The Silkmen are going up
Victory on Non-League Day promotes Macclesfield into the National League North
It was probably one of the most expected title successes for this season, but Macclesfield have finally got themselves over the line and have claimed the Pitching In Northern Premier League Premier Division title.
The side managed by former Wales international Robbie Savage secured the championship with a 2-1 win over Bamber Bridge on Non-League Day, thanks to goals from Danny Elliott and long-serving player Laurent Mendy.
I know what people are thinking, and I agree with you—Macclesfield should be comfortably winning that league with the depth they have, as well as the pulling power to attract players and supporters. However, you can have the biggest budget, star players, a massive stadium, and a great fanbase, but it means nothing if your players do not compete on the pitch—just look at Manchester United currently.
You have to say that Macc have been consistent this year. Their league record on the way to winning the title has been Played 36, Won 29, Drawn four, and lost just three times, giving them an unbelievable lead of 20, yes TWENTY, points at the top of the table. Those three defeats came against Ashton United, Leek Town, and Mickleover.
They simply blew the rest of the division away. Worksop tried to go toe-to-toe with them, and it worked for a while. Guiseley then tried to catch the Silkmen but similarly dropped off as well and, in the end, it was certainly a stroll for the men from the leasing.com stadium.
Away from the league action, they made the 4th qualifying round of the Emirates FA Cup, losing out to National League side Tamworth. That is not too bad considering that the Lambs are two divisions above them in the system and made it to the 3rd round of the competition, where they had the small matter of playing Tottenham Hotspur and took them to extra time.
Macclesfield get their fair share of haters, this column might get a few haters, and Robbie Savage probably picks up more than his fair share of haters from opposition fans. However, the former Birmingham City, Blackburn Rovers and Derby County man has put his money where his mouth is and led them to promotion as head coach.
Many eyebrows were raised in the summer when Macclesfield let popular manager Michael Clegg, who took them to the playoff final, go and replaced him with the club’s director of football.
Numerous people had called for him to take a turn in the dugout having gone through six permanent managers since the club was reformed in 2021- Danny Whittaker, Dave McNabb, Nicky Maynard, Mark Duffy, Alex Bruce and the already mentioned Clegg have all sat in the hotseat for the Silkmen before Savage took charge of the team. He was quick to mention his predecessors in his post-match interview on Saturday, thanking them for the work they did in helping Macclesfield get to this point.
We have already touched on the club’s record this season but away from the heat of the battle, you can see the passion that Savage has for the football club. A football club that he and his business partner Rob Smethurst have worked hard to rebuild up from the ground.
I remember covering a game in late 2022 where it had snowed in the week building up to the match, and, with most of the non-league programme taking a hit, it was a surprise that Macclesfield managed to get the game on. They had assembled an army of volunteers (not the only club to do so, I may add) led by savage early in the morning to shift the snow, and even at the halftime break, he was on the pitch assisting the ground staff to clear the snow that had fallen during the first half to ensure the game was completed, and Macclesfield saw out the win.
The feel-good factor around the club and the town seems to be back. I went to one of the old Macclesfield Town’s EFL games back in 2018, and the atmosphere felt as though they were still a non-league club. This was their first season back among the 92, and there was no joy around the place despite the recent promotion; it was completely flat.
However, if you go down London Road these days, it feels different. They have Bar27, which is open most days, a gym and of course, the Artificial Turf Pitch, which not only the first team play on but so many community teams use. I have been down covering matches before, and as I’m getting ready to leave, a training session for children is getting underway, just a mere 45 minutes to an hour after a Northern Premier League fixture has been completed.
You certainly get the feeling that the club are on a relentless journey back up the football pyramid, and their next stop is the National League North.
Macclesfield will no doubt be among the favourites to win the National League North next season. Although, they were the biggest fish in the pond for their first four seasons in the North West Counties and the Northern Premier League, they will now be one of several big fishes in the National League North next season where they will be up against some fellow former EFL clubs that have either tumbled down or had to reform like Macclesfield and are trying to rebuild their way back up to where they once were.
Thank you
Can I just say a big thank you to everyone who has read, shared or subscribed to the Richard Recorder following our debut column last week which promoted Non-League Day 2025. My social media feed has been non-stop since we launched the first post.
Remember if you enjoy the work then hit the subscribe button, you will get everything published on the website straight to your email inbox as soon as it goes live and, if you are on social media then share our work with your friends. You can find me on X @richscottmedia and give it a good old RT or you can hit the share button on this post. It’s a quick cost-free way to promote the work that myself (and any other writers) produce making it all worthwhile and helps us to reach more people rather than just our friends.
Great piece! As you said, easy to have a big budget, another thing to spend it correctly and win something.
Great read Rich. Keep up the good work mate.