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Saturday, January 10, 2026. The date Macclesfield fans will never forget. There are some matches that reignite why we love football and the FA Cup often provides those magical moments, but none have been more significant than what the Silkmen achieved in this season’s third round.
Against all odds, the National League North side knocked out holders Crystal Palace, creating FA Cup history. It was the first time in the competition’s 155 years that a sixth-tier team had beaten a top-flight club. With Macclesfield 117 places below Palace, it also made it the biggest FA Cup upset of all time based on league places.
I was covering the game pitchside for TNT Sports, and it was one of those days you think how lucky you are to witness something so special first-hand. With a gulf this big, even Macclesfield boss John Rooney admitted afterwards that he didn’t really believe it was possible.
It wasn’t that long ago that Palace had created a massive shock of their own, when they beat Manchester City to win their first ever trophy in last season’s Wembley final.
The home fans were jubilant before kick-off, giving us predictions of a 5-0 win, clearly said in jest. But deep into the opening period, Macclesfield got their first big moment of the day – Paul Dawson scored a thumping header to put them 1-0 up. The supporters were overjoyed, probably grateful to have at least seen their team score.
There was still the feeling Palace could turn it up a gear in the second half, but that never really came, and once Macclesfield got a second from Isaac Buckley-Ricketts, you could sense the startling hope begin to grow into genuine belief they could do the impossible. And they did.
The full-time scenes were surreal. Fans flooded the pitch to celebrate with their heroes. Looking around, there were tears of joy and disbeliefin faces young and old.
It was a victory so full of emotion, earned against the backdrop of tragedy after forward Ethan McLeod had tragically lost his life in a car accident just weeks earlier. His parents were invited into the dressing room after and the images of them congratulating their son’s team-mates were incredibly moving. It truly felt like a win written in the stars.
Fans dream about days like this, but those fantasies rarely come true. Somehow, the Premier league side, also playing in Europe this season and littered with international players, were beaten by a team of part-time footballers who only train twice a week and hold down day jobs in everything from property management to teaching. Just days before, they’d been shovelling snow off the pitch to ensure a league game could go ahead.
But now, captain Dawson, who was left resembling Terry Butcher after having his head bandaged following a clash early in the game, was being held aloft by fans – an image for FA Cup folklore. Defender Sam Heathcote, a PE teacher, returned to his school to a heart-warming welcome from his pupils. When these players have retired and years have passed, the story of this match will still be retold.
It felt such a deserving weekend in the spotlight for the club after the horrendous saga fans had been through in recent years. Following a period of mismanagement and thousands of pounds in debt, original club Macclesfield Town were liquidated in 2020, with their 146 years consigned to the history books. Fans might have thought their club was gone forever until local businessman Rob Smethurst bought Town’s assets and, with the help of former Premier League player Robbie Savage, they reformed as Macclesfield FC.
After months of hard work, the club restarted in the ninth-tier North West Counties Premier Division. Three promotions in four seasons followed, along with now the greatest day in the phoenix team’s history. Fans who lost their club not only got it back, but they experienced something most will never get to feel.
Macclesfield would have loved the reward of a big away trip in the fourth round, but they instead have another home tie to look forward to, once again up against a Premier League side in Brentford. They made history against Palace, but could Macc magic strike twice?
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