Is there a better feeling than heading down Wembley Way ahead of a massive day for your team?
For fans of just four clubs in the current 92-team EFL pyramid in the 2024/25 season, their answer will be: "I have no idea".
Silverware, a place in a cup final or promotion are the rewards on offer whenever a domestic club side takes to the turf of England’s national stadium.
In a normal year, there are opportunities to get there through the FA Cup semi-finals and final, the EFL Cup, EFL Trophy and FA Trophy finals, and the play-off finals for the Championship, League One, League Two and National League.
After 18 years of high-stakes action at the rebuilt stadium, a remarkable 88 clubs currently in the top four divisions - and several more besides - have enjoyed their day in the sun at the glittering venue.
Some, like Crawley Town, who made the League Two playoff final last season, only recently earned their maiden trip to Wembley.
Then there’s Bournemouth, who only played at Wembley as an away team in the Premier League while Tottenham were using the national stadium as their home ground.
So who is yet to make it?
Blackburn Rovers
Blackburn are the highest-ranked team never to make it to the 'new' Wembley. Although Rovers have been English champions three times, won six FA Cups and one League Cup, those successes came well before the new Wembley opened, with the last trip coming in 1995's Charity Shield.
A League Cup win at Cardiff's Millennium Stadium followed in 2002, during Wembley's rebuild, and a run to the FA Cup semi-finals in 2007 came after Wembley had re-opened, but before the decision to host that round of games in north-west London in subsequent years.
Could things be about to change, though? Rovers head into the final quarter of the Championship season well in the mix for a play-off spot, despite some all-too-familiar off-the-pitch turmoil, with manager John Eustace having last month departed for Derby. Valerien Ismael - who led Barnsley to the 2020/21 Championship play-offs - has taken the reigns at Ewood Park.
Ipswich Town
Another big team that haven't graced the Wembley turf since 2007, former FA Cup and UEFA Cup winners Ipswich came closest when they lost in the 2014/15 Championship play-off semi-finals. Their back-to-back League One and Championship promotions in 2022/23 and 2023/24 came without the need for the play-offs.
The Tractor Boys' hopes of a first-ever trip to the new Wembley this season were dashed when they were dumped out of the FA Cup on penalties away to Nottingham Forest in the fifth-round,
Accrington Stanley
Accrington have come a whisker away from Wembley three times, reaching the League Two play-off semi-finals in 2011 and 2016 but losing both ties, to Stevenage and AFC Wimbledon respectively, before their semi-final defeat to Bolton Wanderers in the 2023 EFL Trophy.
In fact, a non-league side for decades since their formation 1968, they never visited the old Wembley either.
When Stanley eventually did go up to League One in 2018, it was by finishing as champions of the fourth tier. They are still waiting for a memorable cup run and this season has seen them in a relegation battle at the wrong end of League Two.
Colchester United
Colchester fans haven’t had much to celebrate since being relegated from the Championship in 2008 – after years of mid to low-table finishes in League One, they dropped into League Two in 2016 and haven’t found their way back up since.
They were a game away from Wembley when they reached the play-off semi-finals in 2019/20, but lost to Exeter City. After narrowly avoiding the drop of the EFL in 2023/24, they have steered clear of the relegation fight this season, but are heading towards a mid-table finish.
