Will it be lucky seven for Sunderland? The Black Cats' play-off misery has to end some time, and they have failed in all six of their previous play-off attempts.
It is a tale of woe that dates back 35 years, and it is one that understandably weighs more heavily on supporters than on current manager Alex Neil and his players. But Sunderland will nevertheless hope to draw a line under their terrible play-off record, and ensure that they are the team celebrating at Wembley this weekend.
The Black Cats saw off Sheffield Wednesday over two legs in the play-off semi-finals, and now take on Wycombe Wanderers in the final on Saturday, with promotion to the Championship the prize.
First, though, for those with a strong constitution, here is our rundown of Sunderland's previous play-off experiences.
Sunday, May 17, 1987
Sunderland 4-3 Gillingham aet (6-6 on aggregate, Gillingham win on away goals)
The original play-off heartbreak.
This was the season that the play-offs were introduced in the Football League, and the original format saw the three teams that finished outside the automatic promotion places in the division below compete with the side that finished immediately above the relegation zone in the division above, in the two-legged semi-finals.
There was no trip to Wembley in those days, the final was also played over two legs.
Sunderland finished third-bottom of the second tier, and played Gillingham - who had finished fifth in the third tier - in one semi-final, with Wigan and Swindon Town contesting the other. Lawrie McMenemy's moonlight flit meant that 1973 FA Cup-winning manager Bob Stokoe was at the helm.
The first leg at the Priestfield Stadium had ended in a 3-2 victory for Gillingham, with Mark Proctor's penalty overturned by Tony Cascarino's second-half hat-trick, before Proctor pulled another goal back. Back at Roker Park for the second leg, Howard Pritchard put Gillingham in front on the day (and 4-2 up on aggregate) but Eric Gates scored twice to put Sunderland 2-1 ahead and level the tie overall.
Proctor then saw a penalty saved, while at the other end Iain Hesford also saved a spot-kick from Colin Greenhall - only for Cascarino to put the visitors back in front on aggregate. Gary Bennett headed home a couple of minutes from time to make it 3-2 on the day and level things up overall, sending the tie into extra time.
Cascarino scored again before Keith Bertschin found the net for the Rokermen. That made it 4-3 to Sunderland on the day, 6-6 on aggregate, meaning the Gills won on away goals and sending Sunderland down to what was then known as the Third Division for the first time in their history.
Swindon Town and Gillingham drew 2-2 on aggregate in the final (away goals did not count this time), with the Robins winning 2-0 in a replay at Selhurst Park to secure promotion.
SAFC: Hesford, Lemon, Kennedy (Corner 77), Doyle, Gray, Bennett, Armstrong, Proctor, Bertschin, Swindlehurst, Gates
Monday, May 28, 1990
Sunderland 0-1 Swindon Town
The play-offs had now taken their current form, contested by the four teams immediately below the automatic promotion places and with a Wembley final. Denis Smith's Sunderland had finished sixth in the second tier which meant they met old foes Newcastle United, who had finished third, in the semi-finals. Blackburn and Swindon were paired together in the other semi.
The first leg of Sunderland's semi-final ended goalless at Roker Park, with Paul Hardyman seeing an injury-time penalty saved by Newcastle's John Burridge - and Hardyman then being sent off for a foul on the keeper.
And in the second leg at St James' Park, Eric Gates scored early with Marco Gabbiadini adding a second late in the game. The home fans invaded the pitch in the hope of getting the game abandoned, but to no avail.
That win set up a final against Swindon beneath the Twin Towers, and Alan McLoughlin's deflected goal just before the half-hour gave the Wiltshire side victory on the day. Sunderland had the last laugh, however, as Swindon were later demoted two divisions - reduced to one on appeal - for financial irregularities, and that meant the Wearsiders were promoted in any event.
SAFC: Norman, Kay, Agboola, Bracewell, Bennett, MacPhail, Owers, Armstrong, Gates (Hauser 71), Gabbiadini, Pascoe (Atkinson 69)
Monday, May 25, 1998
Charlton Athletic 4-4 Sunderland (Charlton win 7-6 on penalties)
One of the most exciting games ever seen at Wembley, this was thrill-a-minute stuff - just with the wrong outcome for Sunderland. Peter Reid's Sunderland had finished third in the second tier and had seen off Sheffield United in the semi-finals.
Kevin Ball had put Sunderland ahead early on at Bramall Lane, but second-half goals from Marcelo and Vassilis Borbokis had given the Blades a 2-1 first-leg lead. In the return at the Stadium of Light, a crowd of more than 40,000 saw a Nicky Marker own-goal and then a strike from Kevin Phillips earn a 2-0 win, and a 3-2 victory on aggregate.
That earned them a place in the final against Charlton, who had finished fourth and had beaten Ipswich in the other semi. Sunderland-born Clive Mendonca gave Charlton the lead midway through the first half, but goals from Niall Quinn and Phillips turned things around before the hour.
Mendonca levelled 20 minutes from time, before Quinn put Sunderland back in front within minutes - only for Richard Rufus to level things up five minutes from the end and send the game into extra time. Nicky Summerbee put Sunderland ahead for a third time in the 99th minute, but Mendonca levelled things up once more five minutes later.
The game went to a penalty shoot-out and, after 10 perfect penalties, to sudden death. Mickey Gray was the unlucky one, seeing his spot-kick saved by Sasa Ilic as the Addicks won out.
SAFC: Perez, Holloway (Makin 46), Gray, Clark (Rae 100), Craddock, Williams, Summerbee, Ball, Quinn, Phillips (Dichio 73), Johnston
Monday, May 17, 2004
Sunderland 2-1 Crystal Palace aet (aggregate 4-4, Crystal Palace win 5-4 on penalties)
Mick McCarthy was in charge on Wearside and was looking to earn promotion back to the Premier League at the first attempt after inheriting a side the season before that was already as good as relegated from the top flight. Despite losing most of his best players following relegation, McCarthy had rebuilt on a shoestring and Sunderland finished third in the table - seven points shy of automatic promotion - and were pitted against Crystal Palace, who had finished sixth, in the semi-final.
The first leg ended in a 3-2 defeat at Selhurst Park, with Marcus Stewart's penalty at the start of the second half cancelled out by Neil Shipperley before Danny Butterfield put the Eagles ahead. Kevin Kyle levelled things up, only for Andrew Johnson to score a late winner. In the second leg at the Stadium of Light, Kyle and Stewart scored in the first half with Darren Powell pulling one back in the 90th minute to level the scores on aggregate and send the game into extra time. With no further goal, it went to penalties.
Sunderland's John Oster missed the first penalty and Palace's Shaun Derry missed when he could have won the shoot-out 5-4. It went to sudden-death and Jason McAteer missed, only for Wayne Routledge to see his spot-kick saved by Mart Poom.
Jeff Whitley's weak effort was then saved, and that allowed Michael Hughes to win it for the visitors. Palace went on to play West Ham in the final and won 1-0.
SAFC: Poom, Bjorklund (Williams 105), McCartney, Whitley, Breen, Babb, Thornton (Robinson 69), McAteer, Kyle, Stewart (Smith 84), Oster
Sunday, May 26, 2019
Charlton Athletic 2-1 Sunderland
Back-to-back relegations had seen Sunderland sink into League One, but under Jack Ross they had the chance of an immediate return to the Championship. They had finished fifth in the table, meaning they faced Portsmouth in the semi-final. Charlton played Doncaster in the other semi.
Chris Maguire's goal just after the hour gave Sunderland the lead in the first leg of the semi at the Stadium of Light, and a goalless second leg at Fratton Park sent the Black Cats to Wembley. Sunderland made the perfect start in the final, when a mistake by Addicks keeper Dillon Phillips meant that Naby Sarr's routine backpass ended up in the net after only five minutes.
Ben Purrington levelled ten minutes before the break, and just as it looked as though the game would go into extra-time, Patrick Bauer scored the winner four minutes into injury time.
SAFC: McLaughlin, O'Nien, Oviedo, Leadbitter, Ozturk, Flanagan, Maguire (Grigg 57), Cattermole, Wyke (McGeady 72), Power (Morgan 9), Honeyman
Saturday, May 22, 2021
Sunderland 2-1 Lincoln City (Lincoln City win 3-2 on aggregate)
Lee Johnson had taken over at the beginning of December and he steered the Black Cats to a fourth-placed finish in League One, which meant they faced Lincoln in the semi-finals. Sunderland did not turn up for the first leg, with Lincoln winning 2-0 at Sincil Bank thanks to second-half goals from Tom Hopper and Brennan Johnson.
That left Sunderland with a mountain to climb in the second leg on Wearside, but with a little over half-an-hour gone they were within sight of the summit after goals from Ross Stewart and Charlie Wyke had levelled the tie. Hopper pulled a goal back in the second half, and Lee Burge saved a penalty from Jorge Grant as the game finished 2-1 and that was good enough for Lincoln to progress.
The Imps played Blackpool in the final and lost 2-1, with Sunderland's Elliot Embleton - who was on loan with the Seasiders - helping the Lancashire side to victory.
SAFC: Burge, Gooch (Flanagan 90), McFadzean, Leadbitter, Wright, O'Nien, Maguire (Diamond 65), Scowen (Winchester 78), Wyke, Stewart (O'Brien 78), McGeady
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