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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Rúben Amorim outlines the three key things Manchester United need to work on
Danny Jones
Rúben Amorim has conducted his first full press conference as Manchester United manager and has outlined the three key things he wants to address when it comes to his new team.
Amorim officially joined Man United on Monday, 11 November after being given a ‘now or never’ which meant he had to leave his former club Sporting CP in the middle of the season.
Replacing Erik ten Hag, who was sacked less than 24 hours after a 2-1 defeat to West Ham and had overseen a run of bad results, the contract extension he was given in the summer ultimately proved obsolete and now the Portuguese head coach must lift his new side from a measly 13th in the table.
That being said, speaking to the media in his first full pre-match presser ahead of his maiden Premier League outing against Ipswich Town this weekend, Amorim has already highlighted three key areas in which he wants United to improve as a matter of priority.
"I truly believe that I'm the right guy in the right moment" 👊
Ruben Amorim says he does not think managing Manchester United is the impossible job.#MUFC#bbcfootball 🇵🇹
What did Amorim say in his first full Man United press conference?
Although the 39-year-old coach – who is only three years older than resurgent centre-back Johnny Evans – started off by assuring that his main focus at its core is to win the next match (and the one after that, as the football cliché goes), he boiled the current squad issues down to a troublesome trio.
In his eyes, a lot of it just comes down to pure physical effort.
Improve possession
First and foremost, Amorim was quick to point out that United “lose the ball too often” and simply have to retain it more throughout the 90 minutes.
Although they have enjoyed spells of greater control in games, their average possessions stats in the Premier League not only under ten Hag but Ole Gunnar Solskjær and even short-lived interim boss Ralf Rangnick never flirted too far above 50-53%.
While that might sound like the signs of nothing more than a well-contested game, the club need to be looking at much higher numbers if they want to start being a dominant force again.
Track back more
The second area he said that the team desperately needs to improve in is the distances covered per match, especially when it comes to running back towards their own goal and tracking back during defensive phases.
Addressing it in a rather matter-of-fact manner, he told reporters: “We have to be better at running back, I think that is clear for everybody [to see].” He told Gary Neville something very similar in his other recent interview with Sky Sports.
"This is my place" ❤️
The smile on both Gary Neville and Ruben Amorim's face when the Manchester United head coach said this ☺ pic.twitter.com/dpKnnE69Nm
He said it with a smile on his face but it’s clear that he knows there is a narrative surrounding United in recent years that they just don’t work hard enough, both on and off the ball. Having played mainly in the middle of the park for Belenenses, Benfica and SC Braga, running is a non-negotiable.
Focus on the ‘details’ first
Lastly, Amorim said he believes one of the big things he can do for these players is to help them fine-tune the small things. He added that although there is a feeling that fans want there to be “a lot of change” and pressure to make “big” decisions, he reiterated that “it’s the small things.”
The former utility player knows a thing or two about playing in lots of positions and going back to the opening point of his press conference in which he discussed getting the team to believe in “one thing”, he believes that the minute differences can contribute to changing how they approach the game.
There is understandably lots of talk surrounding his trademark 3-4-3 formation and whether these details refer to tactical tweaks, we will see, but he insists that so long as they put in the effort and pay attention to the little stuff, those on the pitch will start to play in the same way that he wants them to.
You can watch his press conference ahead of the Ipswich away this Sunday in full down below:
Amorim was also happy to casually call out those who ‘don’t believe in’ his new players in his first press conference as Man United coach.
Featured Images — BeanymanSports (via YouTube screenshot)
Sport
Inside Manchester’s pro-am padel tournament where the sport shone bigger than the celebs
Harry Quick
We jumped on the court with Olympians, Footballers and TV celebrities to play the racquet sport that is sweeping the globe: let’s take a look inside the first pro-am padel tournament to ever take place in Manchester.
A host of famous faces gathered at Manchester’s newest state-of-the-art padel club, Pure Padel Manchester, for the fourth and final leg of the Pro-Am Padel Tour.
Whether it’s on social media, your mates in the office or your dad finding something as a substitute for the golf course, it seems like everywhere you look someone is telling you about the game of padel they have just had.
Countless sports personalities are getting involved which only highlights its ever-growing popularity and let me tell you, it’s clear to see why.
Household names from the world of sport and entertainment, including Olympic gold medal swimmer Adam Peaty and ex-footballers Phil Jones and Jill Scott were partnered up with top-level professionals to compete in a round-robin style tournament.
It’s fair to say even multiple gold medalists and Premier League winners had their competitive streak unleashed with this one and I’m going to say it… Peaty is definitely better in the water!
From the world of sport, we also saw former England and Manchester City defender Joleon Lescott, Olympic swimmer Matt Richards and Man United great Katie Zelem – who achieved MVP on the day despite having only played once or twice before. Well in Katie!
Taking to the court from the screen we had Coronation Street star Adam Thomas, actor and I’m a Celeb runner-up Owen Warner and Sky Sports presenter Kyle Walker.
If you are not familiar with the sport or you have been living under a rock for the past 12 months, Padel is essentially a combination of tennis and squash – but a lot easier to pick up for a first-timer.
Brushing shoulders – and racquets – with some stars at the first-ever pro-am padel event in Manchester. (Credit: The Manc Group)
It is widely considered the world’s fastest-growing sport with 30 million players enjoying the technical and social game from more than 100 countries, and is on a fast upward trajectory in the UK.
Although originating in Acapulco, Mexico in the late 60’s, it swiftly made its way over the Atlantic when Prince Alfonso of Spain built two padel courts in Marbella and the Spaniards took to it like a fish to water.
With over 4 million players from Spain, the Iberian Peninsula is considered the home of the sport but with facilities like this popping up in town, Great Britain is becoming a padel force to be reckoned with.
Pure Padel‘s indoor arena protected us from the wintery Manchester conditions for a full afternoon of non-stop action alongside a DJ throughout and some quality street food to help refuel.
One main takeaway from the day is that this is a sport that can be enjoyed by anyone regardless of age or ability. Yes, there is no denying that the professionals are different gravy and I’m sure I saw some of them give the celebs the runaround with one hand in their pocket.
Pure Padel Manchester is a great facility, by the way – no wonder the Pro-Am Tour chose it. (Credit: The Manc Group)
A few were trying the game for the very first time, so a few misplaced drop shots, nervy second serves and ‘name in the headlines’ smashes were always to be expected. As the day progressed, you could see the development in each one of the celebrities thanks to their professional partners.
Jill Scott said “It was an honour to take to the court with the pros but it’s made me realise I need a lot more practice. If you practice, you will see a big improvement quickly. It’s easy to get the bug for it.”
Whilst three-time gold medalist Adam Peaty added, “I enjoy how Padel brings out my frustration. It’s a very technical sport but it’s always fun. I’m still learning but really enjoying it.”
Although practice makes perfect, I’m not sure he’ll be swapping the goggles for a racquet any time soon. To sum it all up, the biggest takeaway from the entire experience was that it wasn’t the collective celeb presence that shone: it was was the sport itself and how big a boom it is truly enjoying.
If you fancy giving it a go for yourselves, Pure Padel Manchester over on Cheetham Hill is open to the public right now – you can find out how to book yourself HERE.
Kate Jackson -
21st September 2020 
