Robbie Savage issues a message back at Macclesfield haters with the club set to win promotion after all the abuse and ridicule he’s faced.
He published his latest column for the Mirror, a day prior to Non League Day, which could see Macclesfield win promotion to the National League North.
Macclesfield could secure their place in the 6th tier for the 2025/26 season, the Silkmen know that a win will mathematically go up, regardless of Worksop Town’s result against Warrington Rylands.
Despite recording a 4-0 victory over Morpeth Town last Saturday, Robbie Savage’s side were forced to put their champagne on ice as Worksop won 3-1 over Hyde United, delaying Northern Premier League title celebrations.
‘I’ve been abused and ridiculed – but Macclesfield haters can’t deny my success any longer’
✍️ @RobbieSavage8https://t.co/hCaZBbM28g pic.twitter.com/VTdL6XwCyl
— Mirror Football (@MirrorFootball) March 21, 2025
“This could be the greatest weekend of my lifetime in football.
“I’ve been lucky enough to captain four teams in the Premier League, play nearly 350 games in the top flight, appear in Wembley cup finals and win 39 caps for my country. But if Macclesfield are crowned champions of the Northern Premier League at 5pm on Saturday, it will be my proudest moment of all.
“A win, and to all intents a point, would make us the first club to clinch promotion in the top seven divisions of English football – in my first season as a manager at the age of 50. My mum, my wife and my two boys will be at the home game with Bamber Bridge, and when – not if – the title is secured, whether it’s this weekend or later, I will be happiest of all for my family.
“They have been with me through the years of social media abuse, ridicule, phone-ins and newspaper columns motivated by malice or contempt, and I want them to see their son, their husband, their father, being a winner.
“I was never involved in a promotion race as a player, and my only medal came from Leicester’s Worthington Cup win against Tranmere 25 years ago. That’s why being a champion as a manager would mean so much to me.
“Yes, Macclesfield won two promotions in three years when I was director of football, but when I took over as head coach last summer my neck was on the block and there were lots of people willing us to fail, hoping I would fall flat on my face.
“I’ve been called obscenities, listened to podcasts and heard of WhatsApp group chats saying we would collapse… frankly, there have been some very, very average players or managers trying to put the boot in.
“If we had come up short, I would have lost everything: not just a promotion race, but my dignity, my self-respect, my job and my reputation as a manager. When we lost in the play-off final last year, I didn’t sleep for a fortnight.
And you can imagine the vitriol, the laughter and the gloating if Macclesfield had missed the boat again.
“Over the last eight months I have never felt so much pressure in my life. When you are the head coach – in charge of recruitment, picking the team, the tactics, the man-management and setting out your stall as a club – the responsibility is all on you. It’s all on the line.
“But in all honesty, it’s not really about me. The rebirth of Macclesfield Football Club has been a collective effort with players, staff and supporters all pulling in the same direction.
“The most repetitive barb aimed at us is that we have the biggest budget in the league. But when you have 3,500 people coming through the turnstiles each week, you’re going to have more gate receipts to invest in the squad than clubs with average crowds of 400.
“And when things have gone wrong, we haven’t made excuses like the pitch being too hard, too soft, too dry, or blamed referees, injuries or the weather. We always make a point of praising the opposition, which isn’t always reciprocated.
“And of course, our greatest achievement – which is down to majority shareholder Rob Smethurst’s vision and drive – is that the people of Macclesfield have got their football club back. Five years ago, it was extinct after the original Macclesfield Town FC went bust. Rob turned the smouldering ashes into a raging bonfire and a phoenix club has risen proudly from the flames.
“To start from scratch and reach National League North in four seasons will be a tribute to Rob, the managers who came before me, all the club staff and, of course, the players. They have been magnificent this season, and the vast majority of them will stay on because I believe they are good enough to compete at the top end of a higher division.
“I’ve made mistakes – lots of them – but I’ve owned them and always told the affected players to their faces when I’ve messed up. True leadership isn’t about managers always having the answers but allowing players to provide them.
“In football, as in life, ego and entitlement can be the biggest threats. You have to stay humble, and I can’t praise this group of lads enough. They keep me grounded and my team talks don’t need to be Churchill speeches. The best leaders listen more than they speak.
“At the business end of the season, they have not faltered. They have smashed it. They deserve everything they are about to get.
“To those who wanted me to fail, who claimed I was the problem at Macclesfield and not the solution, have a great weekend. And to my mum, my missus, my sons and to the memory of my late father, I hope I’ve made you proud.”
