The 1999/2000 season set new lows, on and off the pitch.
The dictatorial, sometimes even barmy Norton Lea had imposed a more than thirty percent rise in ticket prices, removed the family stand concessions and awarded the previously successful yet increasingly negative John Duncan a new contract.
And all after the exit of popular players whilst moves towards a modern stadium had been thwarted by his intransigence.
As a result the first fixture, a predictably dull home defeat to Colchester United, saw a Mansfield size crowd.
We then enjoyed a brief respite, winning a couple or three games, only for fans favourites Paul Holland and Billy Mercer to be sold for what many believed was less than their true worth.
A chairman cashing-in? Surely not.
The excellent Spireites Independent Fans Association - SIFA - pursued a dialogue with the then Board before organising peaceful protests when rebuffed. However the thousands staying away had far more impact.
Meanwhile the team embarked upon a run of no less than twenty three games without a win. Infact I remember walking into Saltergate one afternoon to see us go one down as I entered the arena, two down before I'd taken my usual position, then three down before I'd leaned on the barrier. Add that to a humiliating FA Cup exit at home to Enfield and suffice to say it was on a par with much of what we've seen this season.
Week after week, defeat after defeat, excuse after excuse. And the fact our top scorer - Jason Lee - was actually playing for Peterborough whilst we paid a sizeable proportion of his wages tells you what Carson's currently delivering is hardly original.
I guess the big difference was, however, that when Duncan was eventually sacked - albeit by the crook Lea handed the Club over to - his replacement, Nicky Law, took a side that'd forgotten how to attack, score goals and even play proper football and turned the same group of players into one that did all three with aplomb.
Unlike Gary Caldwell who, well, we know, don't we...
Oh, and off-field scandals were in the future rather than the past and present.
The new stadium was supposed to be an end to all this, a new beginning which would see CFC pursue it's potential and never again be forced to endure humiliating relegations to the lowest league.
I suppose it takes a special sort of incompetence - or worse - to throw the 'bounce' initially achieved on Sheff Road down the same Saltergate-esque sh*t shoot.
This post has been edited by MDCCCLXVI: 14 April 2017 - 09:37 PM