Sheffield Wednesday, Barnsley, Bradford City and Middlesbrough go for glory in another historic Yorkshire play-off year

Given that just 12 EFL clubs compete in the end-of-season lottery from across the land - and taking into the account the names who have missed out in 2022-23 - it is no mean feat.

Sheffield Wednesday, Barnsley, Bradford City and Middlesbrough take to the stage in the coming days, with the first three of those aforesaid clubs also participating in the play-offs at the end of 2015-16, the only other occasion when four White Rose sides made the cut.

That other participant that year were Hull City, who broke Owls' hearts in the Championship showpiece at Wembley, thanks to Mo Diame.

The day after that, Adam Hammill-inspired Barnsley were celebrating after winning their League One final on the hallowed turf.

They beat Millwall, who had knocked out Bradford in the semi-finals.

Two further successes at the home of football over the next Spring Bank Holiday would constitute a grand weekend before thoughts turn to summer.

Three would be perfect - although sadly one Yorkshire team will have to miss out with the Owls and Reds mindful that something will have to give in their respective pursuits of glory in the third tier.

Yorkshire may be lagging behind the North West, London and to a lesser extent, the Midlands when it comes to the honours table in modern footballing times, but its play-off record stands up rather better and is admirable.

Since the start of the Millennium, a side from the Broad Acres has made it through to an end-of-season showpiece – whether at Wembley, Cardiff or on one occasion, Old Trafford – on an impressive 17 occasions.

In 11 consecutive seasons from 2007-08 to 2017-18, at least one Yorkshire club reached a final and there were finales to savour and forget, depending on your particular persuasion.

The county's record in third-tier finals is particularly eye-catching.

Nine clubs have triumphed in 11 showpieces with Huddersfield and Bradford successful in consecutive seasons at Wembley in 1995 and 1996.

The Terriers, Rotherham United and Barnsley have prevailed on two occasions apiece, with one of the Reds' triumphs coming in Cardiff back in 2006.

With both Wednesday and Reds in separate semi-finals, against Peterborough and Bolton respectively, there is the tantalising potential for a third all-Yorkshire final at third-tier level in late May.

The first took place in 2008, when Doncaster Rovers - whose supporters were heavily outnumbered in the crowd - stunned Leeds United in a richly-deserved triumph which secured second-tier football for the club for the first time in half-a-century.

It was a day when the name of James Hayter entered Rovers folklore.

The county's other final at League One level was rather more turgid amid scorching sunshine in May 2012.

Huddersfield and the Blades played out an eminently forgettable 0-0 draw. The real action came in the penalty shoot-out.

An epic 22 spot-kicks were taken, with rival keepers Alex Smithies and Steve Simonsen taking centre stage and it was Town who held their nerve to win 8-7.

It was all the more staggering given that their first three penalty-takers in Tommy Miller, Damien Johnson and Alan Lee all missed.

Fortunately, United also fluffed their lines from 12 yards with three of their first four players to step up in Lee Williamson, Matt Lowton and Andrew Taylor all failing to convert.

This season has been a far happier seasonal denouement for the Blades.

Having already booked their ticket to the Premier League, there is now the delicious potential for four clubs from the county to be promoted in the same campaign.

Since the Football League was reorganised in 1958, it has happened on just two previous occasions.

A decade ago in 2012-13 - which included some remarkable final-day events - Hull, Doncaster, Rotherham and Bradford were all smiling.

The first three did it via the conventional route and were automatically promoted, enjoying unforgettable occasions at the end of the regular campaign against Cardiff City, Brentford and Aldershot respectively.

That said, Hull were given a huge favour by Leeds, who beat the Tigers' promotion rivals Watford in a delayed finish at Vicarage Road.

At Brentford's former Griffin Park home, there were 17 seconds of incomprehensible stoppage-time drama as Rovers went from likely play-off participation to the League One title after the Bees missed a penalty and the visitors immediately broke to score through James Coppinger.

The Bantams went up via the longer route, serenely breezing past Northampton Town to win the League Two play-offs, scoring three times in the first half-hour in a 3-0 Wembley stroll.

Of course, City were no strangers to the route to HA9 that season. They had previously reached the League Cup final in astonishing fashion.

As for the only other time that a quarter of Yorkshire sides went up in the same season since reorganisation? Well, you must go back to 1983-84.

Steel City rivals Wednesday and United were promoted - something that could again happen this season - while York City and Doncaster finished in the top two in the old Division Four.

That proved a historic campaign for Denis Smith’s all-conquering Minstermen, who became the first team to reach a century of points in the Football League following the introduction of three points for a win in 1981.