Sixth-tier Macclesfield delivered one of the greatest upsets in FA Cup history by defeating defending champions Crystal Palace 2-1 in the third round. Ranked 117 places below Palace in the English football pyramid, the non-league side wrote a fairytale that echoed a century-old shock.
This stunning defeat marked the first time in the FA Cup’s 155-year history that reigning champions were eliminated by a non-league team. The result revived memories from 117 years ago, when Palace themselves had knocked out holders Wolverhampton Wanderers in the 1908–09 season.
Underdogs Strike as Champions Fall
Despite Palace dominating possession, Macclesfield matched them with fearless attacking intent. Paul Dawson broke the deadlock in the 43rd minute, before Isaac Buckley-Ricketts doubled the advantage just after the hour mark. A late free-kick from Palace’s Jeremy Pino reduced the deficit in stoppage time, but the comeback never arrived.
Reflecting on the historic night, Macclesfield head coach John Rooney said,
“𝑰 𝒅𝒊𝒅𝒏’𝒕 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒌 𝒔𝒐𝒎𝒆𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒍𝒊𝒌𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒔 𝒘𝒂𝒔 𝒑𝒐𝒔𝒔𝒊𝒃𝒍𝒆, 𝒃𝒖𝒕 𝒘𝒆 𝒃𝒆𝒍𝒊𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒅 𝒂𝒏𝒚𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒄𝒐𝒖𝒍𝒅 𝒉𝒂𝒑𝒑𝒆𝒏 𝒐𝒏 𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒅𝒂𝒚.”
Palace manager Oliver Glasner, whose side remains winless in nine matches across competitions, admitted his frustration, saying,
“𝑰 𝒉𝒂𝒗𝒆 𝒏𝒐𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒕𝒐 𝒔𝒂𝒚 𝒂𝒃𝒐𝒖𝒕 𝒂 𝒑𝒆𝒓𝒇𝒐𝒓𝒎𝒂𝒏𝒄𝒆 𝒍𝒊𝒌𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕.”
A Club Reborn Against All Odds
Macclesfield’s triumph is even more remarkable given their recent struggles. Just five years ago, the club was burdened by debts exceeding £500,000 and dropped out of the National League. After being rescued by local businessman Robert Smethurst, they began a steady climb, rising from the ninth tier in 2021–22 to their current level after three promotions in four seasons.
Rooney dedicated the emotional victory to the family of late forward Ethan McLeod, adding,
“𝑻𝒉𝒆𝒚 𝒂𝒓𝒆 𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒉 𝒖𝒔, 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝑰’𝒎 𝒔𝒖𝒓𝒆 𝑬𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒏 𝒊𝒔 𝒘𝒂𝒕𝒄𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒔 𝒕𝒆𝒂𝒎 𝒘𝒊𝒏.”
For Macclesfield, this was more than a win—it was a moment that redefined belief and restored the magic of the FA Cup.
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