Players, too, will be asked to take wage cuts, and it’s highly unlikely that any of those whose contracts expire this summer will be offered new deals.

Even that, though, may not be enough, and while officials are remaining defiant about the fight on to save Dundee, there are no guarantees they’ll succeed.

If they do, it will only be because the fans, for the second time in less than two years, have played a major role.

On Saturday, an amazing 4500 travelled to Livi hoping for the win the team needed to stay up.

Somewhere between 500 and 1000 were locked out, but still stayed at Almondvale waiting in vain for that victory.

It is only continued support on that scale that can give their club a future.

“Magnificent is a word that is over-used in football, but it is the only way to describe our supporters on Saturday,” said owner Peter Marr, who added, “We need them more than ever now.

“There were 4500 of them came through to back the team and, even when some of them did not get in, they stayed and tried to watch from a grassy knoll outside the stadium.

“Their presence shows we are a big club and one thing is certain — if we are to survive the First Division and get back to the SPL, we are going to need them behind us.”

Salvation could come via healthy season ticket sales. If this season’s figure of around 3000 was maintained, the directors would at least have some positive evidence to show to bankers HBOS that the club remained a viable concern.

Peter Marr and his board met for over four hours yesterday to finalise a contingency plan they hoped they would never have to implement, but its detail will only become public once staff and players have been appraised of the seriousness of the situation.

“It is obvious that our plan will involve substantial cuts, that has to be the way for any club dropping from the SPL to the First Division,” explained a spokesman. “I am sure, though, everyone realises staff have a right to be told of the way ahead for the club before our plans will be made public.”

Those words can be taken as a clear indication that there will be job losses on a similar scale to November 2003, when Dundee plunged into administration. Then, 15 players lost their jobs and were joined on the dole queue by around 10 backroom and office staff. This time, players under contract will be safe for the moment, but non-playing staff will pay the price.

By early this afternoon, a number of commercial and office staff had been informed they would be losing their jobs, though, in most cases, employees were being kept on after accepting pay cuts. Meetings with players were taking place.

Team boss Jim Duffy was meeting with Peter Marr today to discuss the budget for the playing side. He admitted what lay ahead was not going to be pleasant. “You go through a range of emotions at a time like this. On Saturday, it was a terrible feeling realising we were going down, now it is one of sadness and the realisation that there are going to be people you can’t keep you would like to,” he said.

“That’s a terrible thing and we won’t be smiling for a while. Even as far ahead as the fixture list coming out for next season won’t be nice, because it will hit home that all the big games you look forward to are missing.

“Right now, though, it is important we let the dust settle, look at things properly and take things from there.”

Estimates of what the overall cost of one year in the First Division range from around £750,000 to £1.5m and last month chairman Bob Brannan estimated it would run into seven figures.

Even post-administration, there is still a £7 million debt to be serviced, but, ironically, it is not that but the lack of predicted income that is the major concern.

The worry has to be that unless it can be shown there is going to be money coming in next season, it could be difficult to persuade the bank to allow the business to stay up and running.

Just as ironically, if Dundee do survive, even in the wake of these latest drastic cuts, they still expect to have comfortably the highest wage bill in the First Division next season.