Can Leeds finally break the hoodoo after demolishing Norwich? FIVE tries, THREE finals, NO promotions… the play-offs have been cruel to the Yorkshire giants

Anyone who watched Leeds United dismantle Norwich City 4-0 in the Championship play-off semi-final would consider them in perfect form for football’s richest game at Wembley, with a £200m jackpot up for grabs .

Unfortunately for manager Daniel Farke, his players will have to conquer history as well as extremely uncomfortable Southampton opponents in Sunday’s final.

Those 35,000 Leeds supporters marching together from Yorkshire to the capital will know that better than anyone.

Even as they roared with chants hailing star players Crysencio Summerville and Wilfried Gnonto, they will be keenly aware of the curse that has plagued Leeds throughout English play-off history.

If Leeds miss out again, they will join MK Dons as the only club to have gone through six campaigns and failed in any of them.

Leeds are undoubtedly in top form for football’s richest game at Wembley on Sunday

Daniel Farke will be looking to take his side to the Premier League but must overcome their Wembley hoodoo

35,000 Leeds fans will make the journey from Yorkshire to the capital aware of the club’s unwanted record

The list of clubs who have beaten Leeds in the past is not the most intimidating in English football – Charlton Athletic, Watford, Doncaster Rovers, Millwall and Derby County.

It’s a bit embarrassing indeed for a proud club that won league championships under Don Revie and Howard Wilkinson and also boasts a European Cup final and a Champions League semi-final on its CV.

Nor do they seem pretentious where they self-destruct. They lost their first play-off final at St Andrew’s, their second at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff and their third at Wembley. More recently, they have twice exited at the semi-final stage on their own patch at Elland Road.

No wonder lifelong fan Simon Rix, bassist for Leeds rock gods Kaiser Chiefs and co-host of club podcast Don’t Go to Bed Yet, sounded almost pleading when he suggested: “ Maybe Farke is the man to break the hoodoo.”

Maybe Farke is the man. But 10 months into the job, he is aware of the need to separate any anxiety felt by supporters so it does not affect his players.

“Throughout the season, everyone said to me, ‘You can’t count on the play-offs because we never win,'” he says.

“I didn’t know about this record when I joined, but it means we could become the first team in the history of this club to win promotion in this way. It’s an opportunity.

“I’m a pessimist by nature, but there were times this season when I needed to lead by example and stay calm.

“You have to act a little bit to run such an exciting club. Supporters think the world is over after a defeat and dream of the Champions League after a win.

“I love this and the fire burns in me too. But I have to make sure I control it.

Farke admits he was told throughout the season not to bank on the play-offs

The Whites lost in the 1987 play-off final and were comprehensively beaten by Watford in 2006 (pictured)

In 2008, they lost the League One play-off final, overcoming a 15-point penalty to go into administration.

The common themes throughout the Leeds game are a heavy burden of expectation combined with an absence of luck.

They took part in the first play-offs in 1987. The original format saw the final over two legs between Charlton, who had finished 19th in the old First Division, and Leeds, who were fifth in the Second.

After the tie ended 1-1 on aggregate, a decider was set for Birmingham City’s St Andrew’s. Leeds led until seven minutes into extra time when they were canceled out by two headers from defender Peter Shirtliff.

“I knew ‘shirts’ and he had never scored twice in a game in his life. It was devastating because we were so close,’ remembers Leeds goalkeeper Mervyn Day that night. By Leeds’ next play-off meeting in 2006, the club had seen enormous highs and lows, culminating in relegation and financial collapse after chairman Peter Ridsdale “chased the dream”.

It was remarkable that they reached the Championship play-off final under Kevin Blackwell two years after relegation, but it didn’t stop the perception that all Leeds had to do was turn up to win.

“Football people knew otherwise. The club had changed,’ explains Blackwell. “We sold Mark Viduka, James Milner, Robbo (Paul Robinson) and Smithy (Alan Smith). Once we had Aston Martins and Range Rovers in the parking lot, the new players came behind the wheel of the Ford Focus.

“Our team was really on par with Watford but everyone still saw us as a big team. As a manager, you carry the weight on your shoulders.

Not for the first time, nor for the last time, fortune has not favored the whites.

“We started well and Shaun Derry shot over from a corner,” recalls Blackwell. “Ashley Young turned her back, the ball hit her foot and went into the corner.

“If he had come in, you don’t know what would have happened.”

Marcelo Bielsa’s side fell short against Derby County in the Championship play-off semi-final five years ago

2006 finals manager Kevin Blackwell (left) recalls the expectations his team faced

Leeds lost 3–0 and Blackwell was sacked by Ken Bates three games into the following season. Things deteriorated further, with Leeds relegated to League One and handed a 15-point penalty for going into administration.

Miraculously, Gary McAllister’s side then made the play-offs in 2008 when their luck ran out again. Red-hot favorites against their Yorkshire rivals Doncaster went down 1-0 in the final at Wembley.

“We felt hard to deal with because without the points deduction we would have gone up automatically,” midfielder Jonathan Douglas said.

Play-off appearances have been few and far between since then, but with the same result.

In 2009, Leeds missed out on a return to the Championship when Millwall beat them 2-1 on aggregate in the semi-final, Jermaine Beckford missing a penalty.

A decade later, it was the same story as Frank Lampard’s Derby came back from 2-0 down to win the semi-final 4-3 against Marcelo Bielsa’s side.

On both occasions, Leeds were automatically promoted to the following season. It might comfort Farke if the worst happens again, but he won’t want to count on it given the ambitions of the 49ers’ owners, whose investors include Will Ferrell and Russell Crowe. Blackwell believes this is the right time to banish history.

Blackwell suggests now is the right time to banish history and believes his former side can beat Southampton

“The fans might be worried because of previous play-off results, but the players blew Norwich away,” he says.

“If that Leeds turn up, I think they’ve got enough to beat Southampton.”

Farke hopes the match will not be decided by a moment of misfortune.

“Football is the only sport where a better team can lose because a goal can be so crucial,” he adds.

“But you’re not allowed to pray for luck beforehand.” You have to try to win it.

“A play-off final is not a normal league game. You can’t fix any mistakes next week.