The fixtures for the 2026/27 Championship season have been released, with action set to commence on Friday 14th August.
Southampton -- who are set to spend a second successive term in the Championship for the first time since 2008/09 -- will lock horns with Watford at Vicarage Road in their season opener.
Meanwhile, Kim Hellberg's Middlesbrough will look to kick-start their campaign when they host newly promoted Lincoln City.
Amongst the fixtures to look out for following the release of the 2026/27 Championship schedule is Southampton v Middlesbrough -- a rivalry ignited by the 'spygate' scandal following the pair's clash in the first leg on the 2025/26 play-off semi-finals.
Southampton were all set to take on Hull City in the Championship play-off final after defeating Middlesbrough over two legs in the semi-finals, but a dramatic twist saw the Saints expelled after admitting to breaching regulations related to the unauthorised filming of other clubs’ training.
In between the two semi-final legs, speculation surfaced that Southampton had sent a club official to Boro's training ground, Rockliffe Park, before the opening contest at Riverside.
It was later revealed that -- in addition to breaching regulations by observing Hellberg's training sessions -- they had conducted espionage before games against Oxford United in December 2025 and Ipswich Town in April 2026.
Middlesbrough replaced the Saints in the Championship play-off final but fell to a 1-0 defeat against Hull City to miss out on a return to the top-flight.
Southampton v Middlesbrough Dates
- Southampton v Middlesbrough - Saturday 28th November
- Middlesbrough v Southampton - Saturday 13th March
