Macclesfield’s FA Cup charge unites a grieving town before Brentford visit | OneFootball

All eyes turn to Macclesfield on Monday as Premier League Brentford visit the sixth-tier Silkmen in the FA Cup fourth round at Moss Rose.

L'Équipe reports that Macclesfield stunned holders Crystal Palace 2-1 on 10 January, a feat achieved by amateur players who train twice a week. The run has unfolded amid grief for forward Ethan McLeod, 21, who died in a car crash on 16 December after a match at Bedford.

Manager John Rooney, 35, Wayne Rooney’s younger brother, has led since the summer and looked overawed during media duties with defender Luke Matheson, 23. Staff asked for no McLeod questions, yet Matheson later said the squad remain shaken but motivated to honour him by trying to win.

The club marks McLeod’s memory with a banner between the dugouts, a photo at his dressing-room spot and his name in programmes. In town, remembrance also centres on Joy Division singer Ian Curtis, who is honoured by a 2022 mural.

Owner Rob Smethurst, 48, says he bought the then-bankrupt Macclesfield Town in 2020 via a £500,000 online transfer made while drunk after a breakup. Now sober, and with his partner back, he has overseen a rise from the ninth to the sixth tier. Veteran fan David Davies, 69, recalls pubs packed after Palace and does not expect Brentford to be toppled.

Source: L'Équipe