SportFootballSouthampton FCSouthampton have appealed the decision which has seen them kicked out of the Championship play-off final and replaced by Middlesbrough, the side they beat in the semi-finals16:13, 20 May 2026Sending an intern and his iPhone to stand next to a tree at a bog-standard football training session? Call that a genuine cheating scandal?‌Here’s proper cheating. Cyclists extracting their own blood, putting it in a fridge and then re-infusing it before a race to increase red blood cell counts, as in the Lance Armstrong case.‌Here’s proper cheating. An England cricket captain surreptitiously applying dirt to a ball to try and affect its movement, as in the Michael Atherton case.‌Here’s proper cheating. A figure skater conspiring with her ex-husband to hire an assailant to break the knee of her main rival, as in the Tonya Harding case.READ MORE: Spygate LIVE: Hull City owner throws play-off final into doubt with bombshell legal claimREAD MORE: Spygate drama escalates as furious Hull owner claims lawyers think they should be promotedYou could go on and on. At the 2000 Paralympic Games in Sydney, it was discovered that 10 of the 12 Spanish basketball players were not actually handicapped and had deliberately failed an IQ test to feign an intellectual impairment.In the grand scheme of things, Southampton’s misdemeanour was minor. But in the context of English football, its ramifications, and the money at stake, the event was seismic. The reaction of a lot of ex-professionals such as Gary Lineker and Alan Shearer - saying the punishment seems disproportionate - suggests an offence that might be a lot more common than most think.‌But it is one of the worst examples of cheating in modern sport because a) it was spectacularly amateurish and b) it was done ahead of a tie that took Southampton into the richest one-off game in sport.If they were caught - and there is every chance a bloke stood next to a tree pointing his iPhone at something he shouldn’t will be caught - the possible consequences should have been obvious.‌It was two-bob cheating with £200million at stake. Those who sanctioned the chicanery can have no future at the club.The Saints are not sport’s biggest sinners … but they are most definitely the most stupid.Join our new WhatsApp community and receive your daily dose of Mirror Football content. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us - and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.Article continues belowAndy DunnAndy Dunn is the Mirror's chief sports writer. Choose Daily Mirror as a 'Preferred Source' on Google News for quick access to the news you value.‌Southampton FCHull City FCFootball League ChampionshipMiddlesbrough FC