Macclesfield Town F.C. facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Macclesfield Town

Full name	Macclesfield Town Football Club
Nickname(s)	The Silkmen
Founded	1874; 151 years ago (1874) (as Macclesfield F.C.)
Dissolved	16 September 2020; 4 years ago (2020-09-16)
Ground	Moss Rose
Ground Capacity	5,911 (2,375 seated)
Home colours Away colours

Macclesfield Town Football Club was a professional football team from Macclesfield, Cheshire, England. Sadly, the club had to close down on September 16, 2020, after a court decision.

The club started in 1874 as Macclesfield F.C. Since 1891, they played their home games at Moss Rose. They joined different leagues over the years. They won the Manchester Football League title twice. Later, they became founding members of the Cheshire County League in 1919. They won this league six times!

In 1946, the club changed its name to Macclesfield Town. They helped start the Northern Premier League in 1968. They won this league in its first two years. They also won the FA Trophy in 1970. In 1987, they won the Northern Premier League again and were promoted to the Conference.

Manager Sammy McIlroy led Macclesfield Town to the top of the Conference in 1994. But they couldn't be promoted because their stadium, Moss Rose, wasn't big enough. They won the FA Trophy again in 1996. In 1997, they won the Conference title once more. This time, their stadium was ready, and they were promoted to the English Football League.

They even got promoted again in their first Football League season, finishing second in the Third Division in 1998. However, they were immediately relegated from the Second Division. The club stayed in the fourth tier of the Football League from 1999 to 2012. They were relegated back to the Conference in 2012.

Despite money problems, manager John Askey helped the club return to the Football League. They won the National League in the 2017–18 season. In 2018–19, they managed to avoid being relegated again. But financial problems continued to affect the club. After a points deduction on August 11, 2020, the club was relegated to the National League for the 2020–21 season.

On September 14, 2020, Macclesfield Town played their last game. It was a friendly match against Witton Albion. After the court order to close, the club was suspended and then removed from the National League.

In October 2020, a local businessman named Robert Smethurst bought the club's assets. He started a new club called Macclesfield F.C.. This new team joined the North West Counties Football League in the 2021–22 season.

Club History

Early Beginnings (1870s-1890s)

The story of Macclesfield Town Football Club began with the 8th Cheshire Rifle Volunteers. This group started in 1873 and played football in Macclesfield. In 1876, they joined with the Olympic Cricket Club to form Macclesfield F.C. At first, they played both football and rugby.

In 1878, Macclesfield United Football Club also joined with Macclesfield Football Club. The team played in the FA Cup for the first time in 1882. They also entered the Cheshire Senior Cup in 1879. They won this cup for the first time in 1890. They won it three more times before the year 1900.

Macclesfield joined The Combination league in 1890. In 1891, they moved to their famous home ground, the Moss Rose. This stadium is still used today by the new club. In 1894, a company was formed for the club. But it closed down in 1897 due to money problems. Macclesfield Football Club then left The Combination league.

Through the World Wars (1900-1940s)

After reforming, Macclesfield joined the Manchester Football League in 1900. They became champions in 1909 and 1911. For a short time, they had two senior teams. They later joined the Lancashire Combination 2nd Division. They were promoted to the 1st Division in 1914.

During World War I, competitive football stopped at Moss Rose. After the war, Macclesfield became founding members of the Cheshire County League in 1919. They won this league in 1932 and 1933. In the 1933–34 season, Albert Valentine set a club record by scoring 83 goals! The club's first manager, James Stevenson, was hired in 1936.

Between 1900 and 1939, they won the Cheshire Senior Cup three more times. During World War II, Macclesfield stopped playing football due to low attendance and debts. They didn't play again until the 1946–47 season.

Post-War Success and New Leagues (1946-1999)

After World War II, the club was officially named Macclesfield Town Football Club Ltd. They rejoined the Cheshire County League in 1946. Their first game after reforming was a 2–0 loss to Buxton. The 1950s were more successful. They won four trophies between 1951 and 1954. This included their first Cheshire County League title in 20 years in 1953.

In 1960, Macclesfield Town reached the first round of the FA Cup for the first time. They lost 7–2 to Southport. At the end of that season, they won the Cheshire County League again. This started a nine-year period of success. They won three league titles and always finished in the top five. In 1964, they won the Cheshire County League by a record 13 points.

The club reached the FA Cup third round for the first time in 1968. They played against First Division team Fulham. Macclesfield Town lost 4–2. But their player, Keith Goalen, became the first non-league player to be named Footballer of the Month.

Macclesfield Town was a founding member of the Northern Premier League in 1968. This was one of the top non-league divisions. They won the league in its first two seasons. In 1970, they went to Wembley for the first FA Trophy final. They beat Telford United 2–0 in front of over 28,000 fans to win the trophy!

After this success, the club went through a tough period. They finished last in the Northern Premier League in 1979. The 1980s saw the club slowly rebuild. They finished as runners-up in the Northern Premier League in 1985.

In 1987, Macclesfield Town won their third Northern Premier League title. This meant they were promoted to the Football Conference. They also won two other cups that year. They finished in the middle of the table in their first Conference season. They also beat two League teams in the FA Cup.

The club reached the FA Trophy final again in 1989. They played Telford United but lost 1–0. After a few difficult seasons, manager Peter Wragg was replaced by former Manchester United player Sammy McIlroy in 1993.

McIlroy led the club to win the Football Conference championship in 1995. But they couldn't be promoted to the English Football League. This was because the Moss Rose stadium didn't meet the League's rules for seating capacity. Macclesfield Town won the Conference title again in 1997. By then, the stadium had been improved. So, they were promoted to Division Three of the Football League.

When they joined the League, the club became fully professional. Macclesfield Town's first League match was a 2–1 win at home. They continued their success, finishing second in Division Three in 1998. This meant they were promoted for the second season in a row, this time to Division Two. However, the higher level was too tough for the club. They finished last in Division Two in 1999 and were relegated. McIlroy soon left to coach the Northern Ireland team.

Challenges and Return to the League (2000-2020)

After a poor start to the next season, Peter Davenport took over as manager. He kept Macclesfield Town from being relegated. David Moss then became manager. He led the team to two good mid-table finishes. But a bad start to the 2003–04 season led to his sacking. Club legend John Askey took over temporarily. He did well at first, but a long winless run meant his time as manager was short.

In March 2004, with the club facing relegation, Brian Horton became manager. Horton helped Macclesfield Town finish fifth in the 2004–05 season. This earned them a play-off spot. But they lost in the semi-finals to Lincoln City. Horton was sacked in September 2006 after a 12-game winless start.

On October 23, 2006, former England star Paul Ince became the new player-manager. It took 20 games for Macclesfield Town to win a league match under Ince. But then they went on a nine-match unbeaten run. This earned Ince the League Two Manager of the Month award. They also played against English champions Chelsea in the FA Cup, losing 6–1. They just avoided relegation on the last day of the 2006–07 season. Ince left in June 2007.

Ian Brightwell became the new manager in June 2007. The club's chairman, Rob Bickerton, left in January 2008. He was replaced by Mike Rance. After a poor run of results, Brightwell left in February 2008. Keith Alexander took over and kept the team in League Two. He was given a new contract. Sadly, Alexander died on March 3, 2010, at age 53. Gary Simpson, Alexander's assistant, became manager. In January 2011, player Richard Butcher died at age 29. The club retired his number 21 shirt in his honor.

Macclesfield Town did not win any matches from January 2012 until the end of the season. After a long winless streak, Simpson was asked to step down. Brian Horton returned as manager. But he couldn't change the team's bad form. The team was relegated to the Conference Premier in April 2012. Horton then left, and Steve King was appointed manager in May 2012.

On January 5, 2013, Macclesfield Town beat Championship leaders Cardiff City 2–1 in the FA Cup. This put them in the 4th round for the first time in their 139-year history! The club was often near the play-off spots in the Conference. But they didn't make it, and Steve King was sacked. Former manager John Askey was reappointed.

Macclesfield often finished in the top half of the fifth tier despite money problems. On May 21, 2017, the club visited Wembley Stadium for the fourth time. They lost the 2017 FA Trophy Final 3–2 against York City. Over 7,000 Macclesfield fans attended the final. Macclesfield led the National League table for most of the 2018/19 season. On April 21, 2018, they beat Eastleigh 2–0 to win the title. This meant promotion back to the Football League after six years!

After John Askey left, Mark Yates became manager in June 2018. Yates left in October 2018 after not winning any of his first twelve league games. After a short period with temporary managers, former Premier League and England defender Sol Campbell was appointed manager in November 2018. In his first managing job, Campbell helped the club avoid relegation on the last day of the season.

Financial Troubles and Relegation (2019-2020)

In early 2019, the club faced serious money problems. Players were not paid for three months. Some players even threatened to not play. Six players started a court process against the club for unpaid money. The court hearings were delayed many times.

Campbell left the club in August 2019. Daryl McMahon took over as manager. Campbell later supported the court action, saying the club owed him a lot of money.

In October 2019, players again went unpaid. The EFL (English Football League) started an investigation. A strike by players almost stopped an FA Cup game in November 2019. But the club played with youth players and loanees, losing 4–0. Many fans protested. A local businessman, Joe Sealey, tried to buy the club, but the deal fell through.

In November 2019, Macclesfield was charged with misconduct by the EFL for not paying players. The EFL docked Macclesfield six points. This was later reduced to four points. Another game was postponed due to safety issues at Moss Rose. The EFL charged the club again.

Macclesfield supporters started a fund to help players and staff. They raised over £11,000. They worried their club might close down like Bury F.C.. The club owner, Amar Alkhadi, said he was talking to people about selling the club.

Manager McMahon resigned in January 2020 due to the money problems. Mark Kennedy was appointed head coach. Some players left the club. Staff wages were also not paid on time. In March, the club was charged again for not paying players. In April, it was reported that players had not been paid for a fifth time. Most staff were put on temporary leave due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

In May 2020, the club was given a seven-point deduction for not playing a game and for not paying wages. More charges came in June for late payments. This put Macclesfield at risk of relegation. The EFL decided to appeal the points deduction. On August 11, 2020, the club was relegated to the National League after the EFL's appeal. This meant they dropped to the bottom of the table. The next day, manager Mark Kennedy and his assistant resigned.

Club Closure (2020)

On September 9, 2020, the High Court gave Macclesfield a short extension to pay its debts. This was to allow time for a possible takeover. The club owed a lot of money in unpaid taxes and to other creditors.

However, on September 16, 2020, the High Court ordered the club to close down. The judge said there was no proof the club could pay its debts. The club officially went into liquidation.

The Silkmen Supporters' Trust tried to find ways to save the club. But on September 29, 2020, the club was suspended by the National League. It was officially removed from the league on October 12, 2020.

The club's very last match was a 2–1 friendly win against Witton Albion on September 15, 2020.

A New Beginning: Macclesfield Football Club

On October 13, 2020, the assets of Macclesfield Town were sold. A local businessman named Robert Smethurst bought them. He planned to start a new club called Macclesfield Football Club. This new club joined the North West Counties Football League in the 2021–22 season. Former Wales international Robbie Savage joined the new club's board. Former Town manager Danny Whittaker became the team manager.

Team Colors and Badge

Macclesfield Town's main colors were blue and white. They used these colors in different ways since 1947. For one season in 1975–76, they wore orange and black due to a sponsorship. Before 1947, the club wore other colors like amber and black stripes, red and white, and black and white.

The club's badge is based on the coat of arms of Macclesfield. It shows a blue Lion Rampant holding a wheatsheaf (a bundle of wheat). A new badge was planned in 2007. But fans didn't like the modern design. So, a new, redesigned badge was introduced in 2008, which most fans approved of.

Home Stadium

Macclesfield Town played their home games at the Moss Rose stadium. It is located in the south of Macclesfield. They moved there in 1891. Before Moss Rose, they played at three other grounds.

The Moss Rose stadium can hold 6,335 people. About 2,599 of these are seated. The Silk FM Stand has seats and open terracing. The Alfred McAlpine Stand on the opposite side has seats. The most vocal fans gathered in the Star Lane End, which has both terracing and seating. Visiting fans were in the open-air Silkman End and part of the McAlpine Stand.

The record attendance for a Macclesfield Town game at Moss Rose is often given as 7,002. This was for an FA Cup game in 1968. However, some records show a higher attendance of 9,003 for a Cheshire Cup game in 1948. Euro 96 winners Germany even used Moss Rose as a training base during the championships.

In 2007, the club talked about moving to a new stadium. But due to the club's position in the league and England not winning the bid to host the 2018 World Cup, Moss Rose remained their home.

Fans and Rivalries

Macclesfield Town had fewer supporters compared to other teams at the same level. In the 2010–11 season, their average attendance was the lowest in Football League Two. In 2019-2020, it was still less than half of nearby rivals like Port Vale and Crewe Alexandra. This was partly because Macclesfield is close to big cities like Manchester and Liverpool, which have larger football clubs. Also, Macclesfield Town had only been a Football League club since 1997.

Most supporters came from Macclesfield and the surrounding areas. There were also small groups of fans from other places. In April 2011, a football magazine voted Macclesfield Town supporters as "League Two Best Away Fans."

Macclesfield Town's traditional rivals were Altrincham and Northwich Victoria. These rivalries went back many years. Their closest rival in the Football League years was Stockport County. These local derby games were always exciting.

In 2021, a local band and Macclesfield fans, Glass Ankle, released a song called "Super Silkmen." It mentioned the rivalries with Crewe, Altrincham, and Stockport County.

Club Achievements

• FA Trophy:
  • Winners: 1969–70, 1995–96
• National League
  • Champions: 1994–95, 1996–97, 2017–18
  • League Cup winners: 1993–94
• Northern Premier League
  • Champions: 1968–69, 1969–70, 1986–87
  • Challenge Cup winners: 1986–87
  • President's Cup winners: 1986–87
• Cheshire County League
  • Champions: 1931–32, 1932–33, 1952–53, 1960–61, 1963–64
• Cheshire Senior Cup
  • Winners: 21 times, including 1889–90, 1999–2000, 2014–15
• Manchester League
  • Champions: 1908–09, 1910–11
• Staffordshire Senior Cup
  • Winners: 1992–93, 1995–96

Club Records

All records are correct as of September 29, 2018.

• Highest Football League finish — 24th in Division Two (3rd Tier) – (1998–99 season)
• Record Football League victory — 6–0 v. Stockport County (2005–06 season)
• Record Football League defeat — 8–0 v. West Ham United (Away) – 2018–19 EFL Cup Third Round
• Highest Football League home attendance — 6,381 v. Manchester City (1998–99 season)
• Lowest Football League home attendance — 1,035 v. Northampton Town (2009–10 season)
• Highest Overall away attendance — 41,434 v. Chelsea FA Cup 3rd Round (2006–07 season)
• Highest Football League away attendance — 31,086 v. Manchester City (1998–99 season)
• Lowest Football League away attendance — 1,210 v. Accrington Stanley (2009–10 season)
• Record transfer fee paid — £40,000 to Bury for Danny Swailes (2004–05 season)
• Record transfer fee received — £300,000 from Stockport County for Rickie Lambert (2002–03 season)

Most Football League Appearances

• Most Football League appearances — 263, Darren Tinson (1997–98 to 2002–03 season)
• Youngest Football League appearance — 16 years 342 days, Elliott Hewitt (2010–11 season)
• Oldest Football League appearance — 39 years 196 days, Paul Ince (2006–07 season)

John Askey holds the all-time record for total appearances with 679 matches. This includes Non-League, Football League, and Cup games from 1984–85 to 2002–03.

Top Football League Goalscorers

• Most Football League goals scored — 50, Matthew Tipton (2001–02 to 2009–10 season)
• Most Football League goals scored in a season — 22, Jon Parkin (2004–05 season)

Albert Valentine scored the most goals in a single season with 83 goals in 1933–34.

In their first 14 seasons in the Football League (1997–98 to 2010–11), Macclesfield Town played 644 games. They won 204, drew 181, and lost 259 games. They scored 750 goals and let in 883 goals. They used 215 different players during this time.

Chris Priest, a Macclesfield Town player, scored the last goal of the 2nd millennium AD.

Retired Shirt Numbers

21 – Richard Butcher. Midfielder (2010–11) – This honor was given after his death.

Images for kids

• 

  The club's logo.

See also

In Spanish: Macclesfield Town Football Club para niños