In Lawton's Bar, where the walls are festooned in tribute to the Brylcreemed brilliance of a post-war idol, they feared the worst long before defeat had brought the doomsday scenario into sharper focus.

'Confident?' asked one fan. 'How can we be confident? They're right next to us. Lose and they're above us. We're in the bottom two. Without a manager.'

Notts County had dared to hope all of this was behind them. Rewind 12 months and they were perched on top of League Two under Kevin Nolan and despite losing in the play-offs were heading in the right direction.

Struggling Notts County were defeated 3-0 at home to Cheltenham on Saturday in League Two

They invested heavily in new players in the summer. The wage bill doubled to nearly £3million. Then they started badly and got worse.

Nolan was fired and replaced by Harry Kewell, who survived only 75 days and the search is on for their 25th manager in the last 20 years.

This is the hottest seat in football and caretaker manager Steve Chettle doesn't want it.

'Probably not yet,' said Chettle, a Nottingham Forest stalwart of more than 400 games who was appointed to the coaching staff at Meadow Lane in August and is already in his second spell as caretaker.

Paul Hurst, recently sacked by Ipswich, and Neal Ardley, recently sacked by AFC Wimbledon, are among those being pursued.

Caretaker manager Steve Chettle admitted he doesn't want the job on a permanent basis

'Please be patient with me and understand I am doing everything I can to make the right call,' wrote chairman Alan Hardy in his programme notes.

'Whoever it is and whenever they arrive, we all have a duty to support them in what will be a demanding and challenging task with one clear objective: to secure our League Two status.

'After investing so substantially in our playing squad over the summer, I didn't expect to be saying those words but we must be realistic and treat our current predicament with the seriousness it warrants.'

Founded in 1862, Notts County are proudly the 'World's Oldest Football League Club'.

The feats of Tommy Lawton and Jackie Sewell dominate the lobby outside the boardroom.

To crash out of the Football League may be unthinkable but everyone understands it is not impossible.

Chairman Alan Hardy (centre) has told fans to be patient as he searches for a new manager

As they shuffled off for a half-time cuppa already trailing to a header by Luke Varney, supporters mumbled fearfully about Stockport County, Chesterfield and Leyton Orient, clubs with heritage lost to the 92.

Striving to recapture previous glories is a dangerous business. Hardy knows this. He took over two years ago with County in the midst of 10 successive League Two defeats and staring at relegation, attracting crowds lower than 4,000.

He bought the club from Ray Trew, who saved it from the Munto Finance shambles which featured Sven Goran Eriksson and had taken over from the Supporters Trust who had rescued it from its previous financial peril. The pattern is well set.

Hardy has proved a popular owner; often outspoken, not afraid to stir up the rivalry with Nottingham Forest and with an upturn in fortunes in his first full season. When he priced tickets at £2 for a fixture in February, more than 17,000 turned out to see them put four past Crewe.

On Saturday, 6,109 were there to witness a capitulation against Cheltenham.

Flat note: A band play their music ahead of the disappointing defeat by Cheltenham

They booed their team off at the interval and the mood turned sour when Varney slammed in his second of the game. Home fans booed some more, argued among themselves and spat out angry verses of 'What a waste of money' and 'You're not fit to wear the shirt'. Those famous stripes adopted by Juventus.

By the time Tyrone Barnett scored the third, there were few left in their seats.

Most had gone, yelling in frustration as they made for the exits. A handful stayed to throw more insults at the players as they trudged off at the end.

'It's a tough profession,' said Chettle. 'Six thousand people are shouting and screaming at you and telling you it's not good enough and we have to accept that because they're entitled to their opinion. When you perform like that you have to listen. We have to stand up and be counted and be men.

'It was very poor. Poor result. Not a great performance. Three poor goals. It needs to be sorted out quickly because we're in a predicament and it's turning into a scrap.'

If not, the 'World's Oldest Football League Club' will have to find something else to emblazon across the stands.