Macclesfield Town F.C. are an English football team. The club was formed in 1874 and is based in the small town of Macclesfield in Cheshire. The club play their home games at the 6,028 capacity Moss Rose stadium. They will contest the 2004/05 season in Football League Two under the management of John Askey. Askey has been at the club for over 18 years. David Moss was in charge of the silkmen until in the 2003/04 season but was unpopular with the fans and players; and after a very bad spell, his contract with the club ended. The club made history when a Macclesfield Town player Chris Priest scored the final goal of the last millennium. The club's top scorer this season so far (as at 4 January 2004) is Matthew Tipton. He wears the number 9 shirt. The club has had its fair share of managers, a fans favourite is Sammy McIlroy. He brought the club to its highest league postition ever, having taken them to Division Two. The club were relegated within a season of Division Two football, but there is optimism amongst fans that one day soon the club will return.

Macclesfield's most successful manager is Sammy McIlroy, who took charge at the start of the 1993-94 season. In his second season as manager, McIlroy guided the club to the GM Vauxhall Conference Championship but they were denied a place in the Football League because they stadium did not meet league requirements of having a 6,000 total capacity including at least 1,000 seats. By the time Macclesfield won the Conference title two seasons later in 1996-97, their stadium had been upgraded and they were promoted to Division Three of the Football League in place of Hereford United.

In 1997-98, Macclesfield finished runners-up in Division Three and were promoted for the second season running, this time to Division Two. But the club failed to sustain in Division Two and slipped down again the following season. McIlroy soon left for the job as Northern Ireland national coach (although he had since quit the job to take charge at Stockport County) and over the next five seasons, Gil Prescott, David Moss and John Askey were unsuccessful in trying to get Macclesfield anywhere near the top of Division Three.

In March 2004, Macclesfield turned to the experienced 55-year-old Brian Horton to take charge. Horton, whose previous manager's jobs came with Oxford United, Brighton and Hove Albion, Manchester City, Huddersfield Town and Port Vale, has since guided Macclesfield to a healthy position in the Coca Cola League Two and they stand every chance of achieving at least a playoff place this season.

Current players

• George Abbey
  • February 2004 - played for Nigeria in the African Nations Cup.

He has been at the club for several years and is a firm favourite with the fans.

Honours

• Football League Third Division champions 1998
• FA Trophy winners 1970, 1996
• Football Conference champions 1995, 1997
• Northern Premier League champions 1969, 1970, 1987; runners up 1985
• Cheshire League champions 1932, 1933, 1953, 1961, 1964, 1968; runners up 1934, 1962, 1965

Football League Two 2004/05
Boston United | Bristol Rovers | Bury | Cambridge United | Cheltenham Town | Chester City | Darlington | Grimsby Town | Kidderminster Harriers | Leyton Orient | Lincoln City | Macclesfield Town | Mansfield Town | Northampton Town | Notts County | Oxford United | Rochdale | Rushden & Diamonds | Scunthorpe United | Shrewsbury Town | Southend United | Swansea City | Wycombe Wanderers | Yeovil Town edit (http://www.wordiq.com/definition/Template:Football_League_Two)
Football in England
League competitions	The FA	Cup competitions
FA Premier League		FA Cup
The Football League (Champ, 1, 2)	England team	League Cup
Football Conference (Nat, N, S)		FA Community Shield
Northern Premier League (Prem, 1)	List of clubs	Football League Trophy
Southern League (Prem, 1W, 1E)		FA Trophy
Isthmian League (Prem, 1, 2)	Records	FA Vase
English football league system		FA NLS Cup
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simple:Macclesfield Town F.C.