Football Special

Celtic will get them decent viewing figures

Are you genuinely appalled? I've known people that work in the game, some of the stories and way worse than this, especially when it comes to transfer dealings and youth player recruitment, analysts move around within clubs and will know various tricks , getting caught and the publicity is the issue rather than clubs getting involved in mischief

Must win game. I need 12 months off from Middlesbrough nutters, could not face playing them again next season

Feels like its all coordinated this morning, very odd, huge PR exercise being managed

Assume we'll be West side of Wembley and have all our usual pubs, regular visitors now

Can only assume if Millwall were in final they might have used a 1pm ko, but no reason why this this can't be 3pm Sky might prefer 5.15 which seems to be optimum time for viewing figures

I was only looking at Southampton to Waterloo line.

Im not sure if Hull will be able to sell 36k , should be enough tickets to go around, our end might just make non members at least we wont have Leeds fans going on about trying to buy in our end this time. For once I think no engineering works on the trains , SWR need to put a load of additional services on again and no silly "please dont travel" announcements

Are Middlesbrough also selling just in case?

Ironically its Roy Keanes son in law thats helping us instill this winning mentality

Hull have to start as favourites, they've beaten us twice this season and Boro trying to get Harwood-Bellis banned could weaken us. Thought they were superb 2nd half at Millwall , amazing job with a team made up mostly of free transfers, Oli McBurnie always seems to have a good game against us Looking forward to another visit to Wembley

I love it. Weve had Man City fans crying that our fans were a bit mean to them after the semi final, and Middlesbrough fans going on about never forgetting this as if the clubs have a rivalry now , its completely taken over their tiny minds. We're not here to make friends lads.

Like a deranged stalker Middlesbrough fans are now harassing the EFL

I’ve just called the EFL complaints team. After reading Southampton’s CEO’s press release stating that Southampton are asking the EFL to give them time, and bear with them, while they held an ‘internal review’ (kick the situation into the long grass in the hope that this situation won’t hinder their attempts to make it into the premier league) I decided to register my complaint. My complaint was that the EFL should not give them any time to conduct any internal review. Southampton have admitted what they’d done, the EFL had already charged them, and so why did everyone have to wait until Southampton held this ‘internal review’ before the disciplinary body, imposed their penalty upon Southampton? I told the EFL representative that it was a blatant delaying tactic. I also stated that me complaining, probably wouldn’t make a difference to anything in the greater scheme of things. However, I pointed out that I didn’t care about that. I told them I was making my complaint, because as a Middlesbrough supporter, I felt duty bound to do that in defence of the club I support. I also said I was complaining because what is happening here, goes against the ‘fair play’ ethos, that the game is constantly trying to champion. If you want to do the same as me, the EFL complaints department number is 01772325829. Their email is enquiries@efl.com. Make sure you give them your name and email address.

Some of them seriously need this to be over to go back to their normal lives. General thought process seems to be A) Boro win. Pressure off EFL. Punishment given without much attention B) Saints win, Boro continue to train for the final and apply as much public pressure as possible to have us kicked out

Im sure Chinese whispers but belief seems to be coming from someone at Middlesbrough being told by EFL that expulsion is very much an option on the table , hence the need to stay prepared Soviet levels of propaganda If any of that is true then efl must be desperate for us to lose tonight

Middlesbrough and their various PR outlets have been relentless, even this morning they're reminding everyone they'll keep squad together even if they lose so they're fully prepared for the final should we subsequently be expelled

To be honest, for me the last few days Middlesbrough have very much become the aggressors in all this and have well over-stepped the line , im sure our fans know the assignment, recreate the Arsenal/ WBA atmosphere , no matter where you are in the ground

Eastleigh away ole ole Great thing about the National League is their training grounds will be more accessible

Its not about punishing us at all really is it, rather giving them sometime for nothing, classic where there's blame there's a claim mentality

Im actually not sure it will, we've already been to wembley a couple of weeks ago so novelty for that has gone plus as Middlesbrough keep reminding us even a win we can't really celebrate until we've had the verdict on the punishment, they seem very keen to let everyone know they'll keep squad preparation even if we knock them out (inference being we'll be kicked out and they'll take our place)

I know club have to be careful what they say but reading between the lines they're encouraging a good turnout pre match, basically recreate the WBA game https://www.southamptonfc.com/en/news/article/downes-lets-recreate-west-brom-atmosphere

Just seen that, this whole saga has had a profound impact on them, looks like some even kept kids off school to head down the airport and wave the players off

If we lose they will be utterly unbearable gloating about it, and if we win i think the club will have gained social media stalkers for life who will continue to cry and moan about how unfair it all is