It is among English’s football strangest chants. But increasingly “I had a wheelbarrow, the wheel fell off”, is the apposite anthem for Notts County, who sit bottom of the four tiers of the Football League.

Far more is at stake than pride if the nightmare of relegation comes to pass. After all, Notts have gone down more often than most. Four times in my lifetime, nine since my father was born and 14 since my grandfather first visited the terraces at Meadow Lane.

The club’s calling card, its honey to prospective billionaire buyers, is the title of oldest football league club in the world. This is its footnote in footballing history. That, and the gifting of some black and white shirts to a little-known team from Turin who played in pink and went on to become the most successful in Italy.

All this is pertinent because, yet again, Notts County are for sale. “Devastated” owner Alan Hardy made the announcement last week – shortly after accidentally posting a picture of his penis on social media. But more of that later.

Disaster is nothing new to the dwindling number who have followed Notts over the past few decades. A decade ago a Littlewoods study named Notts as the most stressful team to support, based on a toxic mix of financial woes, play-off heartbreak, and managerial upheaval. The appointment of Neal Ardley made him the 30th manager in as many years – and the third this season alone.