Hull City were dramatically promoted to the Premier League as Oli McBurnie’s last-gasp strike sealed a 1-0 victory over Middlesbrough in Saturday’s Championship play-off final, bringing an end to the ‘spygate’ controversy that had overshadowed world football’s richest game.
McBurnie punished a mistake from Middlesbrough goalkeeper Sol Brynn to score the lucrative winner in the final moments of the second half at Wembley.
Hull will return to the Premier League for the first time since the 2016-17 season, completing an incredible revival just 12 months after they avoided relegation to the third tier on goal difference.
McBurnie’s late goal hit the jackpot for Hull, with football finance experts Deloitte estimating that the play-off final winners
will earn at least £205 million ($275 million) over the next three seasons due to increased match-day, broadcast and commercial revenues.
That figure could rise to around £365 million if the club survives its first season in the Premier League.
Football League chiefs will hope Hull’s victory brings an end to the scandal that marred the second-tier play-offs after Southampton were kicked out for filming a Middlesbrough training session before their semi-final first leg.
Southampton had beaten Middlesbrough 2-1 on aggregate to earn a showdown with Hull.
But the Saints were expelled on Tuesday, with an independent commission ruling that their boss Tonda Eckert had “specifically authorised” the spying.
The English Football League said Southampton admitted to “multiple breaches of EFL regulations related to the unauthorised filming of other clubs’ training”.
Southampton chief executive Phil Parsons said the sanctions imposed were “manifestly disproportionate”.
The row had presented Middlesbrough with a second chance to win promotion, but they were unable to seize the lifeline as Hull ground out a hard-fought victory in scorching heat.
That will be a relief to many at Football League headquarters after Hull owner Acun Ilicali vowed to take legal action if the Tigers did not beat Middlesbrough.
Sergej Jakirovic’s side are the first sixth-placed team to win promotion via the second-tier play-offs since Blackpool in 2010.
The Tigers, who beat third-placed Millwall to secure their place in the final, have been the division’s surprise package all season.
They were hit with a three-window transfer embargo last year, later reduced to two after a successful appeal, but confounded expectations to snatch a play-off place on the last day of the season.
In keeping with their unexpected renaissance under Bosnian boss Jakirovic, Hull were perfectly suited to the underdog role at Wembley.
They spent much of the first half on the back foot as Middlesbrough dominated with over 70 per cent of the possession.
But the Tigers’ counter-attacking game plan ensured they were a constant threat.
Liam Millar’s cross reached Lewie Coyle for a header that Brynn pushed over.
For all their territorial dominance, Middlesbrough were toothless for long spells and Hull’s Mohamed Belloumi almost made them pay with a long-range curler that flashed just wide.
The burly McBurnie went even closer, rising to meet Ryan Giles’ cross with a header that hit the crossbar.
Middlesbrough finally prised open the Hull defence on the stroke of half-time, but David Strelec’s drive whistled narrowly wide from 20 yards.
Dael Fry should have put Middlesbrough in front immediately after half-time, but the defender headed wide from close range.
Searing temperatures at Wembley sapped the energy from both teams in a soporific second half, prompting Hellberg to send on Hayden Hackney for the last 20 minutes of normal time.
But Hackney, voted the Championship Player of the Year, had been sidelined by a calf injury since March 14 and he was unable to make an impact.
Instead, it was McBurnie who sent Hull into dreamland deep into stoppage time, prodding home from close range after Brynn weakly palmed Yu Hirakawa’s cross into his path.
(With AFP Inputs)
