Albion have enjoyed some momentous occasions in their recent past – but Monday’s trip to Wembley could be the most important of them all, writes blogger Andy Toft.

The graph of Baggies progress over the last five years would plot peaks at 2002′s last day promotion clincher, the victory at Sunderland in 2004 which effectively sent them back to the Premiership and, of course, the Great Escape.

Each of those exhilirating highs pointed the way to the dawn of a new era at the club – one defined by a prolonged stay in the Premiership.

But in those terms the sun never quite climbed over the horizon, opportunity slipped from their grasp and so the yo-yo span downwards once more.

Now the Baggies have another chance to include themselves among England’s elite club.

And in many ways Monday’s game carries even more significance than what has gone before.

It is not just the backdrop of Wembley that imbues the play-off final with the feeling of an epic moment, but the fate which awaits the victors and the vanquished.

For the winners there is promise of Premiership football and the £60 million cash windfall which goes with it.

For the losers another season in the Championship and the prospect of losing touch with the top flight at a time when it is about to benefit from a colossal TV deal which threatens to create a final, unbridgeable gulf between the two top tiers of English football.

From next year gaining promotion to the Premiership will be harder than ever as relegated teams will be able to rely on tens of millions of pounds of TV money to fund their promotion bids.

Judged against that background Monday’s game is the biggest since the play-offs began.

Added to that is the knowledge that defeat for Albion would mean the departure of several key figures from The Hawthorns.

Curtis Davies, Diomansy Kamara and Jason Koumas will all be coveted by top flight clubs this summer should the Baggies miss out on promotion.

It is difficult to imagine any of them sticking around for another season of Championship football.

Victory would allow Tony Mowbray to graft extra quality onto the stem of a squad which already possesses enough ability to view a Premiership return without fear.

Defeat would leave him having to rebuild a team capable of winning promotion at a time when the task is becoming tougher than ever.

In terms of what is at stake it is doubtful Albion have ever faced a more important game.