The players emerge from the tunnel to a wall of noise and an expectant sea of red and white.

It's nearly time. The 'Greasy Chip Butty Army' song is being sung.

If Sheffield United do clinch promotion tonight, boss Paul Heckingbottom has urged the club’s fans not to go onto the pitch and risk a possible repeat of ugly scenes last year.

A Nottingham Forest fan was sent to jail for assaulting Billy Sharp after the play-off semi-final at the City Ground last season while Oli McBurnie was embroiled in a court case and ultimately cleared of stamping on another Forest fan who approached him after the Blades’ penalty shoot-out loss.

“We know it’s a criminal offence to go on the pitch,” he said. “If we could keep everyone in the stand, if it is that time to celebrate, we would go and spend as much time as possible with every one of the fans. That’s what we can promise.

“With the amount of incidents that have been happening, I would be devastated if anything happened at Bramall Lane after what we have gone through as a group and obviously Bill at the City Ground and the fallout from that which has been ongoing all this season.

“I’d hate if we were involved in any more stories like that, especially at Bramall Lane. That is my ask.”

Image source, Getty Images

• Sheffield United are looking to record their first league double over West Bromwich Albion since the 1989-90 campaign.
• West Brom have lost their last two league visits to Sheffield United since a 2-1 win in December 2018 under Darren Moore - now Sheffield Wednesday boss.
• Sheffield United have won nine of their last 11 league games at Bramall Lane (L2) and 14 for the season (D3 L4) – the Blades have been promoted the last two times they’ve won 15 home league games in a season in the second tier in 2018-19 and 2005-06.
• West Brom have won both of their last two away league games; not since February 2020 have they won three on the spin.
• James McAtee (below) has scored in both of Sheffield United’s last two home league games; the last English player to score in three straight home league appearances for the Blades was Leon Clarke in December 2017 (4).

Image source, Getty Images

It's a big game tonight - and we want to hear your views.

Blades fans - you're almost up, how confident are you can survive in the top flight next season? Paul Heckingbottom seems to have done an admirable job thus far.

And Baggies followers, will you be joining Burnley and, most likely, Sheffield United in the Premier by going up via the play-offs? What a job Carlos Corberan has done too.

Let us know your thoughts via the usual methods outlined above.

Image source, BBC Sport

Congested? You could say that. The Championship play-off race is mind-blowing.

Luton and Middlesbrough are already locked in - assuming the Hatters don't catch second-placed Sheffield United.

But eight teams are chasing the other two available spots - and those eight are separated by just four points.

West Brom will climb to sixth with victory at Bramall Lane tonight - indeed they could go fifth if they win by two goals or more.

But a draw or defeat will keep them on the outside looking in - with their game in hand used up.

Sheffield United were West Brom's opponents in Carlos Corberan's first game in charge of the Baggies last October.

And back then, Albion were looking likelier to exit the Championship via the trapdoor than the sunroof.

They were 23rd when Corberan succeeded Steve Bruce and although they lost 2-0 to the Blades at The Hawthorns that night, things soon began to look up.

Nine wins in his subsequent 10 games banished any thoughts of the drop and while results have evened out a little since then, West Brom have remained in or around the top six.

Corberan, of course, led Huddersfield Town to the Championship play-off final last season - can he repeat that feat with the Baggies? Hit the thumbs.

Image source, PA Media

Ian Woodcock
BBC Sport at Bramall Lane

With Burnley finally confirming top spot last night with a 1-0 win at local rivals Blackburn the Blades know that they're just playing for second.

No bother, should they get the job done tonight, or indeed the three games afterwards, it will be the third time they have won promotion to the Premier League having finished in second position.

Tonight's visitors know a bit about the value of finishing runners up. The Baggies have been promoted to the Premier League on five occasions, four of which from clinching the second automatic promotion place.

Image source, Getty Images

Sheffield United boss Paul Heckingbottom has warned against his side approaching tonight's Championship clash with West Brom as a promotion party.

"We are going to have to be at our very, very best against a team who needs the win themselves," he said.

“We won’t be complacent, there’s a big determination and desire within our group of players to try and get it done in our next two home games. We want to do that. I feel it’d be fitting if we managed to do that.

“We have got a safety net of four games but we don’t want to take that, we want to get it done as soon as possible. I’d love to get it done in front of our own fans where everyone is together if and when it happens.

“We are determined to get the job done in these two games, that’s our aim, that’s what we want to achieve. We have got ourselves in a position where we know what we have to do.”

This game is the first of four chances for the Blades to seal second place - if they fail to do so tonight, then attention would switch to the visit of Preston on Saturday.

Just a glance at the table shows why Sheffield United are such warm favourites to follow champions Burnley up to the Premier League regardless of tonight's result.

But, of course, they will want to get the one win needed as early as possible - and surely, preferably, in front of their own fans.

Image source, Getty Images

Sheffield United make three changes from the side beaten at Wembley by Manchester City in the FA Cup semi-final on Saturday.

Man City duo James McAtee and Tommy Doyle - who were ineligible to face their parent club in the cup - return to the starting XI as does Oli McBurnie. John Fleck, Oliver Norwood and Daniel Jebbison drop to the bench.

Sheff Utd XI: Foderingham, Baldock, Ahmedhodzic, Egan, Robinson, Lowe, Doyle, Berge, McAtee, Ndiaye, McBurnie.

Subs: Davies, Basham, Bogle, Fleck, Norwood, Sharp, Jebbison.

There's a slight surprise in the visitors' team selection as John Swift - the Baggies' third highest league scorer this season - makes way for Taylor Gardner-Hickman in West Bromwich Albion's only change from Sunday's 2-1 home loss to Sunderland.

West Brom XI: Palmer, Furlong, Ajayi, Pieters, Townsend, Yokuslu, Molumby, Gardner-Hickman, Wallace, Grant, Asante.

Subs: Griffiths, Bartley, Livermore, Swift, Rogic, Albrighton, Malcolm.

Ian Woodcock
BBC Sport at Bramall Lane

For fans of straightforward permutations this game is an absolute dream.

If Sheffield United win then they will be promoted back to the Premier League.

Any other result and the Blades will have to wait to secure what, at present, looks to be an inevitable promotion.

Play-off chasing West Brom won't make it easy for the Blades though, as a positive result for them tonight would boost their hopes of bagging one of the two remaining play-off spots.

Also, there is just a bit of history between these two teams in this fixture...

Image source, Getty Images

Sheffield United's run to the FA Cup semi-finals has left them with games in hand on the rest of the Championship.

They have four to go, starting with tonight - and need just three points from those four games to secure promotion.

Easy, right? Hmmm. Well the first two matches are against teams - West Brom and Preston - in equally desperate need of the points for their play-off pushes.

And then after that, there's a Yorkshire derby at a Huddersfield side needing points to stave off relegation having clambered out of the bottom three under former Blades boss Neil Warnock.

Image source, Getty Images

It feels like there's a big match happening every time you blink at the moment - and tonight is no different as Bramall Lane hosts a huge game in the Championship.

The scenario for Sheffield United is simple - beat West Bromwich Albion and they will be back in the Premier League, having sealed the runners-up spot with three games to spare.

But the match is just as important for the Baggies - perhaps even more so, given the Blades only need three points from their final four games to secure promotion.

Tonight is West Brom's game in hand on the play-off pack - win and they will climb into the top six, putting their fate in their own hands ahead of the final two matches.