Back to school for Sam Heathcote after helping Macclesfield stun FA Cup holders

Macclesfield defender Sam Heathcote will be back at his day job as a PE teacher on Monday morning still on cloud nine after the Silkmen made FA Cup history with their shock 2-1 third round win over holders Crystal Palace.

On a remarkable day at Moss Rose, goals from captain Paul Dawson and Isaac Buckley-Ricketts saw National League North Macclesfield become the first non-league side to knock out the holders of the Cup since Palace themselves despatched Wolves in 1909.

A poor Palace side rallied late on, with Yeremy Pino’s 90th minute free-kick making it a nervous six minutes of stoppage time, but even then Macclesfield’s part-time players outfought their top-flight opponents.

Now it is back to the day jobs, and for Heathcote that means Stamford Park Primary School in Altrincham.

He said: “I didn’t expect to be going back in having won! It’ll be really nice, I’ll have a smile on my face for a long time.”

Heathcote, who teaches children ranging from ages three to 11, said he had been given strict instructions from several of his older students going into the game.

“They told me, ‘Don’t get sent off’, ‘Don’t give away a penalty’. There’s nothing positive!” he joked. “But a few of them will be happy on Monday for me.”

Dawson set the tone for the afternoon with a robust early challenge which left him with blood running from a head wound and the customary bandage.

Heathcote had helped him rearrange the dressing seconds before he met Luke Duffy’s free-kick with an excellent header to open the scoring two minutes before half-time.

“I’ll take the assist for that!” Heathcote joked. “A bit of his (bandage) ripped off, then he started shouting at me because I was taking way too long, and then he scored. We’ll take that all day.”

Dawson’s all-action display epitomised the spirit of a club fighting its way back after being formed in 2020 following the demise of Macclesfield Town.

Although the 27-year-old works both as a part-time coach and for a friend’s candle business, on Tuesday night Dawson was out helping to clear the Moss Rose pitch of snow to ensure their league match against Radcliffe went ahead.

“I had a shovel until the gaffer called me!” Dawson said. “I had to pretend I was sat on a tractor but I was clearing the snow. Then I dropped all of the lads’ new tracksuits off (on Friday), I was like Postman Pat. That was after I finished work. It’s a community club and we all stick together here.”

That togetherness has been critical in recent weeks as the club tries to come to terms with the death of forward Ethan McLeod, who was just 21 when he was killed in a car crash travelling back from their match at Bedford Town on December 16.

“A lot of the lads said that at the full-time whistle, when we managed to find each other, that was for him,” Heathcote said. “Every time we step on that field, we try and do our best for him.

“It’s been such a difficult time. I can’t really put into words how everyone’s felt and everyone’s come together…from his family, to the staff, to the players and the fans and everyone. It just shows how much of a special football club this is.”