MACCLESFIELD, England - Crystal Palace’s defence of the FA Cup came to an embarrassing end as they were beaten 2-1 by sixth-tier Macclesfield on Jan 10 in the biggest shock in the competition’s history.

The 117 places that separate Premier League outfit Palace from Macclesfield of the National League North in the English football pyramid is the most ever overcome by an underdog in FA Cup history.

Captain Paul Dawson and Isaac Buckley-Ricketts scored either side of half-time to secure a famous victory for a club that were forced to reform in 2020 after being wound up for unpaid debts.

“I can’t believe it. We never thought we would be in this position,” said Macclesfield manager John Rooney, the younger brother of former England captain Wayne Rooney.

“I didn’t think it was possible but there is that little bit of hope that anything can happen on the day.”