Wayne Rooney, one of English football’s most resilient figures, became so emotional that it seemed he himself had been involved in the biggest upset in FA Cup history. The retired England striker, who won the world’s oldest cup competition with Manchester United 11 years ago, fought back tears live on the BBC as he hugged his brother John, five years his junior. “I feel the same way,” John said, his voice shaking. “I can’t believe it, I can’t get my head around it, I’m at a loss for words.” Previously, the sixth division team Macclesfield FC from the National League North, coached by John Rooney, 35, had defeated the Premier League club Crystal Palace, which was 117 places better. Mind you, the defending champion, who in turn wrote a remarkable feel-good cup story with his cup victory in the previous season.
The jubilant scenes from Moss Rose Stadium, named after a nearby pub and a variety of rose that symbolizes resilience, spread quickly. So quickly that the otherwise rather inconspicuous Macclesfield – usually only known as a stop for long-distance trains between London and Manchester – exceptionally developed into the epicenter of English football. The home fans celebrated wildly on the pitch. This only remained undamaged in freezing temperatures because the playing surface is made of artificial turf.
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Macclesfield captain Paul Dawson became the man of the forever unforgettable ninety minutes. Just five seconds after kick-off, the midfielder suffered a laceration to his head after a collision with an opponent. The wound was repeatedly wrapped with a thick bandage, but it became loose immediately before a free kick was taken in the 43rd minute. So that the goal-scoring Dawson didn’t have to leave the field for treatment, a teammate stabilized the pavement. Dawson stayed in the attack and – as was inevitable on such a special day – headed the ball into the net to make it 1-0. He probably later supplied the quote for the football year 2026: “My strongest foot is my head!”
Another slapstick goal by Isaac Buckley-Ricketts (61st minute) that was hard to construct made it impossible for Palace to make up the deficit. The visitors’ goal from Jeremi Pino (90th) from a free kick came too late. The night before the game, John Rooney reported, he mused: “What if? But you never really think you could do it.” It wasn’t until the day of the game that “a small spark of hope” emerged. In total, apart from Macclesfield, only eight other amateur teams were able to knock first division teams out of the cup.
In addition to Macclesfield, only eight other amateur teams managed to knock first division teams out of the cup
The FA Cup miracle is the finest chapter of the club that was founded just five years ago. Macclesfield FC emerged as a phoenix club from the ruins of the 146-year-old Macclesfield Town FC, which had to stop playing in the fifth division in autumn 2020 due to debts of more than half a million euros. The remaining assets, including the stadium, were acquired by local entrepreneur Robert Smethurst. After entering the ninth division, the new Macclesfield FC achieved three promotions in the first four seasons.
A month ago, tragedy struck John Rooney’s team. On the way home from a league game against Bedford Town, Macclesfield striker Ethan McLeod died in a car accident at the age of 21. Since then, a picture of him has hung in the dressing room area and fans remembered him with a banner against Palace. “He’s definitely looking down on us today,” John Rooney told the parents: “I have the feeling he’s here with us.” The team dedicated the victory to their late teammate. “That was for him,” Dawson emphasized.
Macclesfield took advantage of Crystal Palace’s recent slump. Through the Premier League, the Conference League (including the previous playoff round), the League Cup and the English Super Cup, the London club played the most competitive games in the first half of the season. Before Christmas, Palace even had to play three matches within six days. The starting eleven, which had to play in almost every game due to the small squad, looks exhausted. They’ve been waiting for a win for a month now. In the league, Palace fell to 13th place, in the Conference League they missed direct qualification for the round of 16 and have to go into the playoffs. In addition, trainer Oliver Glasner’s contract is expiring and an extension is open. The Austrian is repeatedly traded by top clubs; Manchester United is currently looking for a successor to Rúben Amorim. After the Cup defeat, the coach didn’t want to use all of this as an excuse: “It’s embarrassing. I have no explanation for what I saw,” said Glasner.
In some ways, Macclesfield FC now feels like Crystal Palace did last year, even though the club only reached the fourth round. “I’m so proud of my brother,” praised Wayne Rooney – and placed his hand on the back of his head in appreciation.
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