How Macclesfield’s dethroning of Palace rewrote FA Cup history

In the world’s oldest cup competition, it’s not often that something totally new occurs.

In its 145th edition, the FA Cup’s ‘magic’ has entranced supporters on countless occasions with its drama, its upsets, and its fairytale stories.

But when Macclesfield dumped out the holders Crystal Palace on Saturday, the competition saw an unprecedented feat – the lowest ranked team to ever knock the holders… and by a huge margin!

Palace’s Wembley win against Manchester City last summer was a mammoth achievement. But Macclesfield’s 2-1 win over the incumbents on Saturday rewrote the history books.

Have the holders ever before been knocked out by a Non-League team?

Yes… technically.

On four previous occasions, all over a century ago, teams which were playing outside the Football League deposed the reigning champions.

All of the conquerors were representatives of the Southern League – a competition which, at the time, rivalled the Football League in its strength. And well before England’s football Pyramid took its current shape.

Bury, who had won the 1899-1900 competition, were knocked out the following year by Southern League side Tottenham Hotspur – who went on to become the first and only ‘Non-League’ club to win the competition.

Then the following season, Spurs’ title defence came to an end at the hands of fellow Southern League outfit Southampton, in the Second Round (after two replays!)

Norwich City knocked out 1906-07 champions The Wednesday… and then 1907-08 winners Wolverhampton Wanderers were vanquished the next season by none other than Crystal Palace.

But in terms of Non-League in the sense of the Pyramid as we know it today, Macclesfield's feat is a first.

Which tier do the teams that knock out the holders usually come from?

The FA Cup pre-dates league competition – so until the Football League was founded in 1889-90, it was a moot point.

Since then, the champions have been vanquished by a top-tier team (from the Football League or Premier League) on 86 occasions. Teams from the second tier – now the Championship – have caused an upset on 25 occasions. Bolton Wanderers are the most recent of just four club from the third tier to eliminate the holders, when they stunned 1991-92 champions Liverpool in a Third Round replay.

The four aforementioned Southern League sides have also had their say, and the cup has been retained on seven occasions since the Football League’s foundation. Only once has a title defence been forfeited, when Manchester United withdrew from the 1999-2000 tournament.

Never before has a team from the fourth or fifth tier toppled the reigning champs. A win for sixth-tier Macclesfield last Saturday was as unique as it was unlikely.

Which teams have the best success against the holders?

In a nutshell… Manchester United.

The cup has been retained on 12 occasions (three times apiece by Wanderers and Blackburn Rovers, twice by both Tottenham Hotspur and Arsenal, once each for Newcastle United and Chelsea).

And that’s the same number of times that the Red Devils have defeated the incumbent champions – most recently denying local rivals Manchester City back-to-back titles with their Wembley win in 2023.

Bolton Wanderers (8), Nottingham Forest, Liverpool and Arsenal (each 6), and Everton (5) have the next-best level of success in dethroning the holders.

Macclesfield became the 60th different club to knock out the holders – a list which contains some forgotten names including Renton, Swifts, Old Carthusians… and even Scottish side Queen’s Park, who defeated 1882-83 winners Blackburn Olympic in the following year’s Semi-Final.

What is the biggest margin for an FA Cup giant-killing?

That’s another record that now belongs to Macclesfield.

It was a climb of 117 places between Macc, placed 14th in the Enterprise National League North, to the Premier League’s 13th-ranked side Crystal Palace.

That tops Chasetown’s 1-0 win against Port Vale in 2008, who were 108 places above.

The fact that Macclesfield set a new record against the holders is the cherry on top!

How often does the team that knocks out the holders go on to win the FA Cup?

Of the 144 tournaments to date,  the team that knocks out the holders has reached the FA Cup Final on 44 occasions – and has lifted the cup 31 times.

That feat was first achieved in the third edition of the competition, when Oxford University eliminated the previous victors Wanderers in a Third Round replay en route to winning the title themselves – beating Royal Engineers 2-0 at the Kennington Oval.

Barnsley were the first Football League club from outside the top-flight to achieve the feat; they needed three replays to depose Bradford City in the Fourth Round, and beat West Bromwich Albion in the Final (just one replay needed!)

Macclesfield know it’s a long way to Wembley… there’s 31 other teams left in the competition, and a big gap between them and the next-lowest ranked side – Grimsby Town – who are in the top half of League Two!

But their adventure continues – flying the flag for the National League.