The last time Chester FC suffered a defeat worse than Saturday, The Beatles had yet to release their debut album, John F Kennedy was president of the United States of America and England were still yet to win the World Cup.

It has been 56 years since a hammering such as Saturday's disgraceful 8-1 collapse at the hands of Blyth Spartans . On that occasion it was a 9-2 drubbing by Leyton Orient in the League Cup in 1962, this time it was a league encounter in the sixth tier of English football against a side that had lost their first two games of the season.

The whole thing felt like an out of body experience, like it was something that wasn't really happening. After all, the past 18 months has thrown enough pain and misery at Blues fans for them to think that this kind of thing couldn't be happening to them. The footballing gods have something against us it seems.

Chester joint-boss Anthony Johnson was visibly enraged when he walked up to speak to the assembled media post game. He was in as much shock as the rest of us.

He admonished he and Bernard Morley's side for their part in such an ignominious defeat, apportioned some blame on themselves, and it would have taken a brave fly to be on the wall of the dressing room after the players trudged off the pitch at the final whistle.

After the dissection of the game took place Johnson acknowledged that the most damaging aspect of this defeat was not the hammering to the goal difference or the confidence of the group, it was the trust that they had worked so hard to build up since their appointment back in May had been badly damaged.

Last year I penned some words about how disgusted I was with Chester's display at Kidderminster Harriers in the FA Cup fourth qualifying round.

The reason for those words were that I felt that the display was symbolic of that group of players and that there was little care taken.

Now, that performance on Saturday was a disgrace. There can be no argument over that and anyone who witnessed it could only come to the same conclusion. The managers certainly did.

I didn't feel so much anger as real disappointment.

Nobody said it was ever going to be easy being a Chester fan, but nobody ever said it would be this hard.

The goings on of the past 18 months have taken their toll on supporters, of which I am one. Johnson and Morley's appointment and work so far have helped to heal some of the divide, as has the work of the City Fans United board.

It felt like a big line had been drawn under what had gone on.

But as Johnson alluded to on Saturday, all the negativity and bad times that Chester fans have had to go through were brought front and centre once again and the trust that had been built up was delivered a big blow.

But that has been acknowledged.

The reason I wrote those words last season after Kidderminster is that abject displays were a common theme and that losing had become the norm, it had almost been accepted within the group.

I don't think that is applicable to the current side.

Almost to a man, Chester's squad this season includes players to have won promotion after promotion, some of them having won trophies only a few months ago. Losing is not the norm, and the record of Johnson and Morley doesn't back up some of the theories either. You can say what you like about winning leagues with money but you actually have to do it. Teams such as Eastleigh failed to make any headway towards the Football League despite their millions and new Salford City boss Graham Alexander is already finding life in the National League to be a tall order.

But 8-1, right? How do we just pass that off? How do we forget that ever happened?

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We don't.

Alex Narey of the Non-League Paper pulled out a notable stat from last season at the weekend. He stated on Twitter that Macclesfield were beaten 6-0 and Aldershot Town 7-1 last season. At the end of last season Macclesfield were promoted as champions and Aldershot reached the play-offs. It does not define a team's season.

And who could forget that 7-1 drubbing by Brighton & Hove Albion back in 2000? I can't, I was pictured on the back of the Chester Evening Leader with my mate looking as glum as could be.

But we were managed in that game by Ian Atkins, a man still held in high regard at Chester. And the side was one that the fans liked, and one that made a fist of it after that game and came within a whisker of staying in the Football League against all odds. And while we went down that season on goal difference, the damage was done over a turgid season, not one game.

Saturday as perverse as it sounds should be used as fuel for players and management. Those down the road have been laughing themselves silly since the weekend, and why not? We would.

It is inevitable that trust will be shaken but it shouldn't be shattered. What will be key in these coming days and weeks is the response these players give to such a public humiliation.

The players and management will get backed the next time they take to the field but the scars of Blyth will remain for some time.

Johnson spoke of sticking together after the match on Saturday. And while it sounds like a throwaway comment, one that is wheeled out when the excrement hits the fan, it is one that should be heeded. By squad and supporters.

We have been divided for so long and only recently have we started to come together once again. It was 90 minutes of utter dross. We move on but the players and management will be under no illusion now that something like that won't be tolerated again.

With a bit of luck we can look back on Saturday come the end of the season and at least raise a wry smile. Here's hoping.