THEY charged towards Alan Smith in their thousands shortly after the final whistle. The Leeds players had been attempting a funereal-paced lap of apology for their nightmare season until a good-natured pitch invasion. The trespassers surrounded him, chanted his name, raised him on to their shoulders and exchanged goodbyes with the forward whom they see as one of their own.

Ten minutes later Smith was rescued, happy and honoured. Nothing will change. Whether a player of his calibre belongs in Division One matters not. Leeds cannot afford to keep him.

“I’ve never seen scenes like that,” said caretaker manager Eddie Gray. “He’s a local hero. The fans and his teammates will miss him, but we must look forward. This club is bigger than one man.” Nevertheless, Smith’s current employers were mathematically relegated yesterday, having been spiritually doomed since August.

Typically, their 14-year seating at the top table ended with the mealy-mouthed surrender of a two-goal lead to Charlton, who rarely looked interested. There were no Yorkshire tears at the final whistle. Leeds were all cried out.

Three years ago this month Leeds played Valencia in the Champions League semi-finals. They may have been punching above their weight, but no more than Monaco, Porto and Deportivo La Coruña this term. Next season, beginning with a 10-point deduction should they enter administration after May 15, they and their circa £50m debt will face, among others, Rotherham and Crewe.

Where did it begin to go wrong? Was it the grisly trial of Lee Bowyer and Jonathan Woodgate, which undermined David O’Leary’s still nascent revolution? O’Leary’s insensitive book which milked that case and caused a fatal breach with chairman Peter Ridsdale? Or the sales of Woodgate and Rio Ferdinand, which showed Leeds were not ready to mix with England’s — let alone Europe’s — best.

Culprits abound. Ridsdale was hideously profligate, yet his fellow directors did little to restrain the madness. His successor, John McKenzie, vacillated when the firmest of hands was required and current chairman Gerald Krasner’s brief recruitment of Geoffrey Richmond —- who presided over Bradford City’s cash crisis and was weeks away from being declared bankrupt — hardly inspires confidence.

Managers, too, have contributed. Terry Venables under- estimated his task, Peter Reid kept them up last season but careless loan signings almost condemned them before this one had started, while Eddie Gray has struggled again.

At least he offered mea culpa: “I take my full share of responsibility. We had plenty of time to get out of trouble when I took over. We didn’t do it.”

The players, of course, are far from blushing innocents but Leeds’ once reviled supporters are blameless. They sang their broken hearts out again yesterday. For some, the reward at the end of a year where no League gate has dropped below 30,000, is next season’s season-ticket price increase of 27%.

With Charlton’s hopes of Europe all but evaporated after their traditional late-season collapse and Leeds with only self-respect to play for, the game was breezily low-key. Charlton swept ahead in the 11th minute. Paul Konchesky poked a sideways pass to Matt Holland 25 yards out. Given what seemed the freedom of Yorkshire to contemplate his options, Holland curled a glorious shot past Paul Robinson.

Inspired by captain for the day Smith, Leeds clawed themselves back. A flying 27th-minute Stephen McPhail header from Gary Kelly’s cross brought a similarly athletic save from Dean Kiely.

Two minutes later Leeds equalised. Jonathan Fortune inadvertently nodded on Stephen McPhail’s free kick and Matthew Kilgallon slid in to poke home at the far post. Moments later, Jermaine Pennant danced to the edge of Charlton’s penalty area from his own half before back-heeling to James Milner, who was foiled twice by Kiely, once with his hands and then with his feet.

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