So League One beckons for Leeds - and the nightmare continues for their supporters.

Dennis Wise's side will be relegated from the Championship unless they score a hatful of goals to beat Derby on 6 May and Hull City lose.

Six years ago, Leeds had trips to Real Madrid, AC Milan and Lazio. Next season they will almost certainly visit Hartlepool and Walsall.

Any fans who thought the club had bottomed out when they were relegated from the Premiership in 2004 now knows very differently - and should be aware things could get even worse.

But why has Leeds' decline accelerated?

They have been playing the blame game at Elland Road for several years now and the finger pointing has started again already.

Former chairman Peter Ridsdale refuses to accept his regime - which left the club more than £100m in debt when he departed in 2003 - can be held responsible for this latest disaster.

True, Leeds did reach the play-off final last season and mistakes made during this campaign, which have no link to the past, have contributed to their downfall.

But the almighty hangover from Ridsdale's reign is still casting a huge shadow over Elland Road.

The club's continuing financial difficulties - and loss of crucial parachute money from the Premiership - meant then boss Kevin Blackwell had to sell three members of his side for £4.5m in the summer of 2006.

Blackwell spent peanuts on replacements then was sacked by chairman Ken Bates when his side failed to hit the ground running in August.

It was a harsh decision and, in hindsight, the wrong one, although many Leeds fans agreed with it at the time.

However, few supporters agreed with Bates' decision to replace Blackwell with his old Chelsea mucker Wise in October.

And whether the ship was already sinking or not, Wise has never really looked like the man to steer the club out of trouble, despite having six months - and a flurry of signings - to drag his side out of the mire.

The chaotic scenes at the end of Saturday's draw with Ipswich, which as good as sent Leeds down, only confirmed that the club is at war with itself.

A sorry day summed up a shambolic season in which the club has used 43 players and fought what looks certain to be an unsuccessful battle against the drop.

What next? Well, ask Manchester City, Nottingham Forest or Sheffield Wednesday. League One takes no prisoners and shows no mercy to a big club that has fallen on hard times.

As they prepare for what is likely to be their first season in the third tier of English football, Leeds desperately need some stability yet there are reports Bates is already considering putting the club up for sale.

Whatever the future holds at Elland Road, it is unlikely to be dull.

Next season could see the rebirth of a once great club - or it could be the latest chapter in one of the biggest disaster stories football has ever seen.