Football Weekly – "The Greatest Upset in FA Cup History: Macclesfield 2, Crystal Palace 1"

January 12, 2026

Episode Overview

In this electrifying, laughter-filled episode, Max Rushden is joined by Barry Glendenning, John Brewin, and Sam Dalling to unpack one of the most astonishing weekends in FA Cup history, headlined by sixth-tier Macclesfield knocking out holders Crystal Palace in the greatest statistical upset the FA Cup has ever seen.

The panel’s deep dive covers the drama and raw emotion of Macclesfield’s historic triumph, heartwarming and tragic stories behind the squad, and wider FA Cup carnage, including Wrexham’s “Hollywood” heroics, Manchester City’s demolition of Exeter, Brighton’s win at Old Trafford, Spurs’ chaos, and not-so-glamorous shocks elsewhere.

There’s trademark Football Weekly wit, grounded journalism, and moments of heart. If you missed the magic, here’s everything in detail.

The Magic of the Cup: Macclesfield's Unbelievable Moment

[00:37–05:01]

• Historic Victory: The panel opens with electric disbelief after Macclesfield, only recently resurrected from extinction, becomes the first ever sixth-tier side to knock out a top-flight team—none other than current cup holders, Crystal Palace.
• Personal Touches: Macclesfield native John Brewin speaks with quiet civic pride, recalling the devastation when the club folded and the slow, steady work to bring it back.
  • "Unbridled joy really… bursting with civic pride." – John Brewin [01:56]
  • "The club always provided that taste of home... To see them back and see the work Rob Smethurst (owner) and those around him have done. Wonderful." – John Brewin [02:10]
• Community and Identity: Brewin highlights Macclesfield’s constant battle for identity in the shadow of Manchester clubs and Everton/Liverpool, and celebrates the win as a ‘Phoenix club’ moment.
• Raw Emotion: Reference to bandage-headed Paul Dawson’s opening goal and the touching tribute to Macclesfield striker Ethan McLeod, recently killed in a car crash—his parents in the dressing room post-match.

Memorable Quote:
"You’d have to have a heart made out of coal or flint to try and disparage an absolutely monumental achievement… this is right, right up there. Statistically, literally the biggest." – Barry Glendenning [05:23]

Reflecting on History and Context

[05:01–07:25]

• 117 league places between the clubs – the biggest ever gap for an FA Cup upset.
• Coincidence: 117 years ago, holders Wolves lost to Palace… now Palace lose as holders to a non-league side for the first time since.
• John Rooney, Wayne’s brother, gets overdue limelight as player-manager; highlighted for his humanity after personally calling each player about McLeod’s passing.
• "It’s always Sam, injury time and the final whistle and the fans know – you wait, you wait… then the full-time whistle goes and just, that is such an amazing moment." – Barry Glendenning [07:25]

The Inside Story: Resilience, Tragedy, and Community Spirit

[07:54–11:23]

• Sam Dalling shares from time spent inside Macc’s camp – pointing out their top scorer (Danny Elliott) was missing, the players shovel snow off the pitch themselves, and how central their rebuilt ground is to the town.
• The cruel detail: players drove past the traffic accident not knowing teammate McLeod was involved.
• "Just the character they’ve shown… It’s just one of those proper non-league stories. It’s brilliant for them." – Sam Dalling [09:55]
• Descriptions of chaos at the final whistle: "I mean, on a 4G pitch, you’re not going to spoil the pitch, are you? So why not get on there and celebrate and enjoy it?" – John Brewin [10:27]

Macclesfield's Rebirth: Rob Smethurst's Role

[11:23–13:46]

• Profile of owner Rob Smethurst – local lad, bought club “off Rightmove” on a whim, invested £4 million, prioritized a 4G pitch to return club to commmunity.
• "What they’ve done is they’ve restored it to the town and people are proud of that club again and go to that club and use it. It’s part of how the town works." – John Brewin [12:45]

Crystal Palace’s Role & Reaction

[13:47–15:46]

• Credit to Palace for donating gate receipts, and for post-match humility.
• Glasner (manager): "He said, look, we're disappointed, I'm embarrassed. He congratulated Macclesfield. These upsets are always possible. I didn't see this one happening. The gulf between the sides…" – Baz [14:07]
• Reality check: Macclesfield are part-timers, exist on two training sessions a week, and have “proper jobs”.

Extended Reflections, Community, FA Cup Lore

[16:13–17:17]

• Macclesfield runs a thriving 400-strong youth system, invests in the town, and is rebuilding for sustainable future.
• Palace: “this should have been their big celebration season… now treading water”.

Quickfire FA Cup Recaps and Storylines

Manchester City 10 – Exeter 1

[19:34–26:20]

• Sam Dalling embedded in Exeter’s backroom details their “best day ever” despite the drubbing.
• “City’s XG was 2.2 for 10 goals – have you ever seen a bigger difference?” – Sam Dalling [19:59]
• Inspirational speeches from Exeter manager Gary Caldwell: "Like Braveheart… properly run through a wall for this man." [20:27]
• Exeter staff, players savoring every moment, swapping shirts, eating Man City’s leftover pizzas.
• Emphasizing courage: George Burch, called back from loan, scores a screamer—"I have never celebrated a goal 9–0 down like that." – Sam Dalling [22:55]
• Debate: Should City have donated gate receipts, as Palace did? General consensus—public request counterproductive and precedent dangerous. [24:22–26:20]

Manchester United 1 – Brighton 2

[26:59–31:19]

• New caretaker manager; focus on the sadness of former favorites facing United (“Welbeck’s goal, always…”), squad confusion, and red card for 18-year-old Shay Lacey. No mercy for his visible tears: "Any misfortune that befalls Manchester United… is always welcome." – Baz [29:40]

Spurs 0 – Aston Villa 2 & Managerial Chaos

[31:19–34:29]

• Another Spurs post-mortem, despair over Thomas Frank’s tenure, Villa’s relentless progress commended.
• "Spurs, West Ham at the weekend, oh man alive, I'm going to be there. A real cheery occasion…" – John Brewin [33:19]
• "Frank has lost a bit of his bounce… been broken by the gig." – Sam Dalling [34:00]

Newcastle 3 – Bournemouth 3 (Pens: Newcastle Win)

[34:32–36:58]

• Endless, stutter-run-up penalties and shootout drama.
• "Another ridiculously fun game at St James’ Park. Eddie Howe has done exactly what they needed." – Sam Dalling [36:09]
• "How much football has been played already this year? ...2026 has been the most relentless year of football ever." – John Brewin [36:32]

More Cup Shocks: Wrexham & Mansfield Triumphs

[37:16–41:12]

• Wrexham beat Forest: Panel reflect on the mixed feelings for “Hollywood” Wrexham—community positives, plus “bad bits,” but agree this wasn’t a true “upset”.
  • "I don’t know really what to make of Wrexham… but I think it’s far more a good news story than a bad." – Baz [38:05]
  • "Look forward to seeing it in the documentary!" – Barry Glendenning [39:20]
• Mansfield 4–3 Sheffield United: 12th in League One, but with 5,000 traveling fans and two superb Louis Reed goals (their manager, Nigel Clough, gave him his pro debut).
  • "They’ve done really well, got out of League Two and stabilized in League One. Hope they get the big draw next round—and maybe a mention on Football Weekly two months in a row." – Sam Dalling [40:52]

Lighter Moments and Side Notes

[41:35–52:32]

• Amused disbelief that “Ashley Barnes is still at Burnley” and musings on club legends who stick around well past their prime [42:34–43:53].
• Quips on “championship in waiting” West Ham v QPR, stadium food, and attendance at discontented venues.
• Flashes through the rest of the weekend's results with laughter (blizzard of scores and names).
• Funniest running gag: Barry's struggle through 6.5 mile training runs, lamenting weight gain due to rewarding himself with “all sorts of shite”.
  • "Longest run so far is 6.5 miles. My 5K PB is 35 minutes...annoying thing is I haven’t lost weight, I’ve put on weight—I know why: I’m eating all sorts of shite I wouldn’t normally." – Baz [49:34–50:13]

Notable Quotes & Moments

• "Unbridled joy really… bursting with civic pride." – John Brewin, on Macclesfield's win [01:56]
• "You’d have to have a heart made out of coal… to denigrate an absolutely monumental achievement." – Barry Glendenning [05:23]
• "What they’ve done is they’ve restored it to the town… and it’s part of how the town works." – John Brewin [12:45]
• "I have never celebrated a goal 9–0 down like that." – Sam Dalling, on Exeter's consolation [22:55]
• "Ashley Barnes… I mean, I just—yes, thank you, Barry!" – Sam Dalling [42:34]
• "Any misfortune that befalls Manchester United… is always welcome." – Baz [29:40]

Important Timestamps

• First mention Macclesfield history/upset: [00:37–05:23]
• Personal stories & civic emotion: [01:56–03:49]
• FA Cup shock context/stats: [05:01–07:25]
• Macclesfield club/owner backstory: [11:23–13:46]
• Crystal Palace reaction/gate receipts debate: [13:47–15:06], [23:52–26:20]
• Exeter's day at City, losing 10–1: [19:34–26:20]
• United v Brighton/Lacey red: [26:59–31:19]
• Spurs managerial crisis: [31:19–34:29]
• Wrexham over Forest, Mansfield over Sheff U: [37:16–41:12]
• Fast round-up/results/banter: [41:12–52:32]

Tone and Style

Consistently light-hearted, irreverent, and self-aware, blending classic British humour (“ashley barnes is still playing!”) with deep knowledge and genuine emotional depth—especially around tragedy and grassroots football.

Closing

This episode delivers everything Football Weekly promises—wisecracks, alternative takes, genuine sentiment, history, and a celebration of why the FA Cup still matters. If you missed the matches, you’ll leave with not just the facts, but the feel of the weekend’s romance and unpredictability. And, perhaps, a stirring urge to cheer for your own small club, wherever you are.