Chester’s 2017-18 season will surely go down as one of the worst in living memory for any professional club.

It is impossible to pinpoint one key moment where it has gone wrong for the Blues, more a series of poor decisions both on and off the field which culminated in relegation from the National League, which felt inevitable from January onwards.

The problems stemmed from the back end of last season, where a dreadful run of form and eight home defeats in a row should have resulted in Jon McCarthy’s exit as manager.

However, the former assistant to Steve Burr was backed by the club’s board and then-chief executive Mark Maguire and handed an inflated transfer kitty in the summer that would have been the envy of most National League bosses.

McCarthy unfortunately blew the cash on several underwhelming arrivals in a squad which lacked balance and pace. The likes of John McCombe, Lathaniel Rowe-Turner, Kingsley James and Paul Turnbull did little but paper over the cracks, and while Andy Halls and Ross Hannah have had their moments, neither had the impact many would have hoped.

Equally as damning was the shocking decision to not offer new contracts to first-team regulars Johnny Hunt, Ryan Lloyd and Elliott Durrell. All three were key performers for Chester in the previous campaign and in the case of Lloyd and Durrell, the duo have gone on to win promotion with Macclesfield Town. McCarthy believed Hunt, Durrell and Blaine Hudson to be a disruptive influence within his dressing room, when in fact these were strong characters who had voiced their concerns when results nosedived the previous season.

The opening day postponement at Solihull Moors – owing to safety regulations not being passed at Damson Park – rather set the tone for a season of chaos and mishaps at Chester.

McCarthy knew he must he the ground running but one win from his first six matches – the three points coming in surprise fashion away at Aldershot – wasn’t what the club’s hierarchy demanded and the vultures were circling ahead of back-to-back away games with fellow strugglers Torquay and the rearranged trip to Solihull.

Hannah netted a stoppage time equaliser at Torquay but the Blues then produced an abysmal performance in a dire 2-0 loss at Solihull and McCarthy was shown the door the following day.

Popular midfielder Tom Shaw was handed the reins for three matches as caretaker but couldn’t deliver an elusive win, with the 4-0 thrashing at Dover exposing Chester’s frailties ahead of the appointment of the club’s fourth permanent manager since reforming.

Step forward, Marcus Bignot. The appointment of the former Solihull and Grimsby manager was a real coup, and that positivity translated onto the pitch immediately, the Blues ending a 15-match wait for a home win in a 2-0 success over Maidenhead, where they played some of their best football of the entire campaign.

The next fortnight was not short of drama, which began with another away postponement, this time just two hours prior to kick-off away at Eastleigh.

Chester were roared on by 1,200 travelling supporters at rivals Tranmere Rovers, securing a battling goalless draw in a rip-roaring derby where goalkeeper Alex Lynch produced a host of stunning saves.

If Maidenhead and Tranmere had felt like two steps forward, the utterly appalling 2-0 FA Cup defeat at Kidderminster felt like three steps back.

Having overspent in the summer, a cup run was deemed vital to enable Bignot to try and redress the imbalances in his squad, but some of his players effectively gave up in their fourth qualifying round tie, the manager leaving the team out on the pitch long after the final whistle to face the jeers and abuse from the Blues’ faithful.

Bignot took the drastic step to switch Chester from a part-time to full-time programme and initially that decision led to an upturn in performances, Lucas Dawson’s 94th minute goal to secure a 3-2 win over Barrow hauling the Blues out of the drop zone for the final time all season.

Bignot’s first cross-border derby went Wrexham’s way but the Blues were arguably the better side despite going down 1-0, and they really should have gain three points from the 2-2 draw at 10-man Leyton Orient.

The 4-0 home drubbing at the hands of Dagenham and Redbridge was the start of a desperate run of form. Despite a 1-0 home win over Solihull sandwiched in between, the 4-0 hammering at Halifax led to an angry reaction from Blues supporters, which manifest itself three days later after a limp 2-0 home defeat against Guiseley.

Victory at Ebbsfleet and a good point at AFC Fylde resulted in some renewed optimism on the pitch, but off the field rumours were beginning to circulate around the Deva of the financial crisis about the engulf the club.

The City Fans United meeting in late January revealed the full extent of the Blues financial mess, with CEO Maguire axed and the club asking for £50,000 of fundraising to stay in business.

On the pitch, this was a death-knell for Bignot’s survival bid, forced into seeing senior players such as Shaw, Hannah, James, Turnbull and McCombe all leave as cost-cutting measures took hold. Impressive loan signings Reece Hall-Johnson and Sam Hornby also had to return to their parent clubs.

Despite the doom and gloom on the pitch, the fans’ fundraising efforts off the pitch were a joy to behold over the next six-week period. Over £100,000 was generated from a series of events, including a wonderful all-star benefit match at the Deva organised by broadcaster Colin Murray, ex-England striker Michael Owen and board member Jeff Banks, which brought £25,000 into the club.

The first-team – now with a much younger element to it, with the likes of Tom Crawford and James Jones becoming regulars – were beleaguered and 10 defeats from 12 matches, including a 2-0 derby reversal at Wrexham, culminated in relegation being confirmed against Tranmere on April 7, with four games to spare.

Seven days prior to relegation, following a dire 2-0 home loss against Torquay, the board confirmed Bignot’s contract would not be renewed beyond the end of the season, which came as no great surprise to the fanbase or the manager himself.

What followed was a distasteful sacking which lacked class in the extreme. After the Blues 3-2 win over Bromley, the board decided to relieve Bignot of his duties with immediate effect, informing him of the news in the car park after a youth team cup semi-final tie, which Bignot had attended to offer his support to academy boss Calum McIntyre. It lacked any sort of dignity and the board subsequently held their hands up.

Bignot split the fanbase regarding his playing style and rough treatment of the first-team in his first month in charge, but he faced a nigh-on impossible situation to manage in and conducted himself with great professionalism throughout. With hands tied behind his back, he did a decent job in the circumstances.

It felt as though things couldn’t get any worse and, mercifully, they haven’t. McIntyre was placed in caretaker charge for the final three matches, aged just 24, and delivered a heart-warming win at Barrow on the final day, as well as blooding six academy graduates in the process.

It proved there are bright talents who can help pick Chester up off the floor in the coming months, but the season gone by will live long in the memory for all the wrong reasons.

Player of the Season: Ryan Astles - One of only a handful of first-team players to still be involved at the end of the season, and never let his team-mates down. Honourable mentions in the second-half of the season to Andy Halls and James Jones.

Goal of the Season: Craig Mahon (vs Sutton Utd, H) - A superb strike from 25 yards out into the top corner to haul the Blues back into the game.

Game of the Season: Tranmere 0-0 Chester - Limited options here but the end-to-end goalless draw at Prenton Park, played out in front of an 8,000+ crowd, was enthralling throughout and Alex Lynch's performance deserves a mention.