Their fairytale journey came to an end on February 16, 2026, and Macclesfield FA Cup heroes left a mark in the history of the football world. The part-time National League North team lost 1-0 to the Premier league Brentford in the fourth round at Moss Rose, which ended an incredible run that also featured the biggest giant-killing act in the history of the competitive games.
The Phoenix Club That Shocked Football.
Only five years on, when 146-year-old Macclesfield Town FC had been wound, and sold on property site Rightmove, the revitalised Macclesfield FC would give a performance that would reverberate in the history of the FA Cup.
On January 10, 2026, Cheshire market town club made the impossible happen, defeating Crystal Palace, the champions, at home 2-1. This saw them become the first non-league team to eliminate the holders of the FA Cup since 1909 and the first sixth-tier side to defeat the top-flight competition.
The 117-place difference between the two clubs in the league meant that the FA cup win was record breaking as no other franchise had ever upset the tournament in all its 154 years of existence.
Full-Time Dreams Part-Time Players.
Manager John Rooney, a brother to England legend Wayne Rooney, has put together a team of part time professionals which plays alongside their regular occupations. The core of a team that was never deterred by opposition of the Premier League consisted of PE teachers, podcasters, and property developers.
Players were led by Captain Paul Dawson, a former highway supervisor but currently operates a candle business, where his players trained in the evening after work. They defeated Crystal Palace at a time when they were deeply mourning the unfortunate demise of young striker Ethan McLeod and this gave their historic victory an emotional dimension.
Brentford Battle: So Near Another Miracle.
The Moss Rose venue was filled to the brim with another bold performance against Brentford. There was a tifo at the end of the Star Lane with the words print Against All Odds and this was the same that the players in the tunnel were print-out hoping to repeat their display at Palace.
Macclesfield took 70 minutes of a freezing Cheshire night before they went toe to toe with their Premier league rivals. The difference of 116 positions in the football pyramid appeared to be not important since the Silkmen did not want to give an inch away.
Cruel Twist of Fate
The dream was shattered into the heart of the earth when, in the 70 th minute, Sam Heathcote, the PE teacher who had been so instrumental in the cup run of Macclesfield, drove the cross of Aaron Hickey into his own net.
The exhausted legs eventually turned against the National League North side as the higher fitness levels of Brentford had their way. The self-inflicted goal was to be the match-winner as Brentford progressed to meet West Ham in the fifth round.
Memories Made, Community United.
The defeat notwithstanding, the FA Cup trip made by Macclesfield electrically charged the whole town. The fact that the club was revived as an administration to giant-killers gave the club a true-life Cinderella tale, which swept the whole country.
Their performances showed why the FA Cup is still the most romantic in football and that underdogs can be winners, communities can rally around their own team and sporting miracles do occur.
What Made It Special
The Macclesfield run: major accomplishments:
- The team was the first sixth-tier team to defeat a Premier League opponent in FA Cup history.
- Record-biggest gap in league (117 positions) in an FA Cup triumph.
- First non league team to remove defending champions in 117 years.
- Gets extensive national and international publicity.
- Bringing together a town still recovering after the demise of their original club.
The part-time players will resume on Monday to their teaching jobs, business ventures and podcasts. But they also bring memories which will be remembered all along their lives- and a tale which will be re-told over generations.
Legacy Beyond Results
Football magic Macclesfield FC had demonstrated that league placement and payroll do not matter. Their trip reminded the fans of the reason why the FA Cup is of special significance in English football culture.
As Brentford was going forward and Macclesfield was quitting, the ultimate victors were those who watched people who did extraordinary things through ordinary people.
The Moss Rose loyalists had a background that glorified all the good about the beautiful game.
The squad John Rooney led might not have reached the fifth round, but it got better than that, and the memories it created to the FA Cup history and provided their community with something to hold dear all their lives.
The end goal: Brentford 1-0 Macclesfield. The real story: priceless.
