Sheffield Wednesday and Barnsley fans prepare for 'once-in-a-lifetime' derby

Neil Dunne, far left, and Dave Hall, right, will be cheering on their teams at Wembley

Barnsley and Sheffield Wednesday will meet at Wembley in a historic all-Yorkshire play-off final on Monday - with a place in the Championship awaiting the winners. The BBC spoke to fans as excitement builds before the match...

If the streets of South Yorkshire seem a little quiet on Monday afternoon, here's why: a sizeable portion of the region's population will be in west London.

About 40,000 Sheffield Wednesday fans and 20,000 Barnsley supporters will be making the trip to Wembley to back their teams in a historic derby.

Many more will pack out pubs back home or take up position on their sofas to watch the clubs battle for promotion in the League One play-off final.

"It's once in a lifetime, isn't it?" says Dave Hall, a Barnsley fan and the owner of a travel company with 33 coaches heading down to the capital for the match.

"It's going to be a great atmosphere just to see everyone from Yorkshire down there taking over Wembley."

"As much as I want Barnsley to win, as long as everybody has a right good day out, to me that's more important," he says, before quickly adding: "Although Barnsley are going to win."

Hundreds of buses decked out in Wednesday's blue and white and Barnsley's red will make the 170-mile trip down the M1 to London.

Neil Dunne after boarding his flight from Adeleide for the match

For Owls supporter Neil Dunne, however, the journey will be rather longer.

The British expat is travelling 10,000 miles from his home in Adelaide to be at the match - a trip which required him to set off on Friday night, three days before kick-off.

"It's going to be exhausting, I'm actually going to be spending more time on the aeroplane there and back than I am on the land when I get there," he says.

Mr Dunne, who moved to Australia in 2008, estimates he has spent about A$4,000 (£2,100) on the trip after his Yorkshire-based family helped him secure a ticket.

He'll fly straight back on the Tuesday morning after the match, landing in Adelaide on Wednesday afternoon.

"Hopefully it'll be worth it," the 47-year-old says. "Given the euphoria attached to the second leg against Peterborough I'm confident we should get the job done."

Mark Smith played for both Sheffield Wednesday and Barnsley during his career

One person who understands how much the match means to both sets of fans is Mark Smith. The former professional footballer played for both Wednesday and Barnsley during a career which spanned from 1977 to 1994.

"The stakes are really high," he says of Monday's match. "It will be a great occasion."

Smith, who clocked up nearly 300 games for the Hillsborough side and more than 100 for their South Yorkshire rivals, adds: "All the players will be just dying to get that result which will get the club in the next division.

"I really feel sorry that there's got to be a loser."

Rob Staton - Sports Journalist, BBC Radio Sheffield

This is the biggest South Yorkshire derby since the two Sheffield clubs met in an FA Cup semi-final in 1993. Whoever wins will never let the other side forget it. This is a historic game for the region and one that'll be talked about for years.

The drama of Sheffield Wednesday's comeback against Peterborough captured the imagination of the country, with even Pep Guardiola saying it symbolised what makes English football special. The Owls will be roared on by 44,000 supporters. This is a fan base that has suffered since relegation from the Premier League in 2000 and they're desperate for some success.

Barnsley have come so far in such a short space of time under rising star manager Michael Duff. It's easy to forget they were in the Championship play-offs not that long ago. Under Duff's brilliant leadership they could eventually return to those days but first they need to win promotion on Monday.

Wednesday will come into Monday's match with momentum, having staged an astonishing comeback from 4-0 down against Peterborough at Hillsborough last week to reach the final.

Their fans will also outnumber their Barnsley rivals at Wembley.

"With 40-odd thousand fans going down to Wembley, a win would just bring so much happiness to so much people," says Wednesday fan Sue Cook.

Sheffield Wednesday were roared to victory by their fans in the semi-final

But Tracy Martin, of the Barnsley fan podcast Red All Over, said her club were riding on "the crest of a wave" after surging into the play-offs with a string of wins since Christmas.

"The big games, we've really raised the roof," she said. "I think it's our time.

"We're ready, we're up for it."

Tracy Martin said Barnsley fans would "raise the roof"

Monday's match will be the first time two South Yorkshire teams have faced each other in a play-off.

Whatever the outcome, it's likely some fans will be keeping their heads down for a bit when they get back home.

"There's a lot of history between our clubs and a load of rivalry as well," says actor Shaun Dooley, a diehard Barnsley fan who halted filming on an upcoming show to make sure he got a ticket for Monday's match.

"If we beat Wednesday at Wembley, that for us is the best feeling ever," he says. "But, conversely, to lose to Wednesday at Wembley is the worst day ever.

"There are lot of extremes in this game."