Southampton seek extra time for internal probe into spying claims

The Saints will welcome their promotion challengers to St Marys on Tuesday for the return fixture of the Championship playoff semi final following a goalless stalemate on Saturday.

The victors will take on Hull City in the Wembley showdown for a shot at the Premier League.

Southampton received charges from the English Football League on Friday following a protest from Middlesbrough regarding illicit video recording at their training facility prior to the opening match at the Riverside Stadium.

Although clubs typically get 14 days to reply the EFL has indicated a preference for an expedited independent disciplinary panel session.

Southampton chief executive Phil Parsons stated that the team is cooperating completely while carrying out its own assessment to grasp all details and circumstances accurately.

Due to the packed match calendar and the brief interval between games we have asked for an extension to handle this matter diligently and carefully he explained.

We appreciate the ongoing talks and rumours in the past few days yet we feel it crucial to clarify the complete picture before any judgements.

Southampton head coach Tonda Eckert avoided queries on the issue exiting his post game media session on Saturday as journalists continued pressing.

Learn more on the Spygate saga here.