Braving the chilly weather for over six hours, fans lined up outside the modest stadium of Macclesfield FC, eager to secure their tickets. They wouldn’t have thought twice about waiting even longer.

Little did they know, they were on the cusp of experiencing not just a landmark moment for their club, but perhaps the most remarkable upset in the history of the FA Cup.

On this extraordinary day, it seemed as if the football deities had cast their enchanting spell over this otherwise quiet Cheshire town. It was a day when optimism outshone logic, culminating in such an eruption of celebration at the final whistle that some believed the cheers could be heard all the way in Manchester, 50 miles away.

It’s quite the feat considering the 117 league spots that divide the two teams. And let’s not forget, it was just last May that Palace triumphed over Manchester City to claim the trophy. Remarkably, the last time a non-league team defeated the reigning champions was back in 1909.

Part of the victory’s spoils for the Macclesfield squad is a party-filled trip to Ibiza, a promise made by club owner Robert Smethurst if they emerged victorious.

While everyone enjoys a classic David versus Goliath narrative, this tale carried an additional layer of emotional resonance, turning it into a truly unforgettable fairytale.

For at the end, as Macclesfield’s men celebrated their 2-1 victory, hoisting captain Paul Dawson on to their shoulders, they also found time for serious reflection, dedicating their win to 21-year-old striker Ethan McLeod who died in a car accident just before Christmas.

Macclesfield’s captain Paul Dawson celebrates Macclesfield victory against Crystal Palace in the biggest upset in FA Cup history 

Ecstatic Macclesfield fans after they beat Palace yesterday. The supporters had queued in the cold outside Macclesfield FC’s tiny ground for more than six hours to buy a ticket. Yet they would have happily done so for ten times longer

How they did Ethan proud. Playing with determination and belief, no one could dispute they deserved it.

Yet only six years ago the club, half-a-million pounds in debt, was facing ruin. Then along came Mr Smethurst, 48, who bought the club on a whim while drunk having made his fortune through car selling app AutoTrader. He was a worried man when he sobered up. ‘The place had fallen apart,’ he said. ‘It was as derelict as it could possibly be: The seats were broken; the glasses were smashed; the pitch was non-existent; weeds, cracked tarmac…’

But his hard work, and £4 millon investment, saw this phoenix club rise from the ashes of bankruptcy and win three promotions in four seasons, taking them to the National League North.

John Rooney was joined at the 5,300-capacity Moss Rose ground by Wayne, who flew in from a holiday in Barbados. John said: ‘I never thought this would happen. I can’t believe it. In the first half we had chances, when we took the lead the message to the boys was to try and manage the game.

‘Scoring a second was a surprise, but I thought we were well-deserving winners. We nullified them. We were absolutely incredible.’ 

No one typified the home side’s fighting spirit more than man-of-the-match Dawson, who was injured in an aerial challenge five seconds after kick-off and then played with a bandaged head after treatment. Yet it didn’t prevent him scoring the first goal with a header just before half time. Isaac Buckley-Ricketts stunned Palace further when he added a second after the break.

The Premier League side pulled one back from a stoppage-time free kick, but Macclesfield held on to secure the famous win.

Wayne, working as a pundit for the BBC, was on the verge of tears. ‘It’s incredible, I am getting emotional to see my younger brother achieve this,’ he said. ‘He’s not been long in management and to get through to the fourth round of the FA Cup and beat Crystal Palace, I am so proud of him.’

But it was really a day for the fans. ‘I’ll never forget this day for as long as I live,’ said 19-year-old Peter Whitford. ‘Who’d have thought it? We’re in the fourth round now but who knows… we could go all the way. You have to dream, don’t you?’