Leicester City dropped into the third tier of English football for the first time in their 124-year history despite holding promoted Stoke to a goalless draw at the Britannia Stadium on Sunday afternoon.
With Southampton defeating Sheffield United at St Mary's, a point was not good enough for the Foxes, leaving the travelling Blue Army disconsolate at the final whistle.
It could have been so much different for Ian Holloway's men with Gareth McAuley hitting the crossbar after the break while Carlo Nash pulled off fine saves from Iain Hume and Richard Stearman.
At the other end, the visitors defended stoutly with Paul Henderson keeping his side level with some impressive saves.
But like so often this term, it was not to be the Foxes day as they were relegated to League One along with Colchester United and Scunthorpe United.
Carlo Nash comfortably gathered Joe Mattock's deep centre into the box inside 90 seconds.
At the other end, Paul Henderson got down well to divert Richard Cresswell's shot behind for a corner, which came to nothing and was cleared by stand-in skipper Gareth McAuley.
On six minutes, Barry Hayles brilliantly turned his man on the edge of the area, but his lay-off to Steve Howard was just under-hit and Ryan Shawcross cleared.
A superb last-ditch tackle from Bruno N'Gotty thwarted Ricardo Fuller in the ninth minute, with the ball flying out for a corner.
Cresswell just failed to latch on to a massive Rory Delap throw-in from the right three minutes later before Howard was booked for a foul on Andy Wilkinson on 16 minutes.
Shawcross headed just wide from Liam Lawrence's corner in the 18th minute then McAuley was yellow-carded for a foul on Lawrence.
The hosts were forced into a change on 21 minutes with Lewis Buxton replacing the injured Wilkinson, who had failed to recover from the challenge from Howard earlier in the game.
Nash gathered from Howard's flick-on soon after before Carl Dickinson was cautioned for a lunge on Richard Stearman on 24 minutes.
Henderson saved well from Mamady Sidibe's glancing header on the half-hour then Barry Hayles shot wide after a fine challenge from full debutant Harry Worley in the middle of the park three minutes later.
Nash denied Worley a minute later after Howard's fine knock-down into the teenager's path.
Another fine save from Henderson denied Fuller in the 36th minute as the Potters continued to push forward in search of an opener.
Nash gathered easily from David Bell's left-wing cross on 41 minutes before Henderson saved Lawrence's long range effort a minute later.
Nash was again equal to the task just before half-time as he collected Hayles' snap-shot from 18-yards.
Delap launched another long throw into the box but it proved ineffective as the game remained goalless at the break.
Glenn Whelan drove wide on 48 minutes whilst at the other end Howard forced a save from Nash.
Another brilliant save from Henderson denied the home side on 57 minutes before Bell tested Nash from distance, but the keeper was alert to the danger and saved his effort.
The visitors came within inches of opening the scoring on 62 minutes when McAuley's header from a corner crashed against the crossbar with Nash beaten before Hayles' follow-up shot was blocked.
It was then Joe Mattock's turn to try his luck from distance but the 17-year-old defender's shot flew over the bar.
Henderson saved from Cresswell's header on 75 minutes before Stearman was brought down on the edge of the area.
However, Iain Hume's free-kick sailed harmlessly over the bar from 18-yards.
Howard nearly latched on to Hume's left-wing cross in the 78th minute
A brilliant reaction save from Nash denied Hume on 81 minutes then the keeper tipped Stearman's goalbound header over the bar for another corner as the Foxes looked to snatch the game.
Stearman was at it again in the 84th minute but shot wide then Matty Fryatt replaced Worley a minute later.
Nash again denied the visitors three minutes from time when he stretched to gather Hayles's cross.
Stoke made a double change on 90 minutes with Sidibe and Lawrence making way for Ameobi and Lawrence.
Meanwhile Bell was replaced by Ashley Chambers.
A pitch invasion temporarily halted proceedings whilst fans were cleared from the pitch but two minutes later, the final whistle went and Leicester City were relegated.
City: Henderson, Stearman, McAuley ©, N'Gotty, Mattock, Bell (Chambers A 90), Worley (Fryatt 85), Oakley, Hayles, Howard, Hume. Subs not used: Douglas, Clapham, Wesolowski.
Stoke: Nash, Wilkinson (Buxton 21), Shawcross, Cort, Dickinson, Lawrence (Pugh 90), Delap ©, Whelan, Cresswell, Sidibe (Ameobi 90), Fuller. Subs not used: Simonsen, Pearson.
Yellow Cards
City: Howard (16), McAuley (20)
Stoke: Dickinson (24)
Referee: Mike Dean
Attendance: 26,609
