THE SILKMEN

http://www.footballsite.co.uk/Statistics/ClubbyClub/ClubHistories/MacclesfieldTown.htm
9th August 1997, was the Football League debut day for Macclesfield Town who played their first league match against Torquay United, beating them 2-1 at the Moss Rose Ground. They won the Vauxhall Conference by 5 points, whilst Hereford United "went down" to take their place.
Founded in 1873 as part of the 8th Cheshire Rifle Volunteers, they became a football club in 1874, joining with the local Olympic Cricket Club, they provided Football and Rugby matches from 1876. By 1878-9, the club was known as Macclesfield Football Club, not becoming known as Macclesfield Town FC (Ltd) until after the Second World War. In September 1891 the club moved to Moss Rose, their present ground, that holds around 6,000 crowd.

Playing in the Conference they won the FA Trophy in 1970 and 1996. They lost the 2017 Trophy Final to York City at Wembley.

The Silkmen (a geographical note needed:- Cheshire seemed to be a perfect location for the silk industry with raw materials arriving at local ports in an environment that had water driven mills and a moist climate to prevent fibres from drying out and snapping- silk buttons were a speciality) won the National League title in 1994-5 and 1996-7, becoming members of the Football League between 1997-2012, reaching their highest Football League place in the old Division Two in 1998-9. They were relegated to the Football Conference in 2011-12 (they failed to win any games in 2012, a total of 25 matches) and stayed in the newly named National League in 2015-16 when the change over occurred.

In 2017-18 they won the National League title, beating Eastleigh 2-0 and were promoted to Football League Two. On August 4th 2018 they played their first football league game of the season, losing to Swindon Town and lie 15th in the division after one game!