Changes taking shape at Macc
TWELVE months ago, few Silkmen supporters had even heard of Rob Smethurst.
But at the end of a year in which hardships both footballing and otherwise made for challenging times, Macclesfield fans are now heralding Smethurst as their saviour.
The Silkmen looked doomed when the club was wound up in the High Court in September.
But it was his decision to step in and buy the club in October which kickstarted a new era of hope and optimism in and around the club – and that’s before a ball has been kicked!
With fans’ favourite Danny Whitaker installed as manager, the Silkmen will return to the field next August in a league as yet to be confirmed.
And Mr Smethurst insisted the fans have a huge role to play in making the phoenix club a success.
“It’s been an amazing year, quite a journey already, but there’s a lot to do,” said Smethurst.
“There’s a first team to get ready, gyms and so many things going on at the club. It’s been a challenge with so many things going on – everyday I come in to something different – but these are exciting times!
“You buy something and then you wonder ‘have I done the right thing?’ But then you start to talk to the community and you start speaking to people at the club and getting emails from people who just can’t believe their club is back. When I read those, for me personally, that makes it all worthwhile. It’s seeing everyone’s face and who happy they are that they have their club back.
“I bought this club on my own but I trust in the people of Macclesfield, I trust in the community to get behind me to make this happen. The fans are the most important part of this club because without them coming here, using the facilities, drinking at the bar, using the gym, all those factors make sure we can afford to have a good first team.”
Mr Smethurst’s vision for the club is dependant on the fans and community getting behind them and using the facilities – only that way will they be able to fund a strong team challenge on the field.
“We are a slightly different club to most where massively wealthy owners can fund the first team and everyone focuses on the first team first,” he said.
“We are not like that, we have to focus on a business first and then that business - with the gyms and the bar and the 4G pitch – that money can be pumped into the first team. We’re perhaps doing it the opposite way around to everybody else and this is why the fans have got to get behind us.
“It comes down to their support, they have to come and watch the games, they have to support by buying the season ticket, they have to come and use the facilities. If I’ve got a gym and no one’s in it, it’s not making any money.
“Or a bar that no one’s having a beer in, then again we’ll have massive overheads to run the place and for the model and business to work we are completely reliant on the fans and the community getting behind this club.
“That’s the only thing that’s going to make this work.”
And what is he looking forward to most in 2021?
“It will be nice to start to see the work being put back into the club,” he admitted.
“At the moment we are just ripping out and it looks like a bomb’s hit it!
“We’ve got a massive muddy pitch, we’re having seats removed, we’re at that stage where all the money is going out on nothing physical that you can see.
“Now we’re starting to see the flooring going in and the heating going in, we’re starting to see the change of the club – the car park being finished, the new entrances being done.
“Towards the end of March, middle of April maybe, when the whole thing is finished, we can sit back and start to look forward to building that first team.”