surprised" and "taken aback by the severity of this punishment".

Speaking on the Today programme, Bernstein said: "It was clear what they did, it was amateurish... it was stupid but I think this is a disproportionate punishment.

"Promotion to the Premier League, other than affecting the whole history of the club and the future of the club, is worth £200-250m, a huge amount of money.

"This offence seems to be a young man hiding behind a tree... it's not a James Bond thing... of the three matches that were spied upon, Southampton didn't win any of them.

"It was a really stupid thing to do."

Saints fans are waking up to the news none of them wanted to hear - the club (as it stands) have been kicked out of Saturday's play-off final.

The decision came on Tuesday evening as Southampton admitting they spied on three clubs in the Championship season.

We're bringing you all the reaction as it comes in.

Image source, Getty Images

Former Premier League goalkeeper Paul Robinson praised the EFL for applying a punishment that he feels protects the integrity of the game.

"I kind of quite like it," he said on BBC Radio 5 live.

"It is like when you're a naughty kid. If you admit three or four things, you have clearly done seven or eight, and you have been caught for them all. The integrity of the game is of the utmost importance.

"It is not the first time they have done it. They have offered their hand, and they have paid the ultimate price for it. It is a strong punishment."

As you can probably guess there's been a strong reaction on social media.

Here are a flavour of the comments we've received on our Facebook post about the news, external.

Mitch Hall: "That punishment is way over the top!!!!!!"

Shaun Williams: "Fans turning up in camo suites and binoculars, player celebrating with a binocular gesture to boro players. Whole thing was hilarious wasn’t it... enjoy the 4 point deduction in championship next season..."

Nigel Davies: "So I'm not a Saint supporter. But moving on. [What] is happening to the Manchester City position then? Need to be consistent."

George Pipe: "What about 115 elephants in the room [Man City charges]."

Rita Mackenzie: "Ipswich fan here. I would be incandescent with rage if it were my club. Sorry Saints fans."

Brad Pike: "As a saints supporter I agree with the decision... however I do not agree with the points deduction next season as that is punishment to the Fans and Players who had no involvement in the cheating.I do however believe whoever was involved at the club should face a hefty fine and a ban from any involvement in a football club in the country."

Dale Johnson
Football issues correspondent

So, what exactly did Southampton do wrong?

The English Football League (EFL) charged Saints with breaking two regulations.

EFL Regulation 3.4, which requires clubs to act towards each other with the utmost good faith; and

EFL Regulation 127, which prohibits any club from observing, or attempting to observe, another club's training session within 72 hours of a scheduled match between the two clubs.

Southampton admitted to "multiple breaches of EFL regulations related to the unauthorised filming of other clubs' training", the EFL said.

Fans at The Saints Pub in the Millbrook area of the city were unhappy with the news.

The story isn't quite over yet - sources have confirmed to BBC Sport that Southampton will lodge an appeal on Wednesday and will argue the punishment is disproportionate.

The English Football League said it would be "working to try and resolve any appeal on Wednesday 20 May".

It added that "subject to the outcome, it could result in a further change to Saturday's fixture".

The appeal will be heard by an Independent League Arbitration panel with three new members.