Who are Macclesfield FC? Get the lowdown on the Silkmen after historic FA Cup win over Crystal Palace

Originally founded as Macclesfield Town in 1874, Macclesfield FC was established in 2020. Currently playing in the National League North, the club has enjoyed three promotions in the past four seasons, winning the North West Counties Premier Division in 2022, the NPL Division One West in 2023, and the NPL Premier Division in 2025. 

Prior to the winding up of the original club, Macceslfield Town twice won the FA Trophy, in 1970 and 1996. The club typically bounced between the bottom tiers of professional football and non-league, reaching the third tier of the English pyramid in the 1998-99 season. While they were immediately relegated, that campaign remains the highest league finish. 

The club's nickname, 'the Silkmen', comes from the town's reputation as the centre of Europe's silk industry during the 18th and 19th century. 

Macclesfield play their home games at Leasing.com Stadium, more commonly known as Moss Rose. The ground has a 5,300-capacity. 

Public knowledge of Macclesfield Town's financial woes came in early 2019, when it was revealed that players were threatening to boycott a League Two fixture against Cambridge United after they had not been paid for three months. That initiated a winding up order against the club.

The club was managed by former England and Arsenal manager Sol Campbell at the time. After keeping the club up on the final day of the season, he agreed to leave the club by mutual consent in August 2019, claiming he was owed £180,000. 

In October 2019, the players again went unpaid, with a formal investigation launched by the EFL. A strike by first team players jeopardised the club's FA CUP tie against Kingstonian, with loanees and youth team players drafted in for a 4-0 loss. Many Macclesfield fans boycotted the game. 

On 14 November 2019, Macclesfield Town was charged with misconduct by the EFL, and referred to a disciplinary panel for failing to pay their players. A fixture against Crewe Alexandra on 7 December was postponed after the club's players went on strike; Macclesfield was docked six points for this infraction. The 21 December tie against Plymouth was postponed for a safety issue.

In May 2020, the club was given a further seven point deduction for failing to pay staff, and failing to fulfil its fixture obligations. While the Silkmen Supporters Trust provided a loan of £10,000 to help towards paying the players wages, further charges of misconduct were brought. A further deduction of two points by an independent panel meant Macclesfield appeared to avoid relegation from League Two, however, an appeal by the EFL resulted in the club dropping down to the National League. 

in September, a winding up order issued by the high court pushed the club into liquidation — Macclesfield Town owed HMRC close to £200,000, while eight other creditors were due £592,000. Later that month, the club was suspended by the National League, before a full expulsion in October. 

Shortly after, the assets of the club were sold to Macc Football Limited, a company established by local businessman Robert Smethurst. He intended to launch a new club, now called Macclesfield FC, that would enter the 10th tier of the English football pyramid in the 2021/22 season. 

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Robbie Savage was brought on as a board member and director of football from the club's first season. The former Manchester United and Leicester City midfielder was the star of a BBC documentary film, Robbie Savage: Making Macclesfield FC, that followed the launch of the phoenix club. 

Ahead of the 2024/25 season, Savage was appointed as the club's head coach, ahead of their Northern Premier League Premier Division campaign. Macclesfield would go on to win the league with six games left to play, after a 2-1 win over Bamber Bridge. Savage's side would end the term with 109 points, thanks to 35 league goals from golden boot winner Danny Elliott and 23 clean sheets from keeper Max Dearnley. While Savage was expected to retain his position as the Silkmen's head coach entering this season, signing a two-year extension, he opted to become Forest Green Rovers' new boss.

Now managed by John Rooney, brother of England and Manchester United legend Wayne who teared up during his coverage of the game for the BBC, Macclesfield have had to settle for a season of consolidation following their most recent promotion. They currently sit in 14th place in the National League North. 

However, attention will inevitably turn to the prospect of another scalping in the 4th round of the FA Cup. How could it not, when the Silkmen have delivered the biggest upset in the famous old competition's history? Not only did they beat the holders, their 117 league places below Crystal Palace is statistically the biggest gap of any underdog victory in the 155-year history of the competition. For those fans that suffered through the winding up of their club, this must be the sweetest of rewards.