Jack Ross' men are at Wembley for a second time this season, the first being defeat in the Checkatrade Trophy final on penalties, and know that they are potentially 90 minutes away from a return to England's second tier.
While results on the pitch are important, Sunderland have looked to re-engage a fanbase that had to oversee the club's decline, that going alongside back-to-back relegations on the pitch.
Speaking to Sporting Life at Wembley, Quinn said: "Wouldn’t it be something else now if the club did that (achieved promotion) and bounced back.
"It was a tough few years for the fans and it was a really dire atmosphere in the stadium and fans were very close to giving up but these Sunderland fans are very resilient!
"I’ve witnessed it first-hand and it’s very special the importance of the club and the team to the city and the region, it’s unbelievable really when you look at it.
"The series that went around the world on Netflix, the one thing it did show, in those tough years, is what it means to the people of Sunderland.
"Now there’s positivity in the air and the new owners deserve respect for that because they recreated that connection.
"It’s been real fun and it’s enjoyable now for Sunderland fans and it’s another day out, they’ll probably take over Trafalgar Square on Saturday night, let the world know how big they are and then come here and bite their nails for 90 minutes and hope that we get through this time."
Click on the video above to watch the full interview where Quinn discusses Sunderland's season so far, the fans being back on-side, the 1998 Division 1 Play-Off final and much more...
