As Croydon Crematorium loomed behind the KT Stadium on Saturday, there was no mistaking the atmosphere - this was a funeral.

Grown men were reduced to tears, Always Look On The Bright Side of Life was played out over the tannoy and Croydon Athletic fans huddled in groups clutching their beers in silence afterwards.

With the club's owner Mazhar Majeed in hiding since his naming as the alleged mastermind of the cricket betting scandal and his assets frozen, the Rams' money has suddenly run out.

After three weeks of not being paid and no sign their wages are forthcoming, manager Tim O'Shea - who broke down in tears twice on the pitch when talking to his players and the crowd - announced his coaching team were leaving and the squad were going too following Saturday's 3-1 defeat to Concord Rangers.

It was not an act of people jumping ship at the first sign of trouble, but a group with little choice.

"We've been searching for answers to the questions but unfortunately a lot of them weren't being answered and time was ticking by," said an emotional O'Shea, who, even an hour after the final whistle struggled to hold back the tears as we chatted in a deserted dressing room.

"David Le Cluse, the chairman, has been ringing around trying to go through avenues just trying to keep this club going for another week, just to survive.

"Even Saturday morning I went for a meeting full of hope still but, unfortunately, once those possible possibilites didn't happen, it was only then that it dawned on us - what do we do?

"We had to let the players know.

"They are still clinging on to hope, they want to stay but there comes a point when it boils down to finances.

"These people have wives, girlfriends, children, mortages and need to put food on the table, there comes a point where enough is enough.

"I told them before the game all that I knew and we all pretty much agreed, last orders please.

"It wasn't a case of jumping ship, every avenue has been tirelessly looked at this week, it's not through want of trying.

"It's going into the third week for the players and perhaps longer for quite a few others around the club and unfortunately it's a lot to ask anybody."

For O'Shea and the players, a different challenge now lies ahead while Le Cluse and those behind the scenes must continue to strive to clear up the mess one man and his mistakes have left behind.

Reminders of Majeed were everywhere, from the small electronic scoreboard he had installed to the large banners advertising his Bluesky Developments company.

Supporters, some of which quite understandably admitted they woudn't mind inflicting a bit of pain on the man who not so long ago they revered as their saviour for bankrolling their promotion, showed they hadn't lost their humour, shouting no-ball everytime the Rangers keeper stuck a goal kick.

Sadly though, with the Ryman League postponing their next two games and giving them a two-week deadline to find new investment, the future is bleak for them and their team.