Hartlepool UNITED have been given the infamous 'lucky' north dressing room at the Millennium Stadium for tomorrow's play-off final with Sheffield Wednesday, writes Paul Fraser.

Prior to Stoke City's victory over Brentford three years ago, all the victorious sides had emerged from that dressing room.

But, after 11 successive finals involving English Football Association or Football League matches, the hoodoo finally ended with City's success - after much hard work.

Officials at the Millennium Stadium had tried everything, from Feng Shui doctors, tossing coins and well-known artists in a bid to end the curse.

With the count at nine, TV doctor Paul Darby attempted to lift the bizarre trend by trying to remove negative energy from the south dressing room before Blackpool's LDV Vans final with Cambridge.

Cambridge, the side in the south dressing room, lost and the curse remained.

Then, in light of that result, Ken Bates, chairman of Chelsea in May 2002, demanded a coin toss for the right to choose a dressing room. But Arsenal occupied the north end and got their hands on the FA Cup. Spooky?

It continued to the extent that, after Cheltenham beat Rushden in the League Two play-off final a couple of weeks later after changing in the lucky dressing room, an artist was drafted in.

Welshman Andrew Vicari painted a Phoenix, a blazing sun and galloping horse on the south dressing room wall. It was Vicari's belief that to get rid of a curse you have to paint that wall red. He insisted the magic would work and, the following day, Stoke beat Brentford in the League One final and the curse was broken.

The painting, worth a staggering £250,000, still remains there today but Hartlepool United and the North-East will be hoping that curse returns to strike one more time tomorrow.