MACCLESFIELD, England (AP) — Bought on a drunken whim, lowly Macclesfield pulled off the biggest upset in FA Cup history by knocking out titleholder Crystal Palace in the third round last month.
The phoenix team, which plays in the sixth tier of English soccer, stunned its Premier League opponents 2-1 and created one of the most iconic moments in soccer’s oldest knockout competition.
With 117 places separating National League North team Macclesfield and Palace when they played, it was officially the biggest upset in the FA Cup's 155-year history.
Not a bad return for local businessman Rob Smethurst, who said he barely remembered buying the club during a “four-day bender” six years ago.
“I was going through a bit of addiction at the time,” said Smethurst, who had recently sold his successful business in the motor trade. “I had no direction or sort of any ambition really to do anything, so I started hitting the bottle and things started to go badly wrong.”
Browsing a real estate website, he saw a listing for his local soccer team, which had been liquidated because of debts in 2020. He wasn't a lifelong fan and had no particular affinity with it.
“I don’t know why I wanted it, but I just wanted it,” he said.
Under its former guise, Macclesfield Town was founded in 1874. At its height in the 1990s it reached the third tier of English soccer and played the likes of Manchester City. Over the years, its list of managers included former England stars Paul Ince and Sol Campbell.
But it was facing extinction until Smethurst's intervention. He bought its stadium and assets and relaunched it as Macclesfield FC.
Situated in the north west of England, Macclesfield is around 20 miles from Manchester and is a catchment area for fans of Manchester United and Man City.
Now the phoenix club, so-called because it rose from the ashes, is enjoying its own moment in the spotlight thanks to its famous giant-killing.
It has become a household name overnight and has attracted new sponsorship — notably from the real estate site Smethurst was browsing that fateful day.
And there is a general buzz around the team not seen for many years.
Led by the younger brother of England and Man United icon Wayne Rooney, Macclesfield has the chance on Monday to repeat its heroics against another Premier League team after being drawn at home against Brentford in the fourth round of the FA Cup.
“As we said in the last round, if we perform, then anything can happen,” said manager John Rooney, who is in his first season as a head coach. "We’re massive underdogs, there’s no question about that.
“We entered the Crystal Palace game thinking it’d take a miracle, but on the day the lads were outstanding and were fully deserved winners. You see games between lower league clubs against Premier League sides and it’s always a snatch and grab, but I think ours was far from that.”
The FA Cup is famed for its upsets — particularly in the early rounds when part-time players can come up against international superstars.
Wrexham — long before being bought by celebrity owners Ryan Reynolds and Rob Mac — was a fourth-tier team in 1992 when it knocked out reigning league champion Arsenal.
In 1989, non-league Sutton United stunned top-flight Coventry, which had won the FA Cup two years earlier.
As for Macclesfield, Smethurst admits he thought his team could have been on the end of a 10 or 20-goal rout against Palace.
“I mean, who could ever think that a football club like us could be beating Crystal Palace and making the biggest upset in football history in the FA Cup?” he said.
Fans were queuing around Macclesfield's 5,900-capacity stadium to get tickets for that match. Unsurprisingly, the Brentford match is also a sellout.
Smethurst said the win in the third round was worth more than $500,000 compared to around $27,000 for an average game.
But he says owning a soccer team is about more than money.
“I’m hugely proud of the town and what this town stands for. It’s got great people in it, really special people, and I think this club was like the heartbeat of the whole community,” Smethurst said.
“When it did go under, it destroyed so many lives, and I think that was what I must have subconsciously realized in a drunken state and thought maybe I can make a difference.”
Crucially, he says, Macclesfield has made a significant difference to his life.
“I was in a mess, but you know what it has done, it has saved my life.”
James Robson is at https://x.com/jamesalanrobson
AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer
Macclesfield FC manager John Rooney celebrates following the FA Cup third round soccer match between Macclesfield Town and Crystal Palace, in Macclesfield, England, Jan. 10, 2026. (Martin Rickett/PA via AP)
