Askey the man who knits club to community
WHEN Macclesfield Town ran out at Moss Rose on Saturday lunchtime faint strains of ‘Mr. Blue Sky’ by Electric Light Orchestra could just about be heard over the raucous roar of a near capacity crowd.
With the pitch bathed in the warmth of a mid-spring sunshine and the ground abuzz with an infectious optimism, it felt like a fitting song to soundtrack the Silkmen’s promotion party.
Days like this were made for football, and you couldn’t have picked a nicer afternoon to wrap up a minor miracle.
For Macclesfield to secure promotion on the day they needed to better second-placed Tranmere Rovers’ result against Aldershot Town.
Unfortunately for the Silkmen, visitors Leyton Orient weren’t in the mood to make up the numbers at somebody else’s victory procession.
A resilient 1-1 draw against a threatening Orient side was by no means a poor result for John Askey’s team, but that, combined with a 2-0 win for Tranmere later in the day, meant that the champagne had to be put on ice.
Not that this could put a dampener on the jubilation of Town’s fans.
Waiting for confirmation of their return to the Football League is a small price to pay for a side that had only a handful of registered players at the beginning of pre-season.
Ask anybody who follows Town what the secret to this year’s runaway success has been and you’ll usually get the same answer; John Askey.
Tim, one of the 3,110 fans in attendance on Saturday, said: “John has definitely been the key. I don’t know how he does it, where he finds these lads. We only had three players at the start of the season to begin with.”
David, a Town supporter for over 35 years, agreed: “I’ve known John as a player, I’ve seen him come through the ranks and be the junior coach and so forth.
“What he knows about football at this level and this club, and the way he conducts himself, there is no comparison. He is absolutely Mr. Macclesfield.”
Perhaps most important of all is the spirit Askey has instilled in a club that operates on such a tiny budget.
Sillkmen supporter Brian has no doubt about the key to his side’s success this year: “It’s determination, even when the chips are down.
“There’s been some amazing goals in the last minutes which have made the game.
“It’s been unbelievable really.”
Simon, at the match with his two sons, agrees: “It’s team spirit, and John Askey’s leadership.
“I think with all the things going on outside, with what’s happening in the background, John’s done an amazing job to keep the squad together.”
Luke, who follows Town home and away, said: “It’s a team that’s become close knit.
“They might not be the best players in the league but they’re playing like a team that are.
“It’s the team cohesion and I think the players can feel the crowd getting behind them and the whole community getting involved.”
That togetherness doesn’t stop on the pitch either. As Luke said: “It’s a supporters’ club, but I feel like they know exactly what we want.
“We all want the same thing, and to be able to be stood here in the position where we are, we’d have taken it at the start of the season without a doubt.”
Simon agrees: “I think it’s massively important to the town. It’s been a great year where lots of local people have supported the club.
“It’s been a great response from everybody locally, and it’s been great to see the team doing so well.”
On the field, Town’s displays have been so impressive that choosing a standout performer is no easy task. One thing most fans agree on, however, is how important midfielder Danny Whitaker is to the side.
Whitaker gave the hosts the lead on Saturday with a cultured low drive from just inside the box after 17 minutes, and the Moss Rose subsequently exploded into a cacophony of noise and flailing limbs. The midfielder nearly tore the shirt from his own back as he clutched at the club badge in celebration. This reporter had goosebumps.
As Brian said: “Whitaker is a star man. He holds the team together, he directs the team, and he’s so fit.”
Luke agrees: “He’s 37, but he’s playing like a 21 year old out there. He’s absolutely flying.
“He’s playing better than I’ve ever seen him play and he’s been here for a fair few years now.”
But it’s not just Whitaker who has earned the plaudits this season.
Simon said: “The boys love Elliott Durell.
“He’s been absolutely fantastic.
“It’s great to hear the boys singing about him, and not just Manchester City every week.”
Alex has been to every home game this season, and he emphasises the importance of the whole squad: “What’s been interesting this year is that different players have turned up at different stages of the season.
“Early in the season people like Ryan Lloyd played really well, Tyrone Marsh has had stages where he’s been unplayable, Nath’s come in and done a job, Fitzpatrick has been brilliant too.”
As Brian said: “You could name them all.”
The significance of a return to league football can’t be understated for the club.
As fan Tom said: “We’ll get a lot more fans through the door and we’ll get a lot more money in. It’ll be good for us.
“We’ve been struggling for a few season recently, so hopefully it’ll get the town’s enthusiasm back into the club.”
Luke goes even further: “It means everything really. When you think that at the start of the season he had two players signed on, to be where we are now, it’s a different world.”
And he has faith in his team’s chances against bigger and better opposition too: “It’s an underdog team that keeps giving. I don’t think we should be too worried.”