Middlesbrough fans were scrambling for Middlesbrough tickets on Wednesday as the club put 35,984 seats on sale for Wembley, where Michael Carrick’s side will meet Hull City for a place in the Premier League. The allocation was released for the West End of the stadium and sold online for the 15:30 BST kick-off, with long queues reported outside the ticket office at the Riverside Stadium even though the sale was online only.
The club said the tickets were available only through its ticketing website because of the short timescale and the number available, and it also arranged coach transport from the Riverside. Supporters were told to buy coach places only after securing a match ticket, but some fans said they still ran into problems, including season-ticket holders and those needing disabled and carer passes.
The rush came after Southampton were thrown out of the Championship play-offs following the EFL’s punishment over spying on rivals. The governing body charged Southampton with watching training sessions involving Oxford United and Ipswich Town and with filming Middlesbrough before the first leg of the semi-final on 7 May. Southampton appealed, but the decision was upheld, clearing the way for Middlesbrough to take their place at Wembley.
For Middlesbrough, the ruling turned a disputed off-field episode into a shot at promotion that few of their supporters expected to still be chasing days ago. Andy McDonald called the punishment a nonsense and said Southampton should not be putting anyone through more inconvenience because of their behaviour. He added that it was the only decision the commission could have reached, saying he had still worried it might not happen, and urged Boro to seize the moment with both hands.
Former player Julio Arca described the final as a great opportunity and said chances often arrive when they are least expected, so they must be taken. He added that the players should be motivated enough for the massive game. Harry Redknapp also backed the punishment, calling it very harsh but saying he had not seen it coming and had expected a heavy fine instead. With Wembley now set and the tickets moving online, Middlesbrough’s focus has shifted from the controversy that opened the door to the one match that can send them back to the Premier League.
