Brentford must overcome bizarre red and white curse and make it tenth time lucky against Swansea in ‘brutal’ Championship play-off final

Ever get the impression the footballing gods really don't like your team? Try being a Brentford fan...

Their play-off semi-final victory over Middlesbrough illustrated the rollercoaster of heartbreak and elation their supporters experience every season.

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But ahead of the final, when it comes to the play-offs, there is no joy for the Bees, just sadness.

Brentford's tenth try at English football's end-of-season free-for-all comes to a climax at Wembley on Saturday, with Swansea standing in between the Bees and an end to their 74-year exile from the top-flight.

Thomas Frank's side, who finished third in the league, enter the match as favourites on paper, but the bookies may want to read up on their history.

Brentford have been unsuccessful in each of their nine play-off campaigns in various divisions down the years, comfortably the worst record of any club in England.

Their most recent failure came just last year, when they were beaten by local rivals Fulham in the Wembley showpiece.

And as if there weren't enough bad omens for the west Londoners, they'll be fighting to end another bizarre curse on Saturday.

Get this: teams who traditionally wear red and white shirts and black shorts, like Brentford, have featured in 32 play-off campaigns, and 16 finals, without achieving promotion.

Sunderland, Sheffield United, Exeter and Lincoln have also been victims of the red and white curse.

That said, not even changing to their blue away strip for the final could save Brentford from succumbing to their own play-off curse last season.

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A legend of this season's opposition, Swansea icon Leon Britton, admits the play-offs are brutal.

"Your whole season comes down to one game," Swansea legend Britton told talkSPORT's Weekend Breakfast.

"It's great when you win, but when you lose, it was the lowest point in my career.

"There will be some disappointment today, but for the other team it'll be the best day of their lives."

Luckily for the Bees, their manager isn't all that into superstition.

"I'm not superstitious, at all," Frank insisted ahead of the match.

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"Of course I know how the human mind works and, of course you've heard stories about black cats or ladders and all that.

"If you do it, it comes into your mind and you think 'what should I do?' So I understand why people think things like that but personally I can't live my life like that. I need to move on and keep going.

"My approach is to analyse things, make sure we do better, and there's a lot of emotions about how we make the narrative of going into a final like this.

"We are excited, looking forward to it and we know everything is up in the air until Saturday afternoon.

"I didn't know about the red and white. I'll let our kit man take care of that. But all these stats are there to be broken in the end.

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"Am I worried about the kit? No. I don't care.

"The atmosphere is calm, relaxed and focused, with the understanding we are facing a Swansea team who have had a fantastic season.

"We've played them twice, both 1-1 draws. It's going to be an unbelievably tight game settled on the finest of margins."