A CLOUD of depression hung over the Thomas household this morning, following Wrexham's relegation.
I went to the Racecourse - more in hope than expectation - believing Denis Smith and his players were facing a difficult task in over-coming Brentford. And, although they played well in the first half, they simply had too much to do and were worn down.
Wrexham were the better footballing side but the physical nature of Brentford's game took its toll and I felt desperately sorry for the lads.
There's no question it's the Football League's 10-point deduction which has sent them down and I thought Smith and his players could take immense pride in their performance.
The full extent of relegation probably won't sink in until next month when the new season's fixture list comes out, which begs the much bigger question as to whether Wrexham's name will be on it.
Talking to Racecourse office staff on Tuesday it's obvious no one there has a clue what's going on and what's going to happen next week, never mind next month.
It's a horrible situation for everyone involved because they are in limbo, wondering when and if a takeover will go through. And looking round the other night, it's obvious the club has been neglected. The place is shabby, it's looking old and tired and needs an injection of cash.
Unfortunately, at the moment, it's a case of keeping fingers crossed and hoping something positive emerges from the latest bid by Nev Dickens. The supporters may not be ecstatic about League Two football next season but are realistic enough to accept the lowest tier of League football is a small price to pay for survival.
And there's likely to be further fall-out from relegation insofar as Smith is going to find it hard to hang onto his better players. Managers from other clubs were out in force the other night, most of them watching Carlos Edwards.
There's no question he'll be gone next season and I wouldn't be surprised if Juan Ugarte is another one on his way. The striker is not the most gifted of players but he certainly knows where the goal is and it wouldn't surprise me if a club somewhere decided to take a gamble on him.
Before you start reaching for the anti-depressant pills, the other side of the coin is that Wrexham will still be in business next season knowing that the only way is up.
A new owner, new directors and fresh blood brought in to oversee the day-to-day running of the business will free Denis Smith to concentrate on what he does best. He has the nucleus of a decent squad in the players under contract and, with his knowledge of the market at that level, I'm sure he will be able to bring in a few decent new faces.
Wrexham might be a small club but they have an excellent reputation and there are a lot of footballing people out there who will want to see the club bounce back from its present problems.
That's nothing less than Denis and his players deserve after what they've put up with in the past few months and I hope the supporters will turn out in force on Saturday for the last game of the season against Huddersfield to show, once more, their appreciation for all their efforts.
* Mickey Thomas has not been paid for this column. A donation to Wrexham FC's revival fund and Hope House Hospice has been made on his behalf.
I'M looking forward to Wrexham's Player of the Year awards on Sunday, where myself and Joey Jones are guest speakers. It should be a good "do", despite the disappointment around and less daunting than the Manchester 10k charity run I'm undertaking on Sunday May 22.
There are 22,000 runners and I know because I've been allocated the last number!
I'll be attending the Glastonbury Festival this summer after being given hospitality tickets. Kylie Minogue, of course is headlining, and following my visit to her gig at the MEN Arena last week I just hope she doesn't think I'm stalking her!
