The Resurgence of Macclesfield FC: From Bankruptcy to Triumph

Originally founded as Macclesfield Town in 1874, Macclesfield FC was reestablished in 2020. Currently competing in the National League North, the club has experienced remarkable success, achieving three promotions in the past four seasons. They clinched the North West Counties Premier Division title in 2022, followed by victories in the NPL Division One West in 2023 and the NPL Premier Division in 2025.

Before its dissolution, the original Macclesfield Town won the FA Trophy twice, in 1970 and 1996. The club oscillated between the lower tiers of professional and non-league football, with its highest achievement coming in the 1998-99 season when they reached the third tier of the English football pyramid. Unfortunately, they were relegated immediately, but this season solidified their position as the club’s highest league finish.

The nickname ‘the Silkmen’ reflects the town’s historical significance as the center of Europe’s silk industry during the 18th and 19th centuries.

Macclesfield FC plays its home matches at Leasing.com Stadium, commonly referred to as Moss Rose, which has a seating capacity of 5,300.

The financial difficulties of Macclesfield Town became public knowledge in early 2019 when players threatened to boycott a League Two game against Cambridge United due to unpaid wages for three months. This situation triggered a winding up order against the club.

At that time, the club was under the management of former England and Arsenal coach Sol Campbell. After narrowly avoiding relegation on the final day of the season, Campbell left the club by mutual consent in August 2019, claiming he was owed £180,000.

In October 2019, players once again went unpaid, leading to a formal investigation by the EFL. A strike by first-team players jeopardized an FA Cup match against Kingstonian, forcing the club to field loanees and youth players, resulting in a 4-0 defeat, while many fans chose to boycott the game.

On November 14, 2019, Macclesfield Town was charged with misconduct by the EFL for failure to pay players and was referred to a disciplinary panel. A subsequent strike by the players led to the postponement of a fixture against Crewe Alexandra on December 7, resulting in a six-point deduction for the club. The match scheduled for December 21 against Plymouth was also postponed due to safety concerns.

In May 2020, the club faced a further seven-point deduction for failing to pay staff and for not fulfilling its fixture obligations. Despite a £10,000 loan provided by the Silkmen Supporters Trust to assist with player wages, further misconduct charges were filed. An additional two-point deduction meant that, while it appeared Macclesfield might escape relegation from League Two, an appeal by the EFL led to the club’s relegation to the National League.

In September 2020, a winding up order issued by the High Court resulted in the club entering liquidation, with Macclesfield Town owing HMRC nearly £200,000, alongside an additional £592,000 owed to eight other creditors. The following month, the club was suspended from the National League, culminating in a full expulsion in October.

Shortly thereafter, the assets were sold to Macc Football Limited, a company founded by local businessman Robert Smethurst, who aimed to create a new club, Macclesfield FC, which began competing in the 10th tier of the English football pyramid in the 2021/22 season.

Robbie Savage joined the club as a board member and director of football during its inaugural season. The former Manchester United and Leicester City midfielder was featured in a BBC documentary titled “Robbie Savage: Making Macclesfield FC,” which chronicled the emergence of the new club.

As the 2024/25 season approached, Savage was appointed head coach ahead of their campaign in the Northern Premier League Premier Division. Under his leadership, Macclesfield won the league with six matches to spare after a 2-1 victory over Bamber Bridge, finishing the season with an impressive 109 points. This successful campaign was highlighted by golden boot winner Danny Elliott’s 35 league goals and 23 clean sheets from goalkeeper Max Dearnley. Although it was anticipated that Savage would continue as head coach after signing a two-year extension, he ultimately accepted the managerial position at Forest Green Rovers.

Now managed by John Rooney, the brother of England and Manchester United legend Wayne Rooney, Macclesfield has faced a season of consolidation following their most recent promotion, currently occupying 14th place in the National League North.

Attention is now drawn to the potential for another FA Cup upset. The Silkmen previously achieved the most significant upset in the history of this storied competition by defeating the holders, with a staggering 117 league places separating them from Crystal Palace, marking the largest gap of any underdog victory in the 155-year history of the tournament. For fans who endured the club’s winding up, this achievement serves as a poignant reminder of resilience and triumph.