In a moment of pure, unadulterated football joy, Macclesfield chairman Rob Smethurst has confessed to being the first person to invade the pitch after his club's seismic FA Cup victory over defending champions Crystal Palace.
The Historic Upset That Sparked Chaos
The scenes unfolded on Saturday at the Leasing.com Stadium after Macclesfield, ranked 117 places below their Premier League opponents, secured a stunning 2-1 win. This result is now officially the biggest shock in the competition's 154-year history when measured by the gulf in league positions.
Paul Dawson's first-half header gave the National League side a dream lead, which was doubled after the break by Isaac Buckley-Ricketts. The home side then endured a nerve-shredding six minutes of stoppage time before the final whistle triggered bedlam.
"I Legged It!" - Chairman's Sprint to Celebrate
At the heart of the celebrations was the club's owner, Rob Smethurst. Speaking to BBC Radio 5 Live on Sunday, he proudly owned his pivotal role in the pitch invasion. "I legged it!" Smethurst exclaimed. "I thought this is going to happen and I thought you know what I'm going on! I need to hug my players here, I probably was first on and caused havoc."
He described the victory as feeling like his club had "won the FA Cup" by simply reaching the fourth round. The celebrations, he revealed, lasted into the early hours for the players, while he returned home to relive the unforgettable scenes. "It was just amazing for Macclesfield... the scenes for the town and the community yesterday was just one of those experiences that I'm never going to forget," he added.
Contrasting Emotions for the Defeated Champions
The elation in Macclesfield stood in stark contrast to the despair in the Crystal Palace camp. Eagles manager Oliver Glasner offered a damning assessment of his team's performance, stating they "deserved to lose" and even suggesting the club's under-21 side would have performed better.
"I was looking for quality from everyone," said the Austrian. "You don't need tactics in these kinds of games. You just have to show what you're capable of and show a little bit of pride... today we lacked everything." His blunt comments underscored the magnitude of the FA Cup upset that allowed a non-league chairman to make a joyous sprint into football folklore.
