Macclesfield F.C.

Macclesfield
Full name	Macclesfield Football Club
Nickname(s)	The Silkmen
Founded	13 October 2020
Ground	Leasing.com Stadium
Capacity	4,210 (2,095 seated)
Manager	Danny Whitaker
League	North West Counties League Premier Division
Website	Club website
Home colours	Away colours

Macclesfield Football Club is an association football club based in Macclesfield, Cheshire, England. Founded on 13 October 2020 by local businessman Robert Smethurst,[1] it is a phoenix club of the former Macclesfield Town F.C., which was wound-up after a High Court ruling on 16 September 2020.[2] The club began their first competitive season in the North West Counties Premier Division, the fifth step of the National League system, in August 2021.

History

Macclesfield F.C. is a successor to Macclesfield Town.[3] Founded in 1874, Macclesfield Town was liquidated and expelled from the National League in 2020 because of debts of over £500,000.[4] Its assets were put up for sale, including the Moss Rose stadium on the Rightmove property website.[5] In October 2020, the stadium and all available assets were purchased by Robert Smethurst, the owner of Stockport Town, with the aim of returning professional football to Macclesfield by creating the phoenix club as Macclesfield F.C.[6] Smethurst appointed the Welsh former professional footballer Robbie Savage as a member of the board for the new phoenix club with Danny Whitaker as manager.[7] He also invested in upgrading the stadium to improve the commercial viability of the new club.[8]

In May 2021, it was announced that Macclesfield would be placed in the NWCFL Premier Division for their first season.[9] Savage announced that the club would be joining with his foundation to offer free tickets to foundation participants to encourage youth attendance at the club's matches.[10] Macclesfield entered the FA Vase for the first time in 2021–22.[11]

2021–22 season

On 31 July 2021 Macclesfield played their first competitive match, a 1–0 win at home against Burscough in the NWCFL Premier Division played in front of a restricted capacity sell-out crowd of 2,018; Leon Arnasalam scored the only goal.[12] The club's first away match was on 3 August, a 4–4 draw at Winsford United, also in the NWCFL Premier Division, with Tom Clare scoring all four Macclesfield goals.[13] On 7 August Macclesfield played their first FA Cup match, beating Burscough 4–0 in the Extra Preliminary Round, but were then knocked out of the FA Cup in the Preliminary Round losing 6–4 at Squires Gate.[14]

On 30 August Macclesfield defeated local rivals Congleton Town 1–0 in the NWCFL Premier Division in front of a record crowd of 3,502, James Berry-McNally scoring the only goal.[15] The match was suspended for several minutes late in the second half due to crowd trouble.[16] It was the first time the neighbouring towns had met in a league match since the 1964–65 season.[17]

On 11 September, Macclesfield played in the FA Vase for the first time, losing 3–2 at Northern Counties East League Premier Division side Winterton Rangers in the First Qualifying Round.

Macclesfield F.C. was featured in a BBC Sport documentary film, Robbie Savage: Making Macclesfield FC, broadcast on 13 November 2021, which described the launch of the new club following the collapse of Macclesfield Town.[18]

Shirt sponsors and manufacturers

Period	Kit Manufacturer	Shirt Sponsor
2021–	Adidas	boohooMAN

Players

Current squad

As of 30 November 2021[19]

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.


No.	Pos.	Nation	Player
—	GK	ENG	Sam Ashton
—	GK	ENG	Elliot Cooper
—	GK	ENG	Ben Pierce
—	DF	NIR	Alex Bruce
—	DF	ENG	Louis Danquah
—	DF	ENG	Tom Dean
—	DF	ENG	Rocco Fregapane
—	DF	ENG	Jacob Hanson (dual registration with F.C. United)
—	DF	ENG	Lee Jackson
—	DF	ENG	Brandon Lee
—	DF	ENG	Luis Morrison-Derbyshire
—	DF	ENG	Curtis Obeng
—	DF	ENG	Oliver Ryan
—	DF	ENG	Louis Shead
—	MF		Mosopefoluwa Aderinto
—	MF	ENG	Leon Arnasalam


No.	Pos.	Nation	Player
—	MF	ENG	Max Bardsley-Rowe
—	MF	GUY	Neil Danns
—	MF	ESP	Sidi Sanogo Fofana
—	MF	ENG	Sam Grimshaw
—	MF	FRA	Laurent Mendy (captain)
—	MF	ENG	Jordan Simpson
—	MF	ENG	Callum West
23	MF	ENG	Danny Whitaker (player-manager)
—	FW	ENG	Kielen Adams
—	FW	ENG	James Berry-McNally (on loan from Altrincham until January 2022)
—	FW	ENG	Tom Clare
—	FW	ENG	Aaron Dwyer
—	FW	ENG	Tyler James
—	FW	POR	Edy Maieco
—	FW	SCO	Scott McGowan

Out on loan

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.


No.	Pos.	Nation	Player
—	DF	ENG	Ekow Coker (at Glossop North End until 5 December 2021)

Management

Team management and coaching staff

[19]

Role	Name
Director of Football	Robbie Savage
First Team Player Manager	Danny Whitaker
First Team Assistant Manager	Peter Band
First Team Head Coach	Anthony Curran
Goalkeeping Coaches	Steven Hodgson Liam Bowyer
Football Academy Manager	Paul McGuire
Head of Sport Science/Strength & Conditioning Coach	Alasdair Hamilton
Physio	Bryony Woolley
Head of Recruitment	Jimmy Holmes

Club management and staff

[1]

Role	Name
Owner	Robert Smethurst
Head of Communications	Bob Trafford
Head of Business Operations	Lindsay Brown
Commercial Manager	Ellie Reynolds
Club Secretary

Managerial history

Dates	Name	Notes
2020–	Danny Whitaker	Player-manager

Club records

As of 11 December 2021[19]

Attendances

Highest home attendance (Top 5):

3,502 v Congleton Town, 30 August 2021 – North West Counties Football League Premier Division

3,502 v Barnoldswick Town, 4 December 2021 – North West Counties Football League Premier Division

3,420 v Runcorn Town, 6 November 2021 – North West Counties Football League Premier Division

3,398 v Squires Gate, 11 December 2021 – North West Counties Football League Premier Division

3,221 v Padiham, 23 October 2021 – North West Counties Football League Premier Division

Lowest home attendance:

402 v Cheadle Heath Nomads, 2 November 2021 – Cheshire Senior Cup First Round

Highest away attendance (Top 5):

942 v Northwich Victoria, 27 November 2021 – North West Counties Football League Premier Division

936 v Skelmersdale United, 13 November 2021 – North West Counties Football League Premier Division

918 v Winsford United, 3 August 2021 – North West Counties Football League Premier Division

894 v Wythenshawe Town, 9 October 2021 – North West Counties Football League Premier Division

738 v Squires Gate, 21 August 2021 – FA Cup Preliminary Round

Lowest away attendance:

363 v Winterton Rangers, 11 September 2021 – FA Vase First Qualifying Round

Results

Biggest home win:

4–0 v Burscough, 7 August 2021 – FA Cup Extra Preliminary Round

4–0 v Litherland REMYCA, 18 September 2021 – North West Counties Football League Premier Division

Heaviest home defeat:

1–3 v Stockport County, 7 December 2021 – Cheshire Senior Cup Second Round

Biggest away win:

1–3 v Lower Breck, 29 October 2021 – North West Counties Football League Premier Division

Heaviest away defeat:

6–4 v Squires Gate, 21 August 2021 – FA Cup Preliminary Round

4–2 v Longridge Town, 20 September 2021 – North West Counties Football League Premier Division

2–0 v Avro, 29 September 2021 – North West Counties Football League Premier Division

Highest scoring draw:

4–4 v Winsford United (away), 3 August 2021 – North West Counties Football League Premier Division

Highest aggregate score:

(10) 6–4 v Squires Gate (away), 21 August 2021 – FA Cup Preliminary Round

Streaks

Longest unbeaten run (All comps):

12 matches, from 2 October 2021 to 7 December 2021

Longest unbeaten run (League):

12 matches, from 2 October 2021 to present

Longest unbeaten run (Home):

13 matches, from 31 July 2021 to 7 December 2021

Longest unbeaten run (Home - League):

12 matches, from 31 July 2021 to present

Longest winning streak (Home):

11 matches, from 31 July 2021 to 6 November 2021

Longest scoring run:

13 matches, from 31 July 2021 to 29 September 2021

Player records

Most appearances (All comps):

26 – Aaron Dwyer, 31 July 2021 – present

Goals scored (All comps):

14 – Tom Clare, 31 July 2021 – present

Goals scored in a match:

4 – Tom Clare v Winsford United (away), 3 August 2021 – North West Counties Football League Premier Division

Cup performances

Best FA Cup performance:

Preliminary Round, 2021–22[20]

Best FA Vase performance:

First Qualifying Round, 2021–22

Best Cheshire Senior Cup performance:

Second Round, 2021–22

References

"Macclesfield FC". Macclesfield FC. Archived from the original on 21 May 2021. Retrieved 18 May 2021.
"Macclesfield Town FC wound up in High Court over debts exceeding £500,000". BBC Sport. 16 September 2020. Archived from the original on 16 September 2020. Retrieved 16 September 2020.
"Government review of football will explore alternative ownership models for clubs". The Independent. 23 April 2021. Archived from the original on 18 May 2021. Retrieved 18 May 2021.
"Macclesfield Town expelled from National League after club wound up". Cheshire Live. 29 September 2020. Archived from the original on 18 May 2021. Retrieved 18 May 2021.
Powell, Dave (1 October 2020). "Macclesfield Town's 129-year-old Moss Rose home up for sale on Rightmove". Cheshire Live. Archived from the original on 18 May 2021. Retrieved 18 May 2021.
Scapens, Alex (7 October 2020). "Footballing future in Macclesfield given boost as the Silkmen are bought". Cheshire Live. Archived from the original on 18 April 2021. Retrieved 18 May 2021.
"Macclesfield FC: Robert Smethurst takes over club as Robbie Savage joins board". BBC Sport. 13 October 2020. Retrieved 18 May 2021.
Whelan, Dan (14 October 2020). "Macc plots stadium improvements after takeover". Place North West. Archived from the original on 18 May 2021. Retrieved 19 May 2021.
"Macclesfield FC: Reformed club to join North West Counties Premier Division next season". BBC Sport. 18 May 2021. Archived from the original on 18 May 2021. Retrieved 18 May 2021.
"Robbie Savage launches foundation to give children free access to grassroots football". ITV. 27 April 2021. Archived from the original on 18 May 2021. Retrieved 18 May 2021.
"The Buildbase FA Vase Season 2021–22" (.ashx). The Football Association. Retrieved 7 July 2021.
Line-ups: Macclesfield 1–0 Burscough, NWCFL website. Retrieved: 4 August 2021.
Line-ups: Winsford United 4–4 Macclesfield, NWCFL website. Retrieved: 4 August 2021.
Line-ups: Squires Gate 6–4 Macclesfield, NWCFL website. Retrieved: 9 September 2021.
Lineups: Macclesfield 1–0 Congleton Town, NWCFL website. Retrieved: 9 September 2021.
Robbie Savage bravely steps in to break up fight at Macclesfield game, Daily Mirror (30 August 2021). Retrieved: 9 September 2021.
Silkmen Archives. Retrieved: 9 September 2021.
Golby, Joel (13 November 2021). "Robbie Savage: Making Macclesfield FC – this would be touching TV … if football's court jester would shut up". Guardian. Retrieved 14 November 2021.
Macclesfield NWCFL.com. Retrieved: 15 November 2021.
Ashton, James (22 August 2021). "Squires Gate 6 Macclesfield FC 4: Record attendance witnesses an FA Cup classic". Gazette. Retrieved 15 November 2021.

External links

Official website

This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.

[MaccWeb-1] "Macclesfield FC". Macclesfield FC. Archived from the original on 21 May 2021. Retrieved 18 May 2021.

[BBC-16Sep2020-2] "Macclesfield Town FC wound up in High Court over debts exceeding £500,000". BBC Sport. 16 September 2020. Archived from the original on 16 September 2020. Retrieved 16 September 2020.

[3] "Government review of football will explore alternative ownership models for clubs". The Independent. 23 April 2021. Archived from the original on 18 May 2021. Retrieved 18 May 2021.

[4] "Macclesfield Town expelled from National League after club wound up". Cheshire Live. 29 September 2020. Archived from the original on 18 May 2021. Retrieved 18 May 2021.

[5] Powell, Dave (1 October 2020). "Macclesfield Town's 129-year-old Moss Rose home up for sale on Rightmove". Cheshire Live. Archived from the original on 18 May 2021. Retrieved 18 May 2021.

[6] Scapens, Alex (7 October 2020). "Footballing future in Macclesfield given boost as the Silkmen are bought". Cheshire Live. Archived from the original on 18 April 2021. Retrieved 18 May 2021.

[7] "Macclesfield FC: Robert Smethurst takes over club as Robbie Savage joins board". BBC Sport. 13 October 2020. Retrieved 18 May 2021.

[8] Whelan, Dan (14 October 2020). "Macc plots stadium improvements after takeover". Place North West. Archived from the original on 18 May 2021. Retrieved 19 May 2021.

[9] "Macclesfield FC: Reformed club to join North West Counties Premier Division next season". BBC Sport. 18 May 2021. Archived from the original on 18 May 2021. Retrieved 18 May 2021.

[10] "Robbie Savage launches foundation to give children free access to grassroots football". ITV. 27 April 2021. Archived from the original on 18 May 2021. Retrieved 18 May 2021.

[11] "The Buildbase FA Vase Season 2021–22" (.ashx). The Football Association. Retrieved 7 July 2021.

[12] Line-ups: Macclesfield 1–0 Burscough, NWCFL website. Retrieved: 4 August 2021.

[13] Line-ups: Winsford United 4–4 Macclesfield, NWCFL website. Retrieved: 4 August 2021.

[14] Line-ups: Squires Gate 6–4 Macclesfield, NWCFL website. Retrieved: 9 September 2021.

[15] Lineups: Macclesfield 1–0 Congleton Town, NWCFL website. Retrieved: 9 September 2021.

[16] Robbie Savage bravely steps in to break up fight at Macclesfield game, Daily Mirror (30 August 2021). Retrieved: 9 September 2021.

[17] Silkmen Archives. Retrieved: 9 September 2021.

[Golby-13Nov2021-18] Golby, Joel (13 November 2021). "Robbie Savage: Making Macclesfield FC – this would be touching TV … if football's court jester would shut up". Guardian. Retrieved 14 November 2021.

[NWCFLweb-19] Macclesfield NWCFL.com. Retrieved: 15 November 2021.

[Ashton-22Aug2021-20] Ashton, James (22 August 2021). "Squires Gate 6 Macclesfield FC 4: Record attendance witnesses an FA Cup classic". Gazette. Retrieved 15 November 2021.