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Macclesfield Town
Macclesfield Town badge
Full name Macclesfield Town
Football Club
Nickname(s) The Silkmen
Founded 1874 (as Macclesfield)
Ground Moss Rose
Macclesfield
(Capacity 6,335)
Chairman Flag of England Mike Rance
Manager Flag of Saint Lucia Keith Alexander
League League Two
2007–08 League Two, 20th
Team colours Team colours Team colours
Team colours
Team colours
　
Home colours
Team colours Team colours Team colours
Team colours
Team colours
　
Away colours

Macclesfield Town Football Club are an English football team. Football club names are a part of the sport 's culture reflecting century-old traditions This is a of lists of the use of Nicknames in football (soccer. Moss Rose is a multi-use Stadium in Macclesfield, England. It is currently used mostly for football matches and is the home ground of Macclesfield is a market town in Cheshire, England with a population of about 50688 (2001 census for Macclesfield urban sub-area The following is a list of Association football stadia. They are ordered by their capacity, that is the maximum number of spectators that the For other people of this name see Keith Alexander Keith Alexander (born 14 November 1956 in Nottingham Football League Two (often referred to as League Two for short or Coca-Cola Football League 2 for Sponsorship reasons is the third-highest division of England is a Country which is part of the United Kingdom. Its inhabitants account for more than 83% of the total UK population whilst its mainland Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a Team sport played between two teams of eleven players and is widely considered The club were formed in 1874 and are based in the small town of Macclesfield in Cheshire. The following are the Association football events of the year 1874 throughout the world Macclesfield is a market town in Cheshire, England with a population of about 50688 (2001 census for Macclesfield urban sub-area Cheshire (or archaically the County of Chester) is a county in North West England. The team play their home games at the 6,355-capacity Moss Rose stadium. Moss Rose is a multi-use Stadium in Macclesfield, England. It is currently used mostly for football matches and is the home ground of Macclesfield made history when Chris Priest, a Macclesfield player, scored the final goal of the last millennium. Chris Priest (born October 18 1973, Leigh) is a former an English professional footballer who is believed to have scored the final Football A millennium (pl millennia) is a period of Time equal to one thousand Years (from Latin la mille, thousand and la annum

Nicknamed The Silkmen, they are contesting the 2007-08 season in Football League Two . Football League Two (often referred to as League Two for short or Coca-Cola Football League 2 for Sponsorship reasons is the third-highest division of

Contents

History

A football club was first formed in Macclesfield in the mid-1800s, but played rugby union rules. Overview See also Playing rugby union A rugby union match lasts for 80 minutes (plus stoppage time with a short In 1874, the club adopted the rules of the Football Association. The Football Association, also known as simply The FA, is the governing body of football in England and the Crown Dependencies of Jersey Between 1874 and 1940 the club was known by a succession of names, including Macclesfield Football and Athletic Club, Hallifield F. The following are the Football (soccer events of the year 1940 throughout the world C. and Macclesfield F. C. [1] When competitive football resumed after World War II, Macclesfield Town Football Club Ltd. World War II, or the Second World War, (often abbreviated WWII) was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including was formed and the club gained their current name. [2] The club joined the Cheshire County League in 1946-47, playing their first game after reformation on 31 August, 1946, a 2-0 defeat to Buxton. The following are the Football (soccer events of the year 1946 throughout the world [3] The club's from in the remainder of the 1940s was largely indifferent, with the exception of a Cheshire League Challenge Cup win in 1948. The following are the Football (soccer events of the year 1948 throughout the world The 1950s proved more successful, with four trophies in as many years from 1951-1954, including the club's first Cheshire League title in 20 years in 1953, though the team's fortunes faded in the latter half of the decade. The following are the Football (soccer events of the year 1953 throughout the world

Macclesfield progressed through four qualifying rounds to make their first appearance in the FA Cup first round in 1960, but lost 7-2 to Southport. The Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup, is a knockout cup competition in English football, run by and named after The following are the Football (soccer events of the year 1960 throughout the world Southport Football Club are an English football club based in Southport, Merseyside. [4] The following season the club won the Cheshire League, beginning an eight year period in which they won three league titles and finished no lower than fifth, and in 1964 won the Cheshire League by a record equalling thirteen point margin. [5] The club reached the FA Cup third round for the first time in 1968, meeting First Division Fulham at Craven Cottage. The Football League First Division was the highest division of The Football League between 1993 and 2004 and the highest division of English football overall between Fulham Football Club is an English football team based in Fulham, in the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham. Craven Cottage is the name of a sports Stadium in the Hammersmith and Fulham area that has been the 25500 m2 home ground of the football team Macclesfield lost 4-2, but the performance resulted in Macclesfield's Keith Goalen becoming the first ever non-league player to be named Footballer of the Month by the London Evening Standard. The London Evening Standard is an English Tabloid regional local newspaper published and sold in London and surrounding areas of southeast [6]

The club were founder members of the Northern Premier League, one of three leagues at the fifth tier of English football, upon its creation in 1968. History The Northern Premier League (NPL was founded in 1968, as the northern equivalent of the Southern League, decades after the other two leagues at what The English football league system, also known as the football pyramid, is a series of interconnected leagues for club football in England (although Macclesfield were champions in each of the first two seasons of the competition, finishing twelve points clear in 1968-69, and by goal average in 1969-70. In Sports such as Ice hockey and football (soccer, goal difference (that is goals scored minus goals conceded is often the first Tiebreaker The 1969-70 season also resulted in a trip to Wembley for the inaugural final of the FA Trophy, a knockout competition for non-league clubs. original Wembley Stadium was a football Stadium in Wembley, a suburb of north-west London, standing on the site now occupied by the Macclesfield defeated Telford United 2-0 in front of more than 28,000 spectators to win the competition. Telford United FC were an English football team based in Telford, Shropshire. [7] A period of decline then followed, despite heroic performances by the great Willie Mailey in goal, and the side's fortunes reached a nadir when the club finished bottom of the Northern Premier League in 1979, a year when the stronger teams from the division formed the national Alliance Premier League (now known as the Conference). Organisation The Football Conference stands at the top of the National League System (NLS a comprehensive structure linking together over 50 different leagues under the The 1980s saw steady rebuilding. The club finished as Northern Premier League runners-up in the 1984-85 season, and two years later Macclesfield's third Northern Premier League title resulted in promotion to the Conference.

Macclesfield finished in mid-table in their first Conference season, and eliminated two League teams, Carlisle and Rotherham from the FA Cup. Carlisle United FC are an English football team based in Carlisle, Cumbria, play in the Football League One this season after gaining Rotherham United Football Club (also known as 'The Millers' are an English professional football club temporarily based in Sheffield, South Yorkshire, The club reached the FA Trophy final for the second time in 1989, facing Telford United, the same opponents as Macclesfield's first final nineteen years earlier. However, the team did not match the achievement of their predecessors, losing 1-0. From a high of a fourth place league finish in 1989-90, Macclesfield's final standing diminished each season, and following a struggle against relegation in 1992-93, manager Peter Wragg was sacked, and replaced with former Manchester United midfielder Sammy McIlroy. Samuel Baxter "Sammy" McIlroy (born 2 August 1954) is a Northern Irish former international footballer whose clubs included

McIlroy era

McIlroy took charge at the start of the 1993-94 season, and guided the club to the GM Vauxhall Conference Championship in his second season as manager. Organisation The Football Conference stands at the top of the National League System (NLS a comprehensive structure linking together over 50 different leagues under the However. the club was denied promotion to the Football League because the Moss Rose did not meet league requirements of having a 6,000 total capacity including at least 1,000 seats by the League's deadline of 31 December 1994. The following are the Football (soccer events of the year 1994 throughout the world [8] Macclesfield won the Conference title again two seasons later in 1996-97, by which time the stadium had been upgraded and they were promoted to Division Three of the Football League in place of Hereford United. Hereford United Football Club are an English professional football club based in the city of Hereford.

Upon gaining League status, the club turned fully professional. [9] Macclesfield's first League match was a 2-1 win at home to Torquay United. Torquay United Football Club, nicknamed the Gulls is an English association football club based in the seaside resort town of Torquay, Devon The momentum of the Conference success continued, and in their first League season, Macclesfield finished runners-up in Division Three and were promoted for the second consecutive season, this time to Division Two. It was a memorable year for the club, who were unbeaten at home for the entire season. However, the higher level proved a step too far for the club, who finished the 1998-99 season bottom of Division Two and were relegated. McIlroy soon left to become the Northern Ireland national coach and over the next five seasons a succession of managers including Gil Prescott, David Moss and club stalwart John Askey all took charge of the club without reaching the heights of the McIlroy era. The Northern Ireland national football team represents Northern Ireland in international football.

Recent years

In March 2004, with relegation to the Conference threatening, Macclesfield turned to the experienced 55-year-old Brian Horton to take charge. Brian Horton (born 4 February 1949 in Hednesford, Staffordshire) is an English football manager currently working as the assistant Horton, whose previous manager's jobs were with Oxford United, Brighton and Hove Albion, Manchester City, Huddersfield Town and Port Vale, reinvigorated Macclesfield. For the Northern Irish football club see Oxford United Stars F Brighton and Hove Albion Football Club are an English football club based in the coastal city of Brighton & Hove, East Sussex. TalkManchester City FC before changing verbs to singular --> Manchester City Football Club is an English professional football club Huddersfield Town Football Club is an English football club formed in 1908 and based in Huddersfield, West Yorkshire. Port Vale Football Club are an English football club currently playing in Football League Two. A finish of fifth for the 2004/05 season resulted in a playoff place, but the team were eliminated in the semi-finals by Lincoln City. Lincoln City FC are an English football team currently playing in Football League Two (the fourth tier of the English football league system

However, 2005/06 proved disappointing with the team failing to build on the previous season's progress, finishing an undistinguished 17th. Horton was sacked by the club in late September 2006, following a dismal start to the season in which Horton failed to secure a win in the twelve games prior to his dismissal, leaving the club bottom of the Football League. On October 23, 2006, former Manchester United, Inter and England player Paul Ince was confirmed as Macclesfield's new player-manager. Events 4004 BC - Creation of the world begins according to the calculations of Archbishop James Ussher 42 BC - Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. Football Club Internazionale Milano, most commonly referred to as simply Internazionale, or Inter, is an Italian professional football club The English national football team represents England in international football and is controlled by The Football Association, the governing body for football Paul Emerson Herbert Carlyle Ince (born 21 October 1967 in Ilford, London) is an English football manager who is currently He lost his first match in charge 3-2 to Mansfield Town, and it took Macclesfield until twenty games into the season to record their first league win under Ince on December 5, 2006. Events 63 BC - Cicero reads the last of his Catiline Orations. Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. The team then went on a nine match unbeaten run, which earned a cup tie against champions Chelsea F.C. away in the 3rd round of the FA Cup, though, despite their fantastic away support and performance on the day, lost 6-1. History Following the legalisation of professional football by The Football Association in 1885 the English Football League was established in 1888 The Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup, is a knockout cup competition in English football, run by and named after Most of this was attributed to the decision to send off Macclesfield goalkeeper Tommy Lee, which replays have shown since to be inconclusive to merit a red card, with many believing that, in the spirit of the FA Cup, a red card was unwarranted. Tommy Lee (born Thomas Lee Bass; October 3, 1962) is an American Musician.

They were then just able to survive after drawing 1-1 with Notts County on the final day of the 2006/07 season, after a poor run of results landed the team back in the relegation zone. Notts County Football Club is a football club based in Nottingham, England, and the oldest of all the clubs that are now professional

On 29th June 2007 Ian Brightwell was announced as their new manager with Asa Hartford as his assistant for the 2007/08 season as a replacement for former boss Paul Ince who left to become MK Dons manager earlier in the month. Ian Robert Brightwell (born 9 April 1968 in Lutterworth, Leicestershire) is an English former footballer and manager whose Richard 'Asa' Hartford (born in Clydebank, Scotland on 24 October 1950) was a Scottish international Midfielder and talented Paul Emerson Herbert Carlyle Ince (born 21 October 1967 in Ilford, London) is an English football manager who is currently Macclesfield started the 2007-08 season away with a 1-1 draw to former Premier League club Bradford City and narrowly lost 1-0 to another former Premier League team Leeds United in the first round of the League Cup. The Premier League, colloquially referred to as the Premiership, is an English professional league for football clubs Bradford City Association Football Club (also known as The Bantams, and previously The Paraders) is an English football club based in Bradford Leeds United Association Football Club, commonly referred to as simply Leeds United or informally Leeds, are an English professional football In Association football a League Cup generally signifies a cup competition for which entry is restricted only to teams in the top national league (some may include In January, Chairman Rob Bickerton left the club after 7 years of services to join Shrewsbury and was replaced with Club Supporter Mike Rance and ex-player Andy Scott, founder of Bank Fashion Retail stores as Vice-Chairman.

On 27th February 2008 Keith Alexander was named manager, replacing Ian Brightwell who left the club immediately with his assistant Asa Hartford. Keith Alexander may refer to Keith Alexander (footballer (born 1956 English footballer and manager Keith B Ian Robert Brightwell (born 9 April 1968 in Lutterworth, Leicestershire) is an English former footballer and manager whose Richard 'Asa' Hartford (born in Clydebank, Scotland on 24 October 1950) was a Scottish international Midfielder and talented The change was due to a poor run of results, which left the club 1 place and two points above the relegation places.

Stadium

Macclesfield Town play their home games at the Moss Rose in the south of the town, and have done so since 1891. Moss Rose is a multi-use Stadium in Macclesfield, England. It is currently used mostly for football matches and is the home ground of Before moving to the Moss Rose, two other grounds were used: Rostrons Field and Victoria Road. The current capacity of the Moss Rose is 6,335, of which 2,599 is seated. [10] One side of the ground consists of a seated grandstand with open air terracing to either side, and the opposite side is the seated Alfred McAlpine Stand. The clubs most vociferous supporters congregate in the Star Lane End, which is a mixture of terracing and seating. Visiting supporters are housed in the open air Silkman End (named after a public house which formerly adjoined the terrace) and part of the McAlpine Stand. The record attendance at the Moss Rose is 7,002 for an FA Cup tie against Spennymoor United in 1968. Spennymoor United FC was an English Association football club based in Spennymoor, County Durham. [11]

Saga of the Silkmen (p. 85) and the News of the World Football Annual both give the record attendance of Moss Rose games involving Macc. Town as 9,003, in the Cheshire Cup tie vs. Winsford United, 14th Feb 1948, but this was an away match.

Euro 96 winners Germany used the Moss Rose as a training base during the championships. The 1996 UEFA European Football Championship ( Euro 96) was hosted by England. The German national football team (Die deutsche Fußballnationalmannschaft From 1950 to 1990 the team was also informally called West Germany in English as since

Since the building of the McAlpine Stand, a number of projects to improve the ground have been put forward including a new 'Silkman End' with Fitness Facilities and capacity for 2,500 fans. These plans were dropped due to lack of financial backing. A smaller project to incorporate a roof onto the stand was proposed but no plans have been firmly set.

In September 2007, the Club released a statement for the possibility of relocating to a new Stadium, approximately 1 mile south from the Moss Rose to the proposed South Macclesfield Development Area'. [12]

Colours and crest

Macclesfield's colours are blue and white; the club have used combinations of these colours since 1947, with the exception of the 1975-76 season, when the team wore tangerine and black as part of a sponsorship deal. [13] Earlier incarnations of the club wore several different colours. The first Macclesfield kit was amber and black stripes, but between 1882 and 1947 the club also used red and white, red, yellow and blue, blue and white, and black and white. [13]

The club crest is based upon the coat of arms of Macclesfield, and features a blue Lion Rampant holding a wheatsheaf. The Royal Standard of Scotland, also known as the Royal Standard of the King of Scots or more commonly the Lion Rampant was the flag used historically by the

A new club crest was planned for the start of the 2007-08 season. However, many loyal supporters were not happy with the modern design so the plans were delayed and a re-designed badge was introduced in early 2008, which has won the appraisal of the majority of fans.

Supporters

Macclesfield Town have a low level of support in comparison with other teams playing at the same level. The club's average attendance has been one of the lowest in the Football League for every season since 2002-03. The Football League, also known as the Coca-Cola Football League for sponsorship reasons is a league competition featuring professional football clubs [14] Reasons for this include the proximity of Macclesfield to cities with large football clubs such as Liverpool and Manchester, and a lack of historical success, as Macclesfield have only been a League club since 1997. Liverpool ( is a City and Metropolitan borough of Merseyside, England along the eastern side of the Mersey Estuary There is however a small following in Port Talbot South Wales

Macclesfield's traditional rivals are Altrincham, a rivalry dating back to when both clubs were in the Cheshire League, and later the Northern Premier League and Conference. Altrincham Football Club is a football club from Altrincham, Greater Manchester. As far back as 1911 the Macclesfield and Altrincham teams were engaged in a close tussle for the Manchester League title - won narrowly by the Silkmen. However, the clubs have not shared the same division since 1996.

Their closest rivals in the Football League years have included Stockport County and Chester City. The Football League, also known as the Coca-Cola Football League for sponsorship reasons is a league competition featuring professional football clubs Stockport County Football Club is an English football club based in Stockport, England. Chester City Football Club is an English football club from Chester.

Famous fans include Stephen Morris of the band New Order, actor Marshall Lancaster and also FiveLive commentator Alan Green. Stephen Paul David Morris (born 28 October 1957 in Macclesfield, Cheshire, England) is a Musician in the Manchester New Order are an English rock group formed in 1980 by Bernard Sumner ( vocals, Guitars Synthesizers, Peter Hook Marshall Lancaster (born 5 October 1974 in Macclesfield, Cheshire, England) is a British actor Alan Green is an arse(born 25 June 1952 in Belfast, Northern Ireland) is a BBC Radio sports broadcaster/commentator The Rock is also a Macclesfield Town fan after choosing it out of a hat on Soccer AM. Soccer AM is a British Saturday-morning football show presented by Helen Chamberlain and Max Rushden.

Honours

Current squad

As of May 07, 2008

No. From the 1992-93 to the 2003-04 season, the Football League Third Division was the third-highest division of The Football League and the fourth-highest History It was created by The Football Association in 1969 for Semi-professional teams to complement the existing FA Amateur Cup. Organisation The Football Conference stands at the top of the National League System (NLS a comprehensive structure linking together over 50 different leagues under the History The Northern Premier League (NPL was founded in 1968, as the northern equivalent of the Southern League, decades after the other two leagues at what The Cheshire County League was a football league founded in the north west of England in 1919 drawing its teams largely from Cheshire, surrounding English counties The Staffordshire Senior Challenge Cup is a football cup Tournament based in the County of Staffordshire in England first competed Events 558 - In Constantinople, the dome of the Hagia Sophia collapses 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common Position Player
Flag of England FW Francis Green
Flag of Scotland FW Martin Gritton
Flag of England MF Danny Thomas
Flag of England MF Izak Reid
Flag of England MF Jordan Hadfield
Flag of England DF James Jennings
Flag of England MF Nick Blackman
Flag of England MF Lee Bell
Flag of England DF Matthew Flynn
No. Strikers, also known as forwards and attackers, are the players on a team in Association football (soccer in the row nearest to the opposing Francis James Green (born April 23 1980 in Derby, Derbyshire) is an English professional footballer who plays for Strikers, also known as forwards and attackers, are the players on a team in Association football (soccer in the row nearest to the opposing Martin Gritton (born 1 June 1978 in Glasgow) is a Scottish professional footballer, currently playing for Macclesfield Town For the Australian Rules position see Midfielder (Australian Rules. Daniel Justin "Danny" Thomas (born 1 May 1981 in Leamington Spa, Warwickshire) is an English footballer who plays For the Australian Rules position see Midfielder (Australian Rules. Izak Reid (born 13 September 1989 in Stafford, Staffordshire) is an English footballer, currently playing for Macclesfield For the Australian Rules position see Midfielder (Australian Rules. Jordan Hadfield (born 12 August 1987 in Salford, Greater Manchester) is an English footballer who currently plays as a In Association football (soccer a defender is a player who tries to prevent the other team from scoring James Ryan Jennings (born September 2 1987 in Manchester, Greater Manchester) is an English footballer, currently playing For the Australian Rules position see Midfielder (Australian Rules. Nicholas "Nick" Blackman (born 11 November, 1989 in Bury, Greater Manchester) is an English footballer, currently For the Australian Rules position see Midfielder (Australian Rules. Lee Bell (born 26 January, 1983 in Crewe, Cheshire) is an English professional footballer who plays for Macclesfield In Association football (soccer a defender is a player who tries to prevent the other team from scoring Position Player
Flag of Canada MF Terry Dunfield
Flag of England FW Gareth Evans
Flag of England DF Christian Miller
Flag of England DF Matthew Lowe
Flag of England GK Jonny Brain
Flag of England FW Kristian Dennis
Flag of England DF Shaun Brisley
Flag of England MF John Rooney
Flag of England FW Simon Yeo

Famous Players

In a survey published by the Professional Footballers' Association in December 2007, John Askey was listed as the all-time favourite player amongst Macclesfield Town fans. The PFA Fans' Favourites is a list of football players produced as part of the celebrations of the Centenary of the Professional Footballers' Association The Professional Footballers' Association (PFA is the association for professional footballers in the United Kingdom.

Records

Darren Tinson holds the record for Macclesfield League appearances, with 263 between 1997 and 2003. Darren Tinson (born November 15 1969) is a professional footballer who currently plays for Nantwich Town in the Northern Premier League Premier Division [15].

John Askey holds the overall appearance record for the club in all competitions. His 20 year playing career taking in more than 700 games. John remains at the club and has also managed the Reserves to a League title and currently manages the Youth Team. John was manager of the first team for six months before the arrival of Brian Horton.

The most goals scored by a Macclesfield player in a single season is 83, achieved by Albert Valentine in the 1933-34 season. Albert Finch Valentine - was a footballer who played in England and Wales during the 1920s and 1930s [1]

The record transfer fee paid by the club is the £40,000 paid to Bury for Danny Swailes in 2005, and the record fee received is £300,000 from the sale of Rickie Lambert to Stockport County in 2002. Bury Football Club is an English association football team based in Bury, Greater Manchester. Daniel "Danny" Swailes (born 1 April 1979 in Bolton) is an English football defender who currently plays for Milton Keynes Richard "Rickie" Lambert (born 16 February 1982 in the Fazakerley suburb of Liverpool, England is an English football Stockport County Football Club is an English football club based in Stockport, England. [16]

In Popular Culture

Macclesfield Town are referenced in the song "Don't fear the sweeper" by Macclesfield band The Macc Lads on the album The Beer Necessities. Macclesfield is a market town in Cheshire, England with a population of about 50688 (2001 census for Macclesfield urban sub-area The Macc Lads - the self proclaimed "rudest crudest lewdest drunkest band in Christendom" - formed in the late 1970s in Macclesfield, UK, playing a fusion

References

Footnotes

  1. ^ a b The Early Years. Macclesfield Town official website. Retrieved on August 19, 2006.
  2. ^ Macclesfield Express April 24th 1946
  3. ^ Phythian, Graham (2001). Saga of the Silkmen: The History of Macclesfield Town FC. Lancaster: Carnegie. ISBN 1-85936-087-4.  , p84
  4. ^ Saga of the Silkmen, p107
  5. ^ Saga of the Silkmen, p207-208
  6. ^ Saga of the Silkmen, p121
  7. ^ Northern Premier League. Macclesfield Town official website. Retrieved on February 11, 2007.
  8. ^ Saga of the Silkmen, p165
  9. ^ Saga of the Silkmen, p176
  10. ^ The Moss Rose. Macclesfield Town official website. Retrieved on August 19, 2006.
  11. ^ The Early Years. Macclesfield Town official website.
  12. ^ Club Statement. Macclesfield Town official website.
  13. ^ a b Saga of the Silkmen, p6
  14. ^ English League Two Attendance. ESPN Soccernet. Retrieved on August 20, 2006.
  15. ^ (2006) Sky Sports Football Yearbook. London: Headline.  
  16. ^ Macclesfield Town all time records. Soccerbase. Retrieved on February 10, 2007.

External links

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