There is a reason why the magic and romance of the FA Cup are so often mentioned: after the latest events, that feeling lives and breathes. The history of this tournament dates back to the 1870s, when the FA Cup became the oldest national football competition in the world. Usually the competition pits amateur and lower-league clubs against the elite, creating chances for potential giants to topple Premier League hegemons – and on January 10, Macclesfield Town from the sixth division unexpectedly defeated the reigning champions Crystal Palace 2-1, which is now regarded as the greatest upset in the tournament’s history.
The match was played at Moss Rose Stadium, which seats 5,300 spectators (2,095 of whom are seated). Macclesfield Town, a team with semi-professional players, was 117 places lower than Palace in the English pyramid, but that did not stop them from creating an impressive gap between expectations and reality.
Defender Sam Hitchcott said the victory looked almost like a dream, and returning to daily life after such a result came quickly. He also mentioned his status as a physical education teacher at a school in Altrincham, underscoring the reality of a story about players who live outside professional football.
The next challenge and Macclesfield’s ambitions in the FA Cup
Macclesfield’s next round is the fourth against Brentford of the Premier League. The team captain Paul Dawson expressed confidence that after the sensational rise they would enter the tie with more confidence than before. Dawson, who scored the first goal in this historic victory, emphasized that with such belief – anything is possible.
The old financial burden and the realities of lower-league football have long tested Macclesfield. Six years ago the club, then known as Macclesfield Town, was liquidated, but its assets were bought by a local businessman who initiated the transformation into a new club that later became Macclesfield FC. The tragic death of former teammate Ethan Macleod at the end of last year highlighted the human dimension of this story: manager John Rooney dedicated the victory to the memory of the player, and the team again felt like part of the community.
Despite the shadow of their great potential, Macclesfield’s FA Cup journey is not just a story of a sensational upset. It confirms that in football anything is possible when you believe in yourself, with fan support, and unity on and off the pitch. This sensational breakthrough could mark the start of a new chapter for Macclesfield FC: ahead lies a new battle with Brentford and, perhaps, new dreams of further feats in the FA Cup.