Colchester United’s game at Crewe Alexandra will be beamed back to the Weston Homes Community Stadium tonight.

Sadly, those who attend the showing may witness live footage of the U’s first relegation for eight years being confirmed.

Colchester have avoided the dreaded drop by the skin of their teeth in each of the last three seasons.

But barring a football miracle that would surpass any of the last-gasp survival missions that have preceded it and then some, there will be no such escapology, this time around.

Colchester are nine points safety with four games remaining and it is ironic a Crewe side whose relegation has already been confirmed could be the ones to seal their fate.

Alex, like the U’s, have flirted with relegation in League One over recent seasons and survived but now must plan for a future in the fourth tier.

Kevin Keen has always believed his team can beat the drop, despite them finding themselves entrenched in the bottom four for much of the season.

But after Saturday’s 4-1 home defeat against Peterborough United, an outcome that was admittedly particularly harsh on the U’s following their enterprising performance, the Colchester manager’s tone was telling.

“It’s not just about the next four weeks; it’s about the next six months,” said Keen Of course, Colchester have already been planning for next season for several weeks.

They have spoken the majority of the dozen or so players who are due to see their contracts expire this summer and already have potential signings in mind.

But now that the inevitable seemingly looms, they will soon focus their attention more closely on the qualities and characteristics needed to compete in League Two.

It will be a new experience; the U’s have not played at that level for 18 years and football has changed considerably since David Gregory’s penalty sent Colchester up at Wembley, back in 1998.

It is essential that the right decisions are made this summer, in order to give the U’s the best chance of bouncing back as quickly as possible.