Agi: Fa Cup, favola del Macclesfield: Palace eliminato in ricordo del giocatore scomparso
AGI - Il 16 dicembre il Macclesfield, squadra della sesta serie inglese, perdeva il suo attaccante 21enne Ethan McLeon in un incidente stradale di ritorno da una trasferta. Meno di un mese dopo i suoi compagni hanno firmato una delle più grandi imprese nella storia della Fa Cup eliminando la squadra detentrice, il Crystal Palace, che milita in Premier League e lo sopravanza di 117 posizioni. Si tratta di una di quelle favole che spesso la Coppa d’Inghilterra regala ma stavolta nasce da una tragedia perché i genitori di McLeon erano in tribuna e i 5300 spettatori gli hanno dedicato due striscioni.
Il Macclesfield, squadra della zona di Manchester allenata dal fratello minore di Wayne Rooney, John, ha meritato in pieno la promozione al quarto turno: dopo il gol al 43mo del capitano Paul Dawson ha raddoppiato al 60mo con Isaac Buckley-Ricketts. Il Palace ha accorciato con la punizione di Yeremy Pino al 90’, ma nel recupero i Silkmen (soprannome della squadra di casa) hanno tenuto dando il via ai festeggiamenti con invasione di campo e i giocatori portati in trionfo.
I genitori di McLeon sono scesi a celebrare con il tecnico della la squadra. “Gli ho detto che ci stava sicuramente guardando oggi, lo sento che è qui con noi”, ha detto Rooney, “averli qui ha significato tanto”.
Una curiosità: il Macclesfield è la prima squadra ‘non League’ (non professionistica) a eliminare la detentrice della Fa Cup dal 1908-1909 quando proprio il Crystal Palace superò i Wolves al primo turno.
FA Cup, Macclesfield's fairytale: Palace eliminated in memory of the missing player.
AGI - On December 16th, Macclesfield, a sixth-tier English team, lost its 21-year-old striker Ethan McLeon in a road accident returning from an away match. Less than a month later, his teammates achieved one of the biggest feats in the history of the FA Cup, eliminating the holders, Crystal Palace, who play in the Premier League and are 117 places ahead. It’s one of those fairy tales that the English Cup often gifts, but this time it was born from a tragedy because McLeon’s parents were in the stands and the 5300 spectators dedicated two banners to him.
Macclesfield, a Manchester-based team coached by Wayne Rooney’s younger brother, John, deservedly reached the fourth round: after the goal by captain Paul Dawson in the 43rd minute, they doubled the lead in the 60th with Isaac Buckley-Ricketts. Palace shortened the gap with Yeremy Pino’s free kick in the 90th, but in the added time, the Silkmen (the team’s nickname) held on, sparking celebrations with a pitch invasion and players carried in triumph.
McLeon’s parents came down to celebrate with the team’s coach. “I told him he was definitely watching us today, I feel him being here with us,” Rooney said, “having them here meant so much.”
A curiosity: Macclesfield is the first ‘non-League’ (non-professional) team to eliminate the FA Cup holders since 1908-1909 when Crystal Palace itself beat Wolves in the first round.
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https://www.agi.it/sport/news/2026-01-10/favola-macclesfield-eliminato-crystal-palace-35026024/
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