Macclesfield Town FC, a community club with 146 years of history, is another North West football team on the brink of extinction.
In mid-September it was announced that the Silkmen were being wound up after Judge Sebastian Prentis heard in the High Court that a total of around £500,000 was owned to HMRC and creditors such as John Askey, a former manager of the club.
Recent times have been tumultuous for Macclesfield when reports surfaced early in 2019 that some players had not been paid in three months.
The team was subsequently relegated to the National League at the end of the 2019/20 season after being deducted points as a result of their financial difficulties and the numerous instances in which players went unpaid.
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Fans have been frustrated with the continued influence and control of the majority shareholder, Amar Alkadhi, and believe the club would have been in a better position if the club had been sold at an earlier date.
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A petition calling for the removal of Alkadhi was set up by fans almost a year ago.
After the winding-up order was issued last week, the Silkmen Supporters Trust (SST), who provided a loan of £10,000 to the club in April to ensure staff and players were paid, made it clear that they believed Alkadhi was to blame.
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“The SST are devastated by the decision of the court to wind up Macclesfield Town Football Club,” they said.
“The responsibility for this lies at the feet of one person – Amar Alkadhi.
“The only way forward now, and it may be a positive, would be to form a new club, just like Bury have done, debt free and without Mr Alkadhi.”
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It is yet another blow to footballing communities in the North West following the recent expulsion of Bury FC from the footballing league, and their subsequent threat of liquidation, as well as the precarious position of Wigan Athletic who fell into administration in July of this year.
Our club Macclesfield has been our escape from real life for nearly 150 years and we are hurting so much. We just want our football club back. It’s gone because of one man. Life isn’t fair.#BuryFC#AFCBurypic.twitter.com/B2T7mfMtXA
Founded back in 1874, Macclesfield Town is one of the oldest football clubs in the country and have played their games at Moss Rose since 1891.
In the post-World War II era, where the club became known as Macclesfield Town rather than Macclesfield FC, the greatest period of success for the team came in the 1990s with former Manchester United midfielder Sammy McIlroy at the helm.
Taking charge of the team at the beginning of the 1993/94 season, Mcllory managed to steer the team to the top of the Conference and the promise of the English Football League in just his second season.
The Silkmen dominated the Conference, sitting top of the pack from November of 1994 until the end of the season, but promotion was unfortunately denied as their stadium did not meet the EFL requirements.
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The team were eventually promoted to the EFL following the 1996/97 season, winning the Conference by five points; a remarkable feat given the fact that the club trailed the top spot by fifteen points earlier in the season.
Mcllory’s reign also saw the FA Trophy return to the Moss Rose for the second time in the club’s history (with a win against Northwich Victoria at Wembley) and promotion in two successive years in the 1997/98 season and a second-place finish in Division Three.
The Silkmen’s fortunes faded in the following season, returning to the third division after being relegated. The season also saw the departure of Mcllory.
The years since have seen several big names take the reigns, including Paul Ince and Sol Campbell.
Perhaps most fondly remembered, though, is Keith Alexander, who took charge of the club between 2008 and 2010 before he unfortunately passed away while occupying the role.
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Alexander saved the club from being relegated to the Conference in 2008, extending the club’s run in the football league.
He is also widely regarded as a pioneer for racial equality in the game, previously becoming the first professional black manager in the EFL and the first professionally qualified black referee in England.
"I feel like I've been kicked in the stomach and I'm not sure I can get up."
It's been a heartbreaking week for Macclesfield Town fans.
In recent years, Macclesfield dropped out of the footballing league twice, although there have been a few bright spots since the team were initially relegated to the Conference in 2012.
These included the first appearance in the FA Cup fourth round and a promotion back into the Football League in 2019, but the financial issues have slowly mounted over the years.
Now, the future looks bleak.
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Fans and employees alike are devastated that a club with such close ties to the community and a long footballing history is on the brink of collapse.
The club is yet to be officially liquidated, giving fans some small hope that a solution can be found.
But it is clear that the financial problems brought on by the modern game have resulted in yet another casualty, continuing a process of erosion in the game which leaves no room for the ‘little’ guys.
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Football fans on the way home from Man United match injured in Huntingdon train stabbing
Danny Jones
Following the tragic news of the stabbing on a train in Cambridgeshire over the weekend, it’s been confirmed that a number of those injured in the senseless incident included football fans returning home after the match been Nottingham Forest and Manchester United.
A 32-year-old man, who is now said to be the only suspect in the attack, was detained at the scene.
Initially, another man – also British-born and of Caribbean descent – was arrested on suspicion of murder, but he has since been released “in good faith” that he was not involved in the mass stabbing.
A total of 11 people were hurt in the attack at approximately 7:42pm on Sunday evening, 2 November; while nine were said to be treated for serious injuries, five have since been discharged, and one is still in a critical state.
'I hope this results in a broader review of security'
The man who remains in a life-threatening condition has been named as Andrew Johnson, a train driver from Peterborough working on the line from Doncaster to King’s Cross in London.
His Iraq War veteran’s intervention is already said to have protected multiple lives, with the LNER staff member calmly bringing the carriages to a halt in an appropriate location as soon as he could.
Nigel Roebuck, a regional organiser for the railway drivers’ union Aslef and lead officer with the train operating company, told the BBC: “The driver did everything he was trained to do, at the right time and in the right way.”
“He brought the train into a station where passengers could disembark safely and where police, fire and rescue, and ambulance crew could get on to the train and attend to the victims and, we believe, catch the culprit.”
Roebuck went on to add: “He showed real courage, real dedication, and real determination in the most difficult of circumstances. Our thoughts tonight are with his colleague, who is still in intensive care.”
Another man who has been praised (following what the authorities have said is not being considered a ‘terrorist act’) is Forest supporter Stephen Crean, who is reported to have confronted the culprit; he was later seen getting off at Huntingdon, having been left visibly injured and needing medical attention.
Get well soon Stephen Crean, This Forest fan is one of the people who stood up to the attacker on the train yesterday.
A true hero, well done Stephen for putting your life on the line for the safety of others. RESPECT to you.❤️🙏 pic.twitter.com/dl7eUEtj86
Writing on Facebook, his friend Sanj Beri said, “Get well soon, Stephen Crean. We are all thinking of you. One of the very best and a true hero.” It is not thought that any travelling fans in the United away end were on board at the time.
Another post by a group of local NFFC fans from Munster also reads: “On behalf of the branch, I would like to wish a speedy recovery to Stephen Crean. He was stabbed yesterday evening on a train going back to London after the Forest v Manchester United game.
“He bravely put himself in front of some children to protect them from the evil assailant(s) who wounded at least 10 more people in total. He is a longtime friend of the branch, having attended a couple of our Charity Dinners in Killorglin and was indeed a member at one time.
“I have known him for at least 10 years and he is one of the most gentlest souls you could meet. He follows Forest and Ireland home and away, and I have regularly met him at The City Ground over the years, as well as the likes of Luton, Spurs, Wembley, Ipswich and most recently in Seville.”
Both men have rightly been praised for their quick thinking and heroics in deeply distressing circumstances. It goes without saying that we wish those injured a speedy recovery. You can find out more of the latest info on the situation down below.
Sending our thoughts and strength to all those involved in the incident.
Featured Images — Andrew Johnson/Munster Forest (via Facebook)/Walter Baxter (via Geograph)
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Paul Scholes shares touching message over response to quitting punditry to look after his son
Danny Jones
Manchester United legend Paul Scholes recently announced that he has stepped away from football punditry and other media duties to look after his son, Aiden, and he has clearly been touched by the response to his deeply honest interview.
The former United star and England international has three children with his wife, Claire Frogratt, recently revealing that the two have sadly separated.
While his only daughter, Alicia – a thriving young netball player with London Pulse – and eldest son Arron (who runs the family’s self-titled Scholes Gym in Oldham) are both fully grown and in good health, Paul recently opened up about the challenges of looking after his youngest child, who has autism.
Aiden Scholes was diagnosed as autistic when he was just two and is largely non-verbal, meaning there are added difficulties not just when it comes to communicating but overall welfare. Opening in a fairly rare instance on a recent episode of The Overlap, the ex-midfielder is now putting all his focus on care.
As a dad to a young boy with autism, I can’t help but have more respect for Paul Scholes after seeing him open up about his own experiences. Not only does it hit home, his priorities are in order. ❤️ https://t.co/kCjfQye3ef
Speaking with his old Man United teammates, including host Gary Neville and Roy Keane, as well as the rest of the panel, the 50-year-old retired pro and one-time manager turned pundit says that he recently made the conscious decision to put virtually everything else aside to put all of his efforts towards Aiden.
Put simply, he said, “I just decided everything I’m going to do is around Aiden.”
Of course, he went on to explain some of the important “routines” and obstacles in more detail during the sit-down, but even from the brief clip that went viral online, he’s been met with an incredible reaction on social media.
Sharing an update on his Instagram story, he went on to add: “Would just like to thank everyone for all your kind messages since The Overlap interview regarding Aiden – there’s been loads and tried to read as many as possible”, he said.
“The response from families (especially Dads) shows how much speaking about it helps so many… There was one quote from a parent in a similar position that’s just got me…”
The anonymous line he shared read: “My job is to stay alive one day longer than my son/daughter”. Truly tearjerking stuff.
Now 20, the Scholes family are a couple of decades into learning how best to meet Aiden’s additional needs, but Paul has admitted in the past that the climate was different back in the day.
Neville himself said that his long-time friend, teammate, and fellow Class of ’92 graduate has always been a private person and didn’t talk to anyone about anything.
He signed off by urging people to enjoy the little things, like the weekend and having a few drinks – as well as wishing the best of luck to his beloved Salford City FC – but it can’t be overestimated how much his candid words have resonated with people all over the country.
You can see Paul Scholes’ most recent appearance on The Overlap in full down below.
Kate Jackson -
21st September 2020 
