Macclesfield owner Rob Smethurst on piecing his life back together and the Silkmen’s stunning FA Cup run
Rob Smethurst’s life looked completely different when he took ownership of Macclesfield FC in 2020.
The entrepreneur was battling alcohol dependency when he spotted the club’s Moss Rose stadium listed on property website Rightmove and saw it as a signal to pursue a takeover. More than five years later, he’s living the dream.
The Silkmen produced a stunning upset against FA Cup holders Crystal Palace in the third round in what became the competition’s greatest ever giant-killing. They now have an opportunity to surpass that achievement when they welcome Brentford – presently sitting seventh in the Premier League – in the fourth round.
Under Smethurst’s stewardship, the on-field success has been remarkable. The phoenix club, formed following the demise of Macclesfield Town, has secured consecutive promotions as they get closer to Football League status.
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The transformation has been equally profound for the owner personally. He has now been sober for four years and attributes the decision he took during the Covid-19 pandemic, acquiring the ground and all available assets in October 2020, for helping him rebuild his life.
“I had a drinking addiction with alcohol and I was probably hiding it away from everybody,” said Smethurst, who describes purchasing the club as an impulsive choice following a “four-day mission”.
“It was a real issue. I was drinking an awful lot and really going down the wrong path. I was partying a lot… I pushed my family away and I was having very, very bad and dark days. That was when I was sat at home and I thought, ‘I’ve got to do something different here because this is going to end badly’.
“I nearly died through alcohol and I thought, ‘I’ve got to step up and try and make a difference’. When I saw it on Rightmove, I thought, ‘I’ve got to try and change my life’, and there was no better thing really than to buy a football club to do that.”
The responsibility of running a football club has given Smethurst a sense of purpose he’s never had before. His time is now devoted to meaningful tasks, such as supporting the first team’s ambitions while managing the club’s daily operations.
He believes the acquisition has likely rescued him from a fatal trajectory, while simultaneously offering him a platform to support others battling similar demons, whether addiction, mental health struggles or other challenges.
Smethurst emphasises his availability to anyone at the club seeking assistance, highlighting his role not just as owner but also as a supporter and an integral member of a community that has witnessed its local side resurrect itself and simultaneously boost neighbouring enterprises.
“When you suffer with addiction and myself with ADHD, you’re all over the place,” added Smethurst. “Your head’s constantly looking for the next thing and when you’ve got a football club, there are so many things that happen – within the players, within the management, within all the tactical and technical side of the football and the academies and the Btec programmes that we’ve got.
“So it’s really kept me grounded and really sort of massively focused on doing something. When you’re on those dark days, you really do need that direction and purpose to keep you focused.”
Looking ahead to the Brentford game, he has taken on an additional responsibility. Property portal Rightmove has appointed him as their Chief Belief Officer, a role he has embraced wholeheartedly.
“Friends, family come back,” he said. “I think that’s the one thing addiction does for most people, it will always push people away.
“Going back to the Rightmove story, [the message] is that if you believe in yourself and you believe in a purpose, it’s really important to take that journey and have a go and don’t be scared of moving forward in life.
“Too many people are afraid to make that next step or they’re too afraid to make a difference, or they might be in a dark place and don’t know how to get out of that.
“So being this Chief Belief Officer for Rightmove, that goes a little bit deeper than just buying a property. It’s actually believing in yourself.”
On the pitch, Macclesfield have been experiencing a dream run that has exceeded even their owner’s wildest expectations. The club has already accumulated nearly £800,000 through prize money and broadcasting revenue, following last season’s progression to the fourth qualifying round of the FA Cup and this year’s remarkable journey to the fourth round proper.
That windfall is being ploughed back into the club as they pursue their ambitions of climbing through the divisions. John Rooney has taken charge in the dugout following Robbie Savage’s departure for Forest Green. The 35-year-old younger sibling of former England captain Wayne has presided over a magical cup campaign.
Brentford will arrive fresh from a draw with Premier League leaders Arsenal and Smethurst confesses he’s “scared to death” of Keith Andrews’ team but is dreaming of another shock.
“Who knows what’s going to happen but the reality of it is we’ve won our World Cup already,” he said. “So whatever happens in the next round, the boys will go out there, they’ll have fun and I think that that’s all we can ask for is do your best. And if we lose 15, 20-0, who cares? It’s been great fun.”
And what if they manage to pull off the unexpected victory? He said: “I promised the lads that we’d go to Ibiza and that might be upgraded to Vegas. Who knows what will happen?
“But I think no matter what happens, we’ve achieved the impossible, we’re against all odds and, if we can do the David and Goliath story again, one more time, then the celebrations will go into the late morning and for weeks to come.”
If you have been affected by this story, contact We Are With You, a charity that offers free, confidential support to people in England and Scotland who have challenges with drugs, alcohol or mental health.
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