Hull v Sheffield Wednesday Championship play-off final preview
All this talk of the £200 million pound game might make a nice headline but for the fans and players of both Hull City and Sheffield Wednesday the prize of Premier League football cannot be measured in purely monetary terms.
After suffering the agony of relegation last season, Hull are desperate to bounce back at the first attempt. And they have the perfect man to lead them there. Promotion today would be manager Steve Bruce's fourth at this level. No other Championship boss has achieved as many.
For Wednesday though it's 16 years since they last travelled to the likes of Old Trafford, Anfield or Stamford Bridge. Not since have they even come close to a return to the promised land. But the arrival of new owner Dejphon Chansiri and head coach Carlos Carvalhal last summer has awoken this sleeping giant of a club. Wednesday have played some of the best football the Championship has seen this season and are fully deserving of their shot at a return to the big time.
Key for Wednesday is undoubtedly Fernando Forestieri. The diminutive Italian has scored 16 goals this season and assisted seven more. Seen by many as the Championship player of the season his arrival from Watford last summer has coincided with Wednesday's resurgence.
But Forestieri isn't the only player in blue and white capable of making an impact this afternoon. Keep an eye out for Barry Bannan in midfield and Gary Hooper up top. The latter rebuilding his career following a disappointing spell at Norwich after plundering an abundance of goals for Celtic north of the border. Whereas at the back, Tom Lees and Keiran Westwood have been the bedrock of an often imperious defensive unit, which has equalled the club's clean sheet record for the season.
For many Hull were one of the fancied teams at the beginning of the season. The Tigers learned their lesson from 2010 when relegation threatened the club's very existence and five years later contingency plans ensured they retained the bulk of the team for an assault on the Championship.
Uruguayan striker Abel Hernandez has stolen the headlines with his goals this season but Hull's team is littered with talent and experience. From Michael Dawson in defence, to Tom Huddlestone in midfield and Robert Snodgrass on the wing, their squad boasts players who've demanded multi million pound fees in the past. However, the absence of goalkeeper Allan McGregor through injury could be key. Understudy Eldin Jakupovic has proved an able deputy when called upon but there's no question McGregor would've been first choice if fit.
The two games between these sides this season have been even affairs - two draws. Who do I think will win and claim the £200 million prize? Well, I think I'll just sit on one of these fences currently being erected outside my hotel on Wembley Way. Either way, Yorkshire will have a Premier League team next season and for me that's all that matters.