Middlesbrough's build-up to the Championship play-off final at Wembley has been anything but smooth. Southampton's expulsion for spying on Boro before the semi-final, alongside previous breaches against Oxford and Ipswich, left the fixture's details unresolved. Hull City beat Millwall but still don't know their opponent. Boro won their tie and face Saturday's final worth hundreds of millions to the victor.

Boro's 35,984 ticket allocation sold out on the club website Wednesday, but disabled and carer tickets caused issues, with fans queuing at Riverside Stadium. LNER warned of disruption on rail routes from the north east due to engineering works. Kick-off remains 15:30 if Boro play, or 16:30 if Southampton's appeal succeeds. Travel chaos and ticket confusion mean few fans are celebrating.

Kim Hellberg called the semi-final loss to Southampton "one of the toughest days" in his career. Commentator Mark Drury believes Hellberg will feel absolutely vindicated by the expulsion, given three admitted breaches suggest a pattern. Middlesbrough's quick turnaround between games—standard in the Championship—should help, but Drury sums it up: "Messy doesn't even cut it."

No set of fans has emerged unscathed. Hull supporters booked hotels and trains without knowing if the game would happen. Southampton fans paid season tickets for a campaign that ended in expulsion. Middlesbrough celebrate reaching Wembley for the first time in a decade, yet the chaos surrounding the final means few are savouring the moment.