I've just been having a look through reports of our early play off finals (when they were called 'Test matches') and I rather wish I hadn't. We were involved three successive seasons from when they were first introduced in 1893. All single match winner-takes-all affairs at neutral venues. The first we led 2-0 after 10 minutes and somehow lost 3-2 to unfancied Darwen to end up being relegated for the first time ever.

The 2nd was exactly four weeks after we won the FA Cup, inbetween time playing one outstanding league game which we lost - which meant we had to play 3rd bottom of the 1st tier Preston who had never previously finished lower than 2nd... 3-0 down at HT we lost 4-0.

The 3rd was the most agonising of all, against Derby County in extreme "wretched" weather at Filbert Street. 1-0 up with five minutes remaining, Derby equalise and then net a winner in the last minute.