Five years after buying the club from the ashes of a defunct team, Macclesfield owner Robert Smethurst said he’d never in a million years have imagined his side springing arguably the greatest upset in FA Cup history when they knocked out holders Crystal Palace.
Captain Paul Dawson and Isaac Buckley-Ricketts struck in each half as the sixth-tier home side — coached by Wayne Rooney’s younger brother John — beat Palace 2-1 yesterday to move into the fourth round at the expense of the Premier League team, who sit a jaw-dropping 117 places above them in the English football pyramid.
The fairytale triumph marked the first time a non-league side had eliminated the FA Cup holders since Palace themselves knocked out Wolverhampton Wanderers in the first round 117 years ago.
The result at the tiny 5,300-capacity stadium saw delirious Macclesfield fans stream onto the artificial pitch to celebrate a giant-killing feat that will be remembered for decades.
What dreams are made of
“This is unbelievable. The scenes ... I have no words. It’s what dreams are made of. And to see all the Mac fans run on the pitch, it just shows how much it meant to everyone,” Smethurst told TNT Sports.
“For me, I never, ever would have imagined this to have happened today. I bought it from [real estate portal] Rightmove after four days’ [of] drinking, and I can’t remember really buying it. And look where we are now; it’s incredible.”
Macclesfield is a phoenix club that was formed after Macclesfield Town were expelled from the National League five years ago, with debts totalling more than £500,000 (about R11m).
I thought we would maybe [lose] 6-0, 7-0 in my head, but I’ve never seen anything like it. The players were insane. For what we’ve achieved now, today is just unreal. It is a special moment for not just me, but for the fans
— Robert Smethurst, Macclesfield owner
Since Smethurst bought the club and they entered the ninth tier in 2021-22, they have won three promotions in four seasons. However, he said he never envisioned such a huge upset. “Not in a million years. Look, it’s Crystal Palace, absolute quality team,” he said.
“I thought we would maybe [lose] 6-0, 7-0 in my head, but I’ve never seen anything like it. The players were insane. For what we’ve achieved now, today is just unreal. It is a special moment for not just me, but for the fans.
“It’s the most important thing — to put Macclesfield back on the map after what happened to this club when it went under.”
The victory carried extra poignancy, as the northwest England club had been mourning 21-year-old forward Ethan McLeod, who died in a car accident while travelling back from an away match last month.
Touching moment
The squad shared a touching moment with McLeod’s parents, who visited the dressing room to congratulate the players after the historic win. “A real special moment for Ethan’s parents as well, who were in the changing rooms there,” Smethurst said.
“I wanted to make sure that they had their special moment because he helped us massively to get here. I can’t thank him and his family enough for being a part of this.”
In other action, Antoine Semenyo marked his debut for Manchester City with a goal as they trounced League One (third-tier) Exeter City 10-1, matching their biggest win in the competition.
Aston Villa beat Tottenham Hotspur 2-1, and Newcastle United edged past top-flight rivals Bournemouth 7-6 on penalties following a thrilling 3-3 draw after extra time.
Top-flight sides Fulham, Brentford, and Burnley also advanced, with Fulham beating Middlesbrough 3-1, Brentford defeating Sheffield Wednesday 2-1, and Burnley thrashing Millwall 5-1.
Premier League bottom club Wolverhampton Wanderers maintained their recent improvement with a 6-1 thrashing of League Two Shrewsbury Town, while the first FA Cup tie at Everton’s Hill Dickinson Stadium ended in a defeat for the hosts. They went down on penalties to top-flight rivals Sunderland after a 1-1 draw, with Sunderland keeper Robin Roefs saving all three penalties he faced.
Stoke City edged Coventry City 1-0 in an all-Championship game, Southampton beat Doncaster Rovers 3-2, Ipswich Town defeated Blackpool 2-1 and Burton Albion routed minor league Boreham Wood 5-0. — Reuters
Would you like to comment on this article?
Sign up (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.