Image source, Getty Images

The whisper of the phrase 'play-offs' in the ear of any Sunderland fan is likely to bring them out in a cold sweat.

I mean, people talk about jinxes and curses but the club who bear the moniker 'The Black Cats' have certainly racked up some bad luck in order to possess the record they do.

Three play-off finals, three defeats - albeit that Swindon back in 1990 were later stripped of promotion for financial irregularities and the Wearsiders went up in their spot.

Chuck in a couple of semi-final slumps too, and you get the picture.

Image source, Rex Features

Cruel in a way, isn't it?

One whole season's work boils down to this one game. In today's case, it's the League One play-off final.

For the neutral, the EFL play-offs are the football equivalent of an action-thriller movie. You sit down, soak up the drama and then switch off, sated with the excitement.

For those fans, players, coaches, staff and owners of the teams involved, in this case Sunderland and Wycombe, it's a rollercoaster ride of emotions, with entertainment very often the least of concerns.