Hull City will take on Southampton in the Championship play-off final at Wembley on Saturday, May 23, with the winner joining Coventry and Ipswich in the Premier League next season. The buildup has turned attention to Hull City Wembley Ticket Sales as supporters prepare for one of the biggest days in the club's recent history.
Sir Tom Courtenay, 89, president of the Hull City Official Supporters Club, said he has been impressed by the manager and players and believes they have given fans plenty to get behind. “Football is exciting. It moves people. I have been impressed by this manager and players. They should be proud of themselves,” he said.
Courtenay said he was struck by how the manager changed the side after the first leg of the semi-final against Millwall. “I was impressed at the way the manager adjusted the team after the first leg [of the play-off semi-final against Millwall]. It really worked,” he said. Hull City were facing the prospect of relegation to League One when Sergej Jakirovic arrived at the MKM Stadium in May 2025, replacing Ruben Selles as head coach, and the turnaround has brought them within one game of the top flight.
The supporter club president said the match carries extra meaning because of the length of time Hull fans have stood by the team. He said supporters have backed the club for more than 80 years, and recalled his own first Hull City match at Boothferry Park in 1945, when he was eight years old and went with his father. “I always smile when I see them on television. It reminds me of all the years I have supported the club,” he said. “I could never support any [other] team.”
Southampton bring their own form into Wembley. They beat Arsenal in the FA Cup quarter-final last month and then lost 2-1 to Manchester City in the semi-final, results that show they can trouble stronger opposition. Courtenay said as much, adding: “They will be a tough side to beat.”
The final is also carrying an unusual backdrop. Southampton have been charged by the EFL over the so-called Spygate scandal and face a hearing of the Independent Disciplinary Commission on or before Tuesday, but the league is working on the basis that the Wembley final will still go ahead on May 23. That leaves the game set to be decided on the pitch, with a place in next season's Premier League and the richest prize in the Championship still hanging in the balance.
