Five years after buying the club from the ashes of a defunct team, Macclesfield owner Robert Smethurst said he would 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.
The sixth-tier side beat Palace 2-1 on Saturday 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 to come.
‘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 said.
“For me, who bought this club five years ago, I never, ever would have ever imagined this to have happened today.
“I bought it from (real estate portal) Rightmove after four days’ drinking, and I can’t remember really buying it. And then 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.
Since Smethurst bought the club and Macclesfield entered the ninth tier in 2021/2022, 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, an absolute quality team,” he added.
“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,” Smethurst said.
“It’s the most important thing: to put Macclesfield back on the map after what happened to this club when it went under.”
It’s the most important thing: to put Macclesfield back on the map after what happened to this club when it went under.
— Robert Smethurst, Macclesfield owner
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.
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.” — Reuters
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