Rob Smethurst: The Resurrection of Macclesfield; From Bankruptcy to the FA Cup’s Greatest Upset

It had to be done. It was the greatest upset in FA Cup history when Macclesfield beat holders Crystal Palace a couple of weeks ago. 117 places between the two teams in the football pyramid. But there is much more to the story than that result. A club that went out of business six years ago. An owner who was in the depths of addiction when he bought the club, now delivering one of the great football stories. 

Can they do it again against Brentford in a couple of weeks? You wouldn’t bet against them. But in the meantime let’s take a look at how this magic has been made possible. We’re delighted to welcome Rob Smethurst to the Business of Sport.

On today’s show we discuss: 

The FA Cup Run That’s Changed Everything:

• What it meant for a sixth-tier club to beat Crystal Palace, the FA Cup holders.

• The financial impact of a single cup run, from gate receipts to TV money and global attention.

• Why moments like this can fund an entire season and transform a club’s trajectory overnight.

Running a Sustainable Non-League Football Club:

• How you build a squad from scratch with part-time players earning a few hundred pounds a week.

• Why promotion often makes clubs poorer, not richer, at non-league level.

• How Macclesfield built a seven-day-a-week business around the club through gyms, bars, pitches and education.

• Turning football into part of the business, not the whole business, to survive and grow.

Buying a Football Club on Rightmove:

• The unbelievable story of buying Macclesfield FC while in the depths of addiction and not remembering the purchase.

• Taking control of a club that had been stripped bare by receivers and rebuilding it from nothing.

• Why owning the club gave Rob purpose at the lowest point of his life and ultimately helped save it.

Investment, Ambition & the Road Ahead:

• What it really costs to climb the football pyramid and why outside investment is unavoidable.

• How infrastructure underwrites club value as you move up the leagues.

• Why Macclesfield now has belief, momentum and a clear plan to go further.