Hull fan’s fury at EFL over Spygate after spending £2,000 to attend playoff final

A Hull City supporter who has spent about £2,000 to attend the Championship playoff final from his home in Australia says the English Football League has “no regard for fans” after “Spygate” plunged the game into uncertainty.

Jack Gorbert is a former Hull season-ticket holder who relocated to Melbourne. The 27-year-old rushed to secure a flight home to see his side at Wembley on 23 May after their win over Millwall in the Championship playoff semi-final this month. With a cost of almost £1,300 for the return journey, plus an additional £700 in other hotel and travels costs, the uncertainty has left Gorbert with a major expense and no guarantees that the fixture against Southampton will go ahead as planned.

Southampton have been charged with breaching EFL rules by monitoring a training session held by Middlesbrough ahead of their semi-final and there is now uncertainty over whether the showpiece will take place as scheduled. The EFL issued a statement on Thursday to say an independent commission hearing would take place by Tuesday but, with the possibility of appeals, did warn that “disciplinary proceedings may yet result in changes to the fixture”. It has been criticised for not having a fixed sanction for so-called spying breaches.

“As soon as the final whistle went at Millwall I was looking for flights and I booked straight away,” said Gorbert, who attended Hull’s previous playoff final wins in 2008 and 2016. “With the situation in the Middle East things are pretty volatile, but there’s no way I was going to miss out. I’d probably sell a kidney if I had to.

“What’s happened is absolutely crazy. Without dropping expletives, all I can say is the EFL has no regard for the fans at all. I’ve spoken to another fan who is coming from Sydney, and someone else in Peru. But it’s not just that, it’s fans in Hull booking trains and hotels and disgraceful prices.

“I feel for the club, they couldn’t have done any more. I’m more angry at the EFL. I think they were trying to hide behind the fact that Middlesbrough could win and it would go away. But if you bring in a rule then you have to have a punishment.”

Although Gorbert admits a free pass into the Premier League would be decent compensation, he insists the sense of occasion attached to winning at Wembley cannot be replaced. “If we were going to go up on a technicality I wouldn’t say no to the Premier League but everyone wants that big day in the big smoke at Wembley,” he said. “The feelgood factor is really back at this club and I think we’d take over Wembley this time around. I hope common sense prevails.”

A statement issued by the EFL on Thursday clarified that it does not “control the proposed timetable” of the independent disciplinary commission. It added: “The league recognises that this complex situation has caused concern and disruption for supporters, particularly those making travel arrangements, and will continue to provide as much clarity as possible.

“However, in these clearly exceptional circumstances, the league considers this to be the most appropriate course of action.”

Click here to read article