"It's the best way to go up, undoubtedly. It's better than winning the league - I've done that as a manager - but the day you win promotion at Wembley is amazing It's like winning a cup final and promotion all in one."
Tony Mowbray is nothing if not a football romantic and his eyes light up at the mere thought of leading Sunderland to the Promised Land of the Premier League via the play-offs this season. After finishing fifth in League One last term and winning promotion at Wembley, Sunderland have surpassed all expectations in their first season back in the Championship.
No-one expected them to be in the play-off mix, and yet here they are. And while they may be outsiders to secure a second successive promotion, the fact they stand any chance at all is testament to the success of the play-offs as a concept.
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With only three weeks - and four games - of the season remaining, every team in the top half of the Championship has promotion on its mind. Burnley are already destined for the top flight, but Sheffield United, Luton Town and Middlesbrough are fighting it out for the other automatic slot.
The two that miss out look certain to end up in the play-offs, but the other two spots in the top six could be taken by any of eight clubs - and, mathematically if not realistically, you could even add another four teams to that field. It is building to an incredible finish, and Mowbray is determined to extend Sunderland's race as long as possible, with a victory in tonight's home game against relegation strugglers Huddersfield Town a crucial next step.
"It keeps the season alive for so many teams," said Mowbray of the play-offs. "With three weeks of the season to go, four games, everyone down to 12th in our division can still dream - the fans of all of those clubs in the top half can still dream.
"Let the drama play out and see how it goes because a lot of those teams still have to play each other. Blackburn have got Coventry, we've got West Brom, Watford and Preston - all teams that are dreaming like we are.
"To be fair, without the play-offs the season would have finished weeks and weeks ago for the vast majority of clubs in the league. They just make sense to keep everybody interested.
"The crowds wouldn't be as big in the division if there was nothing left to play for. If we knew now that we had no chance of getting into the top two and winning promotion, and we weren't going to get dragged into the relegation battle, people would probably say 'these are nothing games, let's go to the seaside instead.'
"I think it keep the focus, it gives you a chance - as this club found last season when it finished fifth [in League One] and yet still got out of the division."
Mowbray has experienced the play-offs as both player and manager. In 1988, the year after the play-offs were introduced, he captained Middlesbrough to promotion to the top flight.
The format was different then, with the three highest finishing teams in the old Second Division taking part along with the side that finished fourth-bottom of the First Division. Boro saw off Bradford City over two legs in the semi-final, and then beat Chelsea - who had finished seven points clear of the First Division relegation zone - over two legs in the final.
Later, he scored for Ipswich Town to help beat Barnsley and win promotion to the Premier League at Wembley in 2000, in what was the final game of his playing career. But as a manager, his only experience is as a losing finalist with West Bromwich Albion in 2007.
Mowbray said: "I've had a lot of play-off involvement in my years of playing and coaching. It's been amazing.
"I think it [the play-off system] is about right. I'm not sure I'd tinker too much with it, although I was involved in it as a player with Middlesbrough when the fourth-bottom team in the division above were also part of it!
"We beat Chelsea, who had finished fourth-bottom, in the final so we went up and they came down. I'm not sure the Premier League clubs would go for that now!
"The play-offs are great, though. I've won a play-off final at Wembley [with Ipswich] - I've lost one as well [with West Brom] - but they are great occasions, they are great for supporters.
"That's why I want us to keep the excitement going for as long as possible this season. You just never know."
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