In a moment of pure, unadulterated football joy, Macclesfield chairman Rob Smethurst has proudly admitted he was the first person to invade the pitch after his club's seismic FA Cup victory over Crystal Palace on Saturday. The National League side, ranked a staggering 117 places below their Premier League opponents, pulled off the biggest shock in the competition's history by league position difference, defeating the defending champions 2-1.
The Chairman's Sprint to History
As the final whistle blew at the Leasing.com Stadium, confirming Macclesfield's passage to the fourth round, Smethurst didn't hesitate. "I legged it!" he told BBC Radio 5 Live on Sunday, describing his dash onto the turf. "I thought this is going to happen and I thought you know what I'm going on! I need to hug my players here, I probably was first on and caused havoc." His spontaneous celebration captured the raw emotion of a historic day for the club, known as the Silkmen, and its community.
How the Monumental Upset Unfolded
The match itself was a classic cup tale. Paul Dawson's first-half header gave the home fans belief, before Isaac Buckley-Ricketts doubled the lead, sending the stadium into raptures. A nervy six minutes of stoppage time followed, but Macclesfield held firm to secure a famous win. For Smethurst, the achievement felt monumental. "For me I think we won the FA Cup yesterday," he said, revealing players partied until the early hours while he returned home to relive the "amazing scenes".
Contrasting Emotions in the Dugout
The elation in the Macclesfield camp stood in stark contrast to the despair in the Crystal Palace technical area. Eagles manager Oliver Glasner offered a damning assessment of his side's performance, stating they "deserved to lose". The Austrian manager lamented a lack of quality and pride, even suggesting the club's under-21 side would have performed better. "You don't need tactics in these kinds of games. You just have to show what you're capable of... But today we lacked everything," a dejected Glasner admitted.
The result and the chairman's celebratory sprint have cemented this match as an instant FA Cup legend, a perfect example of the magic and unpredictability that defines the world's oldest domestic football competition.
