The Championship play-off semi-final between Southampton and Middlesbrough was halted over alleged ‘discriminatory remarks’ on Tuesday evening
21:18, 12 May 2026Updated 21:49, 12 May 2026
Luke Ayling and Taylor Harwood-Bellis(Image: Sky Sports)
The Championship play-off semi-final second leg between Southampton and Middlesbrough was halted on Tuesday over alleged ‘discriminatory remarks’. The incident saw Boro player Luke Ayling accuse Saints’ Taylor Harwood-Bellis of making comments of a discriminatory nature.
Referee Andy Madley stopped play in the first-half when Ayling was booked for a foul. After an exchange with Harwood-Bellis, both managers were spoken to, and it is claimed that Madley will report the incident.
Sky Sports reporter Jonathan Oakes said: “There were words exchanged between Luke Ayling and Taylor Harwood-Bellis. Ayling says the words that Harwood-Bellis used towards him were of a discriminatory nature, and other players around heard the comment as well.
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“It prompted the referee Andy Madley to speak to both managers. Madley says he will be reporting the incident.”
Both teams are playing for a spot in the playoff final at Wembley Stadium on Saturday, May 23, with a lucrative place in the Premier League at stake. The winner will face Hull City, who beat Millwall 2-0 in the other semi-final.
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Middlesbrough and Southampton played out a goalless draw at the Riverside in the first leg on Saturday. Boro head to the south coast on a five-game unbeaten run, but they face a tough task against the Saints, who have not lost a home fixture since January.
The away side took an early lead in Tuesday’s game through Riley McGree before Roos Stewart equalised in first-half stoppage time.
Riley McGree swept Middlesbrough in the lead early on(Image: Getty Images)
The build-up to the semi-final has been dominated by accusations of spying. The Saints have been charged by the EFL for breaches of misconduct regulations after Boro reported them to the league for allegedly catching a Southampton employee filming their training session last week, ahead of the first leg.
Saints manager Tonda Eckert was asked about the matter after the game. The German said little in his Sky Sports interview before the match, instead referring to the club’s statement released on Friday evening.
The questions kept coming for Eckert in his post-match press conference, though, until the Southampton press officer ended it and both left the room.
When asked by journalists about the allegations, he said: “I think the club made a statement yesterday evening. I think that’s all there is to say at the moment.
“I think we can talk about this and I know that these questions are coming up, but I think we shouldn’t get distracted by the importance of those two big games.
“The big games always belong to the players and I think they deserve that the focus is on them.”