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Macclesfield away preview

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Macclesfield away preview

Postby Sweden Stag » Thu Nov 14, 2019 6:08 pm

After progressing in two cup competitions within the space of a few days, first a hard-fought FA Cup first round victory against Chorley from Conf Nation, then a very good away EFL Trophy victory at Burton, exactly what was required to progress to the knock-out stages, the Stags now embark on the short trip across the Peak District to Macclesfield Town, currently crisis-ridden off the field, mainly due to ownership in the same vein which a decade ago proved costly for the Stags (more than enough printed now).

The off-the-field problems at Macclesfield escalated into a player-strike last weekend, one which could have meant that the Silkmen were on the verge of being thrown out of the FA Cup this season and beyond. Eventually, the Silkmen managed to field a youngish team in the FA Cup first round against Kingstonians, very early this century in the Conf National. Just below 1000 spectators, who protested against the Macc ownership, saw the non-leaguers win quite easily to a 4-0 scoreline at Moss Rose. And a few days later, the Silkmen also turned up at Shrewsbury in the EFL Trophy in a fixture which the League One side won to a 3-1 scoreline, which meant that the Silkmen’s EFL Trophy campaign was over for now.

Last season, Macclesfield were very close to become the first side ever to go straight down to the National League following promotion to the EFL. The Silkmen endured the worst-ever start of any side being promoted to the EFL, and did not win any of their first thirteen games, yielding just four points, one of those against the Stags to a 1-1 draw in late August 2018in a fixture which the Stags were fortunate to get anything from. John Askey’s successor, Mark Yates (who had a spell at Kidderminster later on) was axed in early October last year. Long-serving player Danny Whitaker took over for a while before Sol Campbell was appointed at Moss Rose. An upturn in results followed, which on the final day of last season was just enough to escape the drop at the expense of Notts County and Yeovil Town. Although the Macc results on the field so far have been quite decent, currently lower mid-table, Sol Campbell resigned early on this season, mainly due to the off-the-field reasons noted above.

But Macclesfield have survived long winless runs before. In 2006-07, the Silkmen did not win any of their first nineteen League Two fixtures, yet managed to steer clear of the drop zone.

In the 1990's, Macclesfield were a side which first were refused entry to the FL due to ground regulations, then a couple of seasons later, finally gained entry to the league (The Silkmen won the Conf in 1994-95 and then in 1996-97). On joining the League, the Silkmen were to be the fifth side to gain further promotion in their first-ever FL season, being in 1997-98 (the previous being Peterborough in 1960-61, Hereford in 1972-73, Stevenage in 2010-11, the latest Crawley) in second position being unbeaten at home, behind Notts County, that under the guidance of Sammy McIlroy, later Northern Ireland national team manager and successfully at Morecambe.

The teams also faced each other in 2001-02 when the lowest home crowd of that promotion season, just 2681, saw the Stags stuff the Silkmen 4-0 with the help of two strikes from Disley and one apiece from Greenacre and White. Needless to say that this was up to November 3, 2007, the highest Stags win against the Macc. Incidentally, one of Macclesfield’s early highest league wins was in a home game against the Stags on November 2, 1999 – 5-2 to the Silkmen. This was bettered by the Silkmen on December 13, 2003, when Huddersfield were mauled 4-0 at Moss Rose, even bettered when the Silkmen stuffed Notts County 5-0 at their place in 2004-05 (Now bettered when the Silkmen stuffed Stockport 6-0 at home on Boxing Day, 2005, editor’s note). Many other league games between the clubs being won by one-goal marginal by either side so far with the exemption of a few games, i.e. the 2001-02 league Field Mill fixture and the one from 2004-05 at Macclesfield have been decided by the only goal of the game, the most important one being an injury-time Tankard header at Moss Rose on December 29, 2001 in front of 2550, of whom about a third, 771, took the relative short trip across the Peak District to Silkmen Country. In 2000-01, the Stags also won by the only goal of the game at Moss Rose. On January 14, 2001, Mark Blake hit the winner 34 minutes into that tie. On November 6, 2004, when the Stagsnet statistical previewer did the Stagsnet report of the Field Mill game, Sheron hit the only goal of the game for the Silkmen’s first-ever league victory in Stagsland. That game was also Keith Curle’s last game as Stags manager as he a few days later was controversially suspended.

The teams faced, prior to the League game in Mansfield on November 6, 2004, each other in a cup tie for the first time, but that was at Moss Rose on November 2, 2004, when a youthful Stags side crashed out of the LDV Vans Trophy to a 4-0 scoreline. But both teams have had FA Cup home games against West Ham. In Macclesfield’s case, this happened only the week after Tankard’s injury time winner. The Hammers won the 3rd round FA Cup 2001-02 tie with the same scoreline as with which the Stags kayoed West Ham in 1968-69, 3-0! And both sides reached the FA Cup 3rd round in 2003-04. The Silkmen for the third year running. Macclesfield also did that in 1967-68 as a non-league side which nearly accounted for then First Division Fulham away before losing 4-2, and in 1987-88, when the subsequent Spurs killers Port Vale won a home tie 1-0. Only one previous game between the Stags and the Silkmen has finished goal-less, and that happened in April 2008 at Moss Rose.

During the 2012-13 season, the Stags as well as the Silkmen much more than held their own in the FA Cup against PL opposition. While Liverpool became the FA Cup terminus for the Stags in the third round, the Silkmen reached further than ever before after kayoeing sides like Swindon (away) and Cardiff at home. The reward for the slaying of Cardiff was a home tie against Wigan, who needed an early penalty to dispose of the Silkmen.

Quite a few players have appeared for both sides. To name a few: Richie Barker, Martin Gritton and Luke Dimech. Ben Sedgemore played for the Stags against the Silkmen in both games of the 1997-98 and was red-carded in the first-ever league fixture between the clubs at Moss Rose on October 18, 1997, but starred for Macc on November 2, 1999 at Moss Rose, scoring once in the Silkmen’s 5-2 victory. He also scored once in the 4-4 game at Field Mill on August 28, 2000, and have also played for former Conf side Canvey Island.

One Macclesfield player who played at Field Mill in front of the previewer in November 2004, was around as a player last campaign. The name: Danny Whitaker, scorer against Cheltenham in the home fixture prior to the one against the Stags last season. His goal then was his century one in a career which started at Macclesfield in the 2000-01 season. He returned to the Silkmen after the 2012-13 season following stints at Port Vale, Oldham and Chesterfield, mostly at League One level. Also starring for Macclesfield at Field Mill in November 2004: Graham Potter, now Brighton manager following an extremely successful spell at Östersunds FK in Sweden.

Played for both sides: Colin Askey, Richie Barker, Lee Bell, Paul Bolland, Len Butt, Syd Carter, Colin Daniel, Luke Dimech, Ben Futcher, Lee Glover, David Goodwin, Martin Gritton, Matt Hamshaw, James Jennings, Kevin Lampkin, Colin Little, Neil MacKenzie, John McCombe, Lindon Meikle, Kieran Murtagh, Neil Moore, Adam Murray, Nathan Peel, George Pilkington, Allan Russell, Kevin Sandwith, Ben Sedgemore, Emile Sinclair, Matthew Tipton, Jamie Tolley, Peter Vincenti, Michael Walker, Luke Waterfall, Sam Wedgbury.

Home games: P 11, W 7, D 2, L 2, GF 26, GA 12
Away games: P 11, W 4, D 4, L 3, GF 13, GA 13

Season Home Date Away Date

1997-98 1-0 1998-02-24 0-1 1997-10-18 Div 3
1999-2000 1-0 2000-03-11 2-5 1999-11-02 Div 3
2000-01 4-4 2000-08-28 1-0 2001-01-14 Div 3
2001-02 4-0 2001-08-27 1-0 2001-12-29 Div 3
2003-04 3-2 2003-09-06 1-1 2003-12-28 Div 3
2004-05 0-1 2004-11-06 1-3 2005-04-23 League Two
2005-06 1-1 2006-02-04 1-1 2005-09-27 League Two
2006-07 1-2 2007-03-23 3-2 2006-10-28 League Two
2007-08 5-0 2007-11-03 0-0 2008-04-12 League Two
2012-13 3-1 2013-04-09 3-0 2012-11-20 BSP
2018-19 3-1 2019-02-02 1-1 2018-08-25 League Two

Cup games

2004-05 0-4 2004-11-02 (at Moss Rose, Macclesfield in the LDV Vans Trophy)

Expect an interesting fixture on Saturday. This game is also on the Swedish pools coupons for this Saturday. Come on Mansfield!
Stockholm, July 4, 2008, 15.00 GMT. Good news came, K.H. gone. March 1, 2012. Ground purchased.
Sweden Stag
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