Macclesfield chairman Rob Smethurst says he feels like his side “won the FA Cup” with their third-round win over holders Crystal Palace on Saturday – and admitted he was “first on” as fans invaded the pitch at full-time.
The Silkmen beat their Premier League opponents 2-1 despite ranking 117 places below them, creating the biggest shock in the competition’s history in terms of difference in league position.
Paul Dawson’s header in the first half sent the home fans into dreamland, before Isaac Buckley-Ricketts shocked Palace further when he delivered a second after the break.
The final whistle prompted scenes of jubilation as fans raced on to the pitch to celebrate.
“I legged it!” Smethurst told BBC Radio 5 Live on Sunday.
“I thought this is going to happen and I thought you know what I’m going on! I thought I need to hug my players here, I probably was first on and caused havoc.”
He added: “It was just amazing for Macclesfield. I know the lads were partying until three, four o’clock in the morning. I mean the scenes for the town and the community yesterday was just one of those experiences that I’m never going to forget.
“I was home early believe it or not. I got myself back and watched it all over again. Amazing scenes. For me I think we won the FA Cup yesterday.”
The win was earned against a backdrop of tragedy after Silkmen forward Ethan McLeod died in a car accident while travelling back from their National League North match at Bedford Town on 16 December.
The 21-year-old’s parents attended Saturday’s game and met the players in the dressing room after, with Smethurst wanting them to be involved in the post-match celebrations.
“I just grabbed them and said ‘this is your moment’,” he said.
“I took them into the dressing room. It was really emotional, we gave them Ethan’s boots which he’d been playing in but he’d left them at the club. It was a real touching moment, very upsetting.
“We’ve been through probably one of the hardest things we’ve ever been through as a football club and a community losing such a lovely lad.
“It’s going to be heartbreaking forever for us, but what the lads did, they picked themselves up and he was our 12th man yesterday.”
