Remembering Macclesfield Town (part 1)

Following the great news that Macclesfield FC have risen from the ashes of Macclesfield Town, whose expulsion from the National League was confirmed this week, got me thinking of a couple of memorable matches I’d seen them in. When I checked I’d actually been to 14 games involving Macclesfield Town and together we have seen in new seasons, shared historic highlights with clubs, been to new grounds together, seen some cracking cup ties and some poor ones and remembered heroes. This is my tribute to the Macc Lads.

The main stand at Enfield's Southbury Road.

Season opener.

I first encountered Macclesfield Town when I was living in London in the 1980’s. I’d only been to a few grounds by the time I moved down to Tottenham in 1983 and decided to go and watch Enfield who I'd heard about due to their good FA Cup runs. The only other non-league club I’d been to at this point was Alfreton Town. By the start of the 1988/89 season I classed myself as an Enfield supporter and made my way for their opening game of the season against Macclesfield Town. Enfield were an established GM Vauxhall Conference side by 1988/89 and kicked off against Macclesfield on 20th August.

The E's were holders of the FA Trophy, I'd made my first ever visit to Wembley the previous season to see their draw with Telford United, Enfield winning the replay at West Brom. This was Macc’s 2^nd season at the top level of non-league, they’d won a trio of trophies when coming up from the Northern Premier the season before and finished 1 place above Enfield in 87/88. So a sunny day at Southbury Road saw Enfield start the season with a 2-1 win, against what was considered one of the North’s better sides.

The cover behind the School End, Enfield.

Southbury Road, the former home of Enfield, was a great ground, I loved going there to watch my football and got to know a couple of lads, the Davison brother's who produced the club fanzine. The club had a really good income stream from the Starlight Club with some top acts performing there. They had a decent sized main stand, plenty of terracing and cover behind the goals. The best part of the ground was the club shop, it was teeming with stuff and well frequented on match days.

Programme ad for the Starlight Rooms

Enfield now have a team in the Essex Senior League and a supporters run club, Enfield Town, in the Isthmian League Premier Division and this is the club I would associate with as the heart of the Enfield community and supporters.
 

The one with the poor game. 

It was 1992/93 when we next met, and was an FA Cup 2Q tie at Hucknall Town of the NCEL Division 1. This was in the days before Conference clubs were exempt to the 4^th qualifiers and was eventually changed, partly due to some smaller clubs getting a good thrashing by their higher level opponents. Macclesfield then were massive favourites to sweep aside the home side.

The old changing room block at Hucknall Town, it didn't look like this in 92/93

Hucknall had a very basic ground and still had the old changing room (above) behind the bottom goal, overlooked by the housing estate. When they redeveloped the ground as they moved up the pyramid this structure was still in place for some years though, by then, outside the perimeter of the ground.

The old toilet block at Hucknall Town.

Macc weren’t up for this tie but should still have won comfortably, in the end having to settle for a 1-1 draw. My main memory of this game was a chance Macc had to score when the keeper had been drawn out of the penalty area and the ball was crossed for a Macc player running in who scooped it over the empty net from little over 6 yards out. The result was a massive achievement for Hucknall Town who were on their own road to becoming one of the top non-league sides outside the Conference.

Hucknall v Macc programme

Macc won the replay 3-1 and we met up again when they were drawn at home to my club, Chesterfield, in the 1^st Round. Chesterfield had a good record against non-league clubs and I travelled over the pennines with my mate, and founder of the Crooked Spireite, Stuart Basson, to chalk up my first visit to the Moss Rose. I recall it was one of the worst games I’ve seen as both sides comfortably made it 0-0 but looking at a newspaper clipping of the report it was “entertaining”. It wasn't.

The replay 11 days later was much better as it finished 2-2 aet and went to penalties. How we rejoiced when Macc missed and we were in the lead and how Macc celebrated when they won 3-2 on penalties. 

Stockport County manager Danny Bergara watched the Saltergate replay, his side faced a trip to the winners in the 2^nd Round. He reportedly left for an early night after not seeing anything to worry him. He was right to get off to bed early that night, County beat Macc in the next round, 2-0.

Mark Dempsey, who is mentioned in the pen pics (right) played for, and managed, Alfreton Town for a very brief period. Mark was an experienced player having appeared in the Football League and for several northern non - league clubs. Brought in by Steve Dolby he replaced Steve when he resigned. Mark took over in time for the League Cup 1^st Round Replay against Matlock Town on 11^th October 1997 (the day after Steve left) a game we lost 1-3. Mark had just one League win in the few months he was in charge, the 2-1 win at Guiseley. Following this he allowed Carl Cunningham to leave the club, replacing him with Ian Dring, an experienced journeyman footballer, good on his day but not a consistent goal scorer. Within a month of Mark taking over we suffered our record defeat when losing 1-9 against Solihull Borough in the FA Trophy 2Q Round. Mark sort of drifted out of the club rather than be sacked or resign. His assistant Russ Eagle was left in charge as the season drew to a close and news came that Mark was unable to continue following his move to Manchester, he later played for Radcliffe Borough.

Programme from the FA Cup 1st Round Replay

In 1992/93 Chesterfield's programme editor was a guy called Kevin Barson who put together some great articles, like the one below detailing Chesterfield's games v non-league sides, by coincidence his wife is now my manager.

Article in the Chesterfield v Macclesfield Town 1992/93 programme.

 

Match report from the penalty victory for Macclesfield Town.

Making history.

It was 2004/05 when me and Macclesfield next met and it was an historic one for Alfreton Town. The first time in 31 years that they had appeared in the FA Cup 1^st Round. I was working as a postman at Alfreton Delivery Office and Royal Mail had a fund for activities for posties at that time, I persuaded the manager that we should buy some tickets for any posties that wanted to go. When the call was made to the club, tickets were at a premium and it was only because it was the local Alfreton office that Chairman Wayne Bradley agreed to the bulk buy.

Match Ticket

Match Programme.

Physically Macc towered above the Alfreton lads but we performed really well and held out until the 86^th minute when Danny Whittaker looked like he’d taken Macc through, that was until Mark Sale slid the ball over the line very late in the game. I was pitchside taking photos between the post and corner flag when we equalised and I could see the players running in joy towards me and it looked like I’d be knocked over in the melee until a swarm of Alfreton fans came over the perimeter wall and engulfed the players before they reached me. A cracking finale to the tie. 

Alfreton's Ian Robinson see's his effort hit the bar.

Macc keeper Alan Fettis keeps hold of the ball under pressure.

Danny Whittaker and Matt Fisher clash.

Alfreton celebrate their equaliser.

The game was high profile for Alfreton, the first time they had made the FA Cup proper for over 30 years, and there was unprecedented press interest for the club. The club coped admirably with the bigger crowd and off the field organisation which is required to stage games like this safely. The support from the town was equally superb and the players deserved their chance to play on a Football League venue.

Macclesfield Town fans in the "Tin End"

Alfreton Town fans celebrate the FA Cup draw against Macclesfield Town.

The replay 10 days later at Moss Rose was, unsurprisingly, won 2-0 by Macc. Town. The performance from Alfreton wasn’t quite up to the standard in the home game but Macc did a professional job and made it through to the 2^nd round where they were beaten 4-0 by Hull City.

It was a great achievement for Alfreton though, going so long without an appearance in the FA Cup proper, the 1969/70 side is revered, quite rightly, by those lucky enough to have been there. Now though Alfreton's players were making their own history for the clubs supporters and this was at a time where many more achievements were to be celebrated by the club in the next few years.

Next time, in Remembering Macclesfield Town (part 2), I'll be watching Macc as a League 2 club, back in non-league, honouring the memory of one of football's nice guys, on the road to glory and at some Premier League venues.