Owls Old Trafford Bound In 2010-11?

There's a chance Wednesday could well end up in the League One play-offs next season, but it may not be Wembley that we're heading for...

Should Alan Irvine and his men make the League One play-off final next season, it could well be Old Trafford that we're playing at - and not Wembley.

That's because Wembley is hosting the Champions League final next season, an event which is scheduled for the same weekend as the Football League play-offs.

It's left the dates and venue for next season's play-offs up in the air, with Manchester United's home ground a real possibility for the end-of-season affair.

Of course, we'd all love to make a swift return to the Championship via the top-two automatic promotion slots.

There's also the chance that we might miss out on the top six altogether - but let's not put a downer on the season before it's even started.

Our last route back to the second tier of England football was via the play-offs though, and nobody can rule that route out again this season.

So going to Old Trafford, although something we haven't done to follow the Owls in quite a while, won't be quite the same 'magic' as going to the home of English football.

The best bit about going up via the play-offs, rather than the top two, is the chance for a day out at Wembley. A day out that will be remembered forever, whether you win or, hopefully not in our case, lose.

I just can't see Old Trafford being the same, although a win's a win, and it's hardly going to dampen a celebration party.

Cardiff's Millennium Stadium has also been thrown into the mix.

The stadium, of course, has some great memories for Wednesdayites who travelled there last time to see the Owls gain promotion from League One with a 4-2 victory over Hartlepool United.

During Wembley's rebuilding it hosted numerous play-off finals, FA Cup finals and League Cup finals.

And, with the majority of fans that visited, it went down well really well, mainly thanks to its extremely close proximity to the bars and clubs of Cardiff.

I'd take Cardiff over Manchester anyday, although the ease to get across the other side of the Pennines for what could be our big day, is a winner (for Owls fans at least).

It's being reported that Manchester United have already been asked about the possibilty of staging the play-off finals next season, something that they're expected to agree to.

But Wembley are still working with the Football League to try and resolve the issue.

Let's hope that we're far and away in the automatic promotion positions to worry about where we'd play any potential play-off final next season.

There's always the famous Johnstone's Paint Trophy final, which is still scheduled for Wembley, that could whet our appetite, afterall...

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