Robbie Savage: Diary of a Football Manager: Time to bust ‘minted Macclesfield’ myths…

In association with Planet Sport Bet, Robbie Savage is taking us behind the scenes each week at Macclesfield FC.

Robbie has played one of the leading roles in the rebirth of a now-thriving football club, first as director of football, now as first-team manager as the Silkmen seek to climb their way from the ninth tier back to the Football League. 

For his latest diary entry, Robbie feels it is time to address some of the myths surrounding Macclesfield’s pursuit of promotion…
 

Macclesfield turned in our best performance of the season on Saturday. In a 4-0 win at Gainsborough Trinity, we showcased the level of graft, quality and, most pleasingly, ruthlessness that I know we are capable of to maintain our 16-point lead at the top of the table with two-thirds of the season now gone.

It is a healthy lead, the kind that some claim we should expect to hold with 14 games to go. Not because we have been the best team, scoring the most goals and conceding the fewest. Rather because of the lazy old tropes that continue to be pushed by many who should know better.

Let’s bust a few myths, starting with the most common theme used to counter the positivity around our football this season: our budget.

Yes, we most probably have the biggest budget in the league. Though it certainly doesn’t dwarf that of some other clubs at this level, who I know are paying some of their part-time players in the region of four figures a week. That, though, seems to go under the radar of those who are more interested in pushing the ‘minted Macc’ narrative.

Do our finances guarantee success? No. That’s true in the Champions League, the Premier League, and the Northern Premier League. In any league, there will be clubs with larger budgets, because of the value of their owners and their revenue. And, across every level in the game, clubs have thrown money at their ambitions, only to watch it spiral down the drain.

Do not forget, there isn’t a club in the country more acutely aware of the dangers of living beyond its means. Macclesfield is a phoenix football club, rising from the ashes of Macclesfield Town that went bust in 2020. Do you seriously believe that any of us here would jeopardise the club’s future again by playing fast and loose with our money?

At Macc, there is no oligarch chucking spare change at their latest vanity project. Our owner is a savvy businessman and the seven-strong board has an abundance of business acumen. We have worked hard to maximise our revenue so that our budget is affordable.

Some critics have said ‘if there were PSR or FFP rules in the Northern Premier League…’ – I would welcome that! We can show a sustainable plan and a healthy balance sheet. It would prove that we could spend more than we do! I would be more than happy to disclose the details of our budget as long as the rest of the league is obliged to do the same.

A big factor in being sustainable is the fact that we pull in more fans than any club at this level. Our average attendance is around 3,000 – double that of the next highest club, and four times the league average. Indeed, our average attendance is higher than at least three EFL clubs. We’re very proud of that, especially since we know that football supporters around Manchester have an abundance of options over which terrace they spend their Saturday afternoons and Tuesday nights.

Why are they coming down to Macclesfield, when they could nip up the road to watch any number of clubs in higher leagues than us? Firstly, because there is loyal, long-standing fanbase in the town; secondly, because of the football they are watching when they come to the Leasing.com Stadium.

If we were serving up low-quality, poor entertainment, would our attendances be growing? The punters aren’t interested in watching Hollywood FC at Macclesfield – they could go to Old Trafford or the Etihad if they wanted big names on big money. Attendances – and, subsequently, revenues – are increasing because they see a club and a team doing its utmost for the community, trying to progress and improve.

At this point, I have to make another thing clear about the team: it features not one full-time professional. Every player in my squad is on a part-time contract. They all have other jobs. Right now, we have plumbers, teachers, personal trainers.

I see the lads together three times a week: for training on a Tuesday and Thursday morning, when they are finished by midday; and for home matches at 1:30pm on a Saturday. The only difference between us and most of the league is that we train in the morning rather than the evening. That was a squad decision taken before the start of this season.

Robbie Savage’s Diary: Why I became a boss | Unacceptable abuse | Speculation and regret | Transfer shenanigans

One of the biggest motivations for those lads is the prospect that promotion might change their part-timer status. If we reach the National League system, then we will consider moving to a professional or hybrid model. But we are not there yet. So when you hear another opposition manager talk about how Macclesfield are full-time, ignore it.

Some are being wilfully ignorant because they know the set-up here. And they would jump at the opportunity to get on board, as numerous people have sought to in the past  – even when there was no vacancy. So they are well aware how we operate. To push the falsehoods that I hear too often is simply a self-preservation measure.

That happens at every level and I understand it. Management is a high-pressure, often thankless job. And no manager in the league is under more pressure than me, because of the expectations.

It’s fuel to me, my staff and my players. And we are under no illusions: it is fair to expect any club’s achievements to match the scale of their budget and if we fail to secure promotion from here, with a 16-point lead, there will be many who would revel in that. Just as they did last season when we finished second in the league and lost the promotion play-off final.

If we fail, it won’t be for the lack of trying. We are approaching the culmination of a two-year plan to reach the National League system and we’ve given it everything. It is easy to claim to have ambition, but far more difficult to put in the hard yards to make it a reality and, whatever happens in the next three months, I’m so proud of my club for having a go. Some of the people peddling the falsehoods might like to try it.

Robbie Savage is a brand ambassador for Planet Sport Bet

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