LOMAS ON STAGS: Mansfield Town in much better shape on Wembley Stadium return from dark days of 2011

Victory would elevate Nigel Clough’s men into League One and start a whole new era at a club rescued from Conference ignominy by John Radford and Paul Cox.

And, given their momentum and quality in the last third of the season and the way they disposed of a high quality Northampton Town side over two legs in the semi-final, few would bet against them beating Port Vale at the third time of asking this season – but the most important of the three clashes.

It is 35 years this week to the only time Stags ever won at Wembley – that memorable Freight Rover Trophy triumph over Bristol City at the old Wembley Stadium.

But for the younger Stags fans their only memory of a day out at Wembley is at the new stadium 11 years ago when the club was in dire straits in the Conference and had so many injuries they could not even fill a subs bench for the final against Darlington.

Stags had ended a disappointing season 12th under boss Duncan Russell and the Football League seemed light years away.

So the confidence of the current Mansfield Town side heading for this weekend’s showdown with Vale underlines just how far the club has come on since their last time at Wembley.

It is a final that sees so many connections between the club with former Stags midfielder Darrell Clarke now Vale boss, David Flitcroft, who came so close to getting Stags up three years ago, now their director of football, and three decent ex-Stags players in Mal Benning, Aidan Stone and Harry Charsley likely to figure against their old club.

It makes for a mouthwatering showdown and hopefully servants like Clarke and Benning will be well received by their old fans.

But the biggest hope for Saturday apart from promotion is that everyone stays off the pitch at the end, whatever the outcome, after the disgraceful scenes that marred both Stags’ and Vale’s semi-finals last week.

Players should feel safe on the pitch – their place of work – and anyone attacking them banned for life.