An FA Cup thumping at the hands of League Two strugglers Torquay United on Tuesday night capped a miserable week for the Hatters, which saw the training ground put up for sale and the administrators launch a fresh appeal for a new owner.
The 4-0 defeat also ended any hope of potentially life-saving money-spinning Cup run.
It is the culmination of 18 months of mismanagement and stupidity, and everything you need to know about the current state of this once proud football club was on show on Tuesday night.
Singing in the Wembley rain after the play-off final win over Rochdale has never seemed so long ago as it does now.
County were forced to suffer the indignity of playing a `home' game at Macclesfield Town's Moss Rose ground after Edgeley Park had been deemed unfit to host the tie, not once but twice.
The ridiculous episode was yet another example of the uneasy relationship between Stockport County and their landlord Sale Sharks.
As for the game itself, the Hatters were 2-0 down inside 30 minutes after conceding two shambolic goals. You could watch a game every day for the next 100 years and still not see two such goals scored in the same match.
But what else can you expect from a team that was made up of the only 11 senior players available with only one recognised defender in the back four?
Youth team
The bench consisted of six youth team players - with five first-team appearances between them - and the goalkeeping coach.
There were so few options on the bench that, despite being 3-0 down at half-time, County boss Gary Ablett didn't make one substitution in the entire 90 minutes.
But after nine defeats in 10 games, which has left them sitting just eight points from safety in League One, and now having crashed out of the FA Cup at the hands of the sixth worst team in the Football League, Gary Ablett is always going to come in for criticism from some sections of the Hatters support.
It is undeserved. Ablett has had his hands tied from the minute he walked into Edgeley Park, but any decision he has had the luxury of making himself, he has got right.
His loan signings have been shrewd and he has kept the dressing room together in unbelievably tough circumstances.
He has done all he can and it is to his credit that he has not yet walked away. A less courageous manager certainly would have.
But even with a committed and enthusiastic young manager in charge, where do County go from here?
They need a saviour, and fast.
If that turns out to be Jim Melrose then all the better.
But he should show his commitment to the cause and stump up the cash - if he has it. These negotiations have gone on too long and Stockport County is dying.
If he does not show the colour of his money soon there may not be anything left to buy.
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It's heart breaking to watch what is happening to County. My brother and cousins keep me updated as to what the talk is in the town, other than I'm on the web everyday. If this march planned for the 23rd by county fans goes ahead, I hope the mal-contents express their frustration at the real villains of the piece. Brian Kennedy, Cheshire Sports and the local authorities and not with the poor buggers fighting the fire at Edgeley Park. GA to his credit has acted with dignity during this time and is working in impossible conditions. I don't care if we loose every game this season and are relegated on 14 points. If we play at Altringham, Moss Lane or Woodley Sports next year it would be better than being strangled at Edgeley Park. It's a non starter anyway as I don't believe for one moment that Cheshire Sports have any intention of letting the club play at the ground next year. If we are in the Unibond next year that's good too. THE CLUB is the point, it's history it's survival.
The local authorities have sat on their hands during this time but are all to happy to indulge themselves in whatever success the club has enjoyed in the past. If the authorities feel that the club is important to the town then dig out some solutions to help. We don't need tax payers money we need access to facilities and long term repayment plans. As for the Administrators I can't see they can do anymore than they are doing. I hope the march is noisy, well attended, and good hearted, remember Norwich. We're goin' down, we're goin' down, we're goin' down. BUT NOT OUT.
BRINKSWAY BOY
Have to disagree with elements of the article. Ablett's loan signings have been poor with the exception of Bridcutt. Paul Huntington anyone?? However, I will concede that there are bigger elements at stake here. This is a desperate situation that has been brought more swiftly to a head by the terrible results and awful displays on the pitch. We can only hope that someone comes to our rescue sooner rather than later. However, I think the one thing that everyone who has posted agrees upon, the future is looking extremely dark!