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MACCLESFIELD ARE ANOTHER PHOENIX TO RISE FROM THE ASHES

With Bury F.C.’s existence coming to a close at the start of last season, their agonising demise sent shockwaves throughout the English football community and the overriding message to come from this, is one that suggested this kind of act can never happen again. Fast forward to a year later and the North West of England has lost another club along the way and with Macclesfield Town being wound up in September of this year, their 126-year history has now come to an end.

A history that unfortunately for those connected, has seen an ill-fitting final chapter being written and after relegation from the EFL’s League Two (one steeped in substantial points deduction rather than on-field performance), they were soon dealt a further hammer blow.

One that came in the refusal of the National League to accept them into the fifth tier of the English league setup and after being expelled from the competition on October 12th, it was the end of the road for the club better known as ‘The Silkmen’.

To see any football club close its doors for the final time, is one instance too many and although there would have immediate despair for those connected to Macclesfield Town, there is always an opportunity to rise from the ashes.

Because like so many other previous outfits that have gone to the wall, a phoenix club has quickly been formed and just a day after being officially expelled from this season’s league setup at any level, a local businessman has purchased the assets of the former club.

The man in question is Robert Smethurst and with him already having football business links to the local area, he has rebranded the outfit as Macclesfield F.C. and in 2021/222, they will operate in the North West Counties League.

A league that operates across two levels and with those being the ninth and tenth tiers of the overall pyramid, it means the new look Macclesfield entity will have a long journey back towards the promised land of the EFL.

However, the new owner is not planning this journey all on his own and with former Leicester and Wales midfielder Robbie Savage joining the newly formed club board, it is hoped his previous experience will set them in good stead.

While although the ninth or tenth tier does seem an awfully long way away from league competition, Savage will look to take inspiration from the likes of A.F.C Wimbledon or Newport County A.F.C who themselves were formed as phoenix clubs.

Their weekly football exertions are now carried out in the EFL’s League One and Two respectively and if they’ve made the transition from the wilderness back to the professional ranks, that will certainly give this new Moss Road operation food for thought.

In a time when clubs across the country are feeling the financial pinch, this rise from football’s grave will be a breath of fresh air to supporters of Macclesfield and with a fanbase that will dwarf their new North West Counties counterparts, they will look to leave them behind in double quick time.

However, there is something that is arguably more important than just being reborn and that is a belief that those Silkmen supporters have a club that is theirs once again and if new owner Smethurst can tap into such a feeling of goodwill, his initial outlay will prove to be value for money.

It has been a sorry time in this part of the country and with so many clubs in the area, one hopes that another does not suffer the same agonising fate. Now though, there is time to celebrate after a period of darkness and look ahead to many more years of football in Macclesfield colours.

Written by Dan Tracey

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