Macclesfield FA Cup Upset: Sixth-Tier Side Stuns Crystal Palace 2-1

Macclesfield made FA Cup history by defeating Crystal Palace 2-1, overcoming a gap of 117 places in the English soccer pyramid.

Macclesfield produced the greatest shock in 154 years of the FA Cup on January 10 by defeating defending champions Crystal Palace 2-1. At the time of the match, 117 places separated the sixth-tier semiprofessional hosts from their Premier League opponents. Paul Dawson opened the scoring for the home side in the first half, heading the ball into the net from a free kick floated into the box. Dawson, who works for a candle company and coaches youth soccer, played much of the game with a bandage around his forehead after suffering a head injury from a clash with Palace defender Jaydee Canvot in the eighth minute.

Isaac Buckley-Ricketts doubled the lead in the 61st minute, prodding the ball past the Palace goalkeeper to make it 2-0. Crystal Palace attempted a comeback when winger Yéremy Pino scored from a free kick to cut the deficit. Pino’s £26 million ($35 million) transfer fee from the previous summer was 26 times larger than Macclesfield’s total player expenditure. Despite the pressure, the underdogs held on for the victory, prompting a massive pitch invasion at the final whistle. Opta data highlighted the disparity between the clubs, ranking Palace 19th in the world while Macclesfield sat at 6,879th, a level comparable to Ghana’s WaleWale Catholic Stars FC.

Rebuilding from Bankruptcy and Debt

Related: Macclesfield produced the greatest

The Macclesfield FA Cup run follows a period of total collapse for the club. Six years ago, the organization went out of business while facing unpaid tax bills and debts totaling £190,000 ($258,554). The financial crisis became so severe that players went on strike and debt collectors stripped the stadium of copper pipes, kitchen equipment, and air-conditioning units. Current owner Robert Smethurst, a 48-year-old businessman who sold his online car company for over £10 million ($13.6 million), purchased the defunct club for £500,000 ($680,267) via a real estate website.

Upon taking over, Smethurst invested approximately £4 million ($5.4 million) of his own money to install new pitches, bars, and a community gym. Because the original club was liquidated, the new entity had to restart at the ninth tier in the North West Counties Football League. The team successfully earned three promotions in four seasons, securing three league titles by outspending every other club in those divisions. Smethurst, who manages the club while in recovery from addiction and navigating an ADHD diagnosis, maintains an open-door policy where fans can access his personal phone number or meet him for coffee.

Playing for Ethan McLeod

Related: Ethan McLeod The victory

The victory over Crystal Palace was overshadowed by the death of 21-year-old striker Ethan McLeod on December 16. McLeod died in a road traffic collision while driving back to Wolverhampton following a 2-1 victory over Bedford Town FC. Manager John Rooney, the brother of Wayne Rooney, had to inform his players of the tragedy individually via phone calls starting at 6 a.m. the following morning. The team subsequently retired McLeod’s shirt number and placed his image overlooking the pitch at Moss Rose stadium.

During the match against Palace, Rooney left McLeod’s locker empty as a tribute. Leading scorer Danny Elliott recalled McLeod’s selflessness, noting that despite being a substitute during the Bedford game, McLeod was the first to celebrate Elliott’s last-minute winning goal. Following the upset of the Premier League side, the squad linked arms in the dressing room to sing Adele’s "Someone Like You" with McLeod’s parents, who attended the match at the invitation of the club.

Tactical Resilience and the Road to Brentford

Preparation for the third-round tie involved significant manual labor from the players. Captain Paul Dawson helped staff shovel snow off the pitch earlier in the week to ensure a league game could proceed, a task he initially hid from his manager. Before kickoff against Palace, assistant coach Francis Jeffers asked England international Marc Guéhi if the pitch was suitable; Guéhi’s negative response gave the Macclesfield squad confidence that the Premier League stars were uncomfortable. Palace manager Oliver Glasner later remarked that his players "never showed up" for the contest.

Related: Reijnders Signals Manchester City Title Hunt Af...

Macclesfield’s roster consists of players with diverse second careers, including a lawyer, a podcaster, a gym owner, and a property developer. Center back Sam Heathcote, a 6-foot-2 defender, works as a gym teacher at a grade school near Manchester. The club now prepares for a fourth-round fixture against Brentford, which will be streamed on ESPN+. Brentford currently holds a global ranking of 13th, making them an even higher-rated opponent than Palace. Rooney has emphasized that his team will maintain their respectful approach as they seek to become the first team to beat two top-flight clubs while playing five leagues below them.