It is rare that a football story leaves players, pundits and supporters simultaneously incredulous and furious, but Southampton's expulsion from the Championship playoffs has managed exactly that. And one man who is not shy about saying what he thinks is Josh Windass, the Wrexham forward, who took to Instagram on Wednesday to argue that the entire four-team competition should be scrapped and restarted — with his club taking Southampton's vacated spot.

"This Southampton story is one of the maddest I've seen," Windass wrote. "But why isn't the play-offs starting again with the 4 other teams? Boro v Hull would have been the semi!! Confused."

It is a sentiment many will share, even if the logistics make it enormously complicated. Wrexham finished seventh in the Championship table, one position outside the playoff places. Remove Southampton from the picture entirely and the Welsh club would have been the sixth-ranked side, facing third-placed Millwall in a semi-final that never happened.

What actually happened with Southampton?

An independent commission found Southampton guilty of three separate spying offences after the club admitted to observing training sessions without authorisation. The breaches involved Oxford in December, Ipswich in April, and critically, Middlesbrough — their playoff semi-final opponents — earlier this month. All three incidents occurred after Tonda Eckert was appointed as Saints' head coach in early December.

The punishment handed down was severe: expulsion from the playoffs and a four-point deduction to be applied next season. Southampton have confirmed they will appeal, with a league arbitration panel convened for Thursday. That panel holds the power to uphold the original ruling or reinstate the club, meaning the situation remained fluid as of Wednesday.

In the meantime, the EFL has reinstated Middlesbrough into the competition. Their players were reported to be returning to the club's Rockliffe Park training base on Wednesday in anticipation of featuring at Wembley, though the EFL was careful to note that the scheduling remained subject to change pending the appeal outcome.

The final — if and when it goes ahead

Should the arbitration panel uphold the expulsion, Middlesbrough will face Hull City in Saturday's playoff final, with the kick-off time brought forward to 3.30pm. If Southampton are reinstated and it is they who meet Hull instead, the match reverts to the original 4.30pm start.

It is a frankly chaotic situation for everyone involved — the players and supporters of Boro most of all, who find themselves in the strange position of preparing for a Wembley final while not yet knowing with certainty whether they will actually be playing in it.

A legitimate grievance from Wrexham?

Windass's frustration is understandable, even if the EFL's hands are somewhat tied by the appeals process. The rules as they stand do not provide a neat mechanism to simply insert a seventh-placed club into a competition that has already been partially played. Semi-finals took place. Results were recorded. Legs were contested.

Nonetheless, there is an argument to be made. Wrexham were denied a playoff place, at least in part, because Southampton — a club now found guilty of cheating — occupied the sixth spot. Whether that moral case translates into a practical remedy is another matter entirely, and one the EFL appears to have decided is beyond its current remit.

The market has reacted to the uncertainty in predictable fashion, and the situation will no doubt continue to generate headlines well beyond Saturday, whatever the outcome of Thursday's appeal. For the neutrals, the whole saga sits somewhere between sporting scandal and soap opera. For Windass and Wrexham, it is something rather more personal.

Frequently asked

Why were Southampton expelled from the Championship playoffs?
Southampton were expelled after an independent commission found them guilty of three spying offences — observing training sessions at Oxford, Ipswich, and Middlesbrough without authorisation. The club admitted to the charges, all of which took place after head coach Tonda Eckert was appointed in December.
Will Wrexham replace Southampton in the Championship playoffs?
Wrexham have not been inserted into the playoffs. Josh Windass called for the competition to restart with his club involved, but the EFL reinstated Middlesbrough rather than introducing Wrexham. Southampton are appealing their expulsion, and a panel was convened for Thursday to rule on the case.
What time is the Championship playoff final kick-off on Saturday?
If Middlesbrough face Hull City, the final kicks off at 3.30pm. If Southampton's appeal is successful and they replace Boro, the match reverts to the original 4.30pm start time.