Saints fans 'nervous and excited' for play-off game

Southampton football fans have said they are "nervous and excited" ahead of the second leg of the club's Championship play-off semi-final.

Saints take on Middlesbrough at St Mary's on Tuesday at 20:00 BST, with the winners facing Hull City in the play-off final at Wembley on 23 May.

The English Football League has charged Southampton with spying on Middlesbrough before the teams played out a goalless draw at the Riverside Stadium on Saturday

"Nowt will happen, they will just get a fine and we move on don't we," said Lindsay, a Middlesbrough fan, who has travelled to Southampton to watch the game. Saints supporter Mark said: "I am bit embarrassed about 'spy gate' to be honest."

If Saints beat Middlesbrough they will face Hull in the play-off final, with the winner promoted to the Premier League.

"I think we can pull it together tonight and come out winners," said Mark who is watching the game from home.

On spy gate, he said: "I think it goes on all the time, if people found out about it, it's not good practice I don't think."

Another Saints fan, David, said Middlesborough have had the "better of the team in the league both times this year".

But he continued: "When St Mary's rocks, it's more than that 12th man, it's like a 13th player as well."

Lindsay, who had travelled from Middlesborough to watch the team told the BBC: "I am a bit nervy, we'll see what happens really."

And Bournemouth supporter, Alan, said he hopes Saints can be "back in the Premier League where they deserve to be".

"They have always belonged there and it's wrong for them to be back in the Championship," he added.

Southampton have requested more time to conduct an internal review after they were charged with spying on Championship play-off rivals Middlesbrough.

The English Football League has accused Saints of "observing, or attempting to observe, another club's training session within 72 hours of a scheduled match" and not acting "with the utmost good faith" to another club.

Middlesbrough claim that a member of the Southampton coaching staff was found watching and recording a training session at their Rockliffe Park base on Thursday.

At no stage have Southampton attempted to deny the allegation.