Rooney's sixth-tier Macclesfield climb 117 Places to topple cup holders in FA Cup's greatest ever upset

Macclesfield produced what is statistically the biggest upset in FA Cup history on Saturday, defeating defending champions Crystal Palace 2-1 at the Leasing.com Stadium in a seismic third-round clash. The club which was found in the 19th century had to be liquidated in 2020 and

With 117 league places separating the two sides, the victory surpasses the previous record held by Chasetown's win over Port Vale in 2007-08, which saw a 101-place gap between the teams.

Macclesfield, known as the Silkmen, saw their journey to this historic moment prove nothing short of extraordinary. The club, originally founded in 1874, was liquidated in September 2020 and expelled from the National League. Reformed as Macclesfield FC in October 2020, they started from the ninth tier of English football and have since secured three promotions in just four seasons. Now, as a sixth-tier side, they have defeated a Premier League team - the first to do so since 1992.

Captain Paul Dawson opened the scoring two minutes before halftime with a towering header from Luke Duffy's free-kick, before Isaac Buckley-Ricketts doubled the lead on the hour mark with an instinctive finish from close range.

Although Yéremy Pino's stunning 90th-minute free-kick gave Palace hope, Macclesfield held on through six minutes of added time to secure their place in the fourth round.

The result carries particular significance in FA Cup history. Palace became the first defending champions to lose to non-league opposition since 1908-09 when Wolverhampton Wanderers fell to Crystal Palace themselves.

For Macclesfield, who entered the competition at the second qualifying round stage, the victory represents a remarkable journey that has seen them overcome Atherton Laburnum Rovers, Nantwich Town, Stamford AFC, AFC Totton, and Slough Town just to reach this stage.

The triumph was particularly poignant for the club, coming less than a month after the tragic death of 21-year-old striker Ethan McLeod in a car accident on December 16 while traveling home from their match at Bedford Town.

Manager John Rooney's side delivered a performance full of spirit and determination, frustrating a Palace team that had made six changes but still fielded England internationals Marc Guéhi and Adam Wharton. The victory extends Palace's winless run to nine games and marks a disappointing end to their defense of the trophy they lifted last season.