Macclesfield FC Owner Reveals Ordeal After Clearing Name

Rob Smethurst, the former owner of Macclesfield FC, has detailed the personal turmoil he experienced following his arrest and subsequent clearing of his name. The ordeal, combined with a bitter divorce, left Smethurst feeling 'broken' and cast a shadow over the club's celebrated FA Cup victory.

Smethurst, who was the face of the club's fairytale FA Cup win over Crystal Palace, found his world turned upside down in the months that followed. He was arrested in May on suspicion of coercive behavior. Describing the experience, Smethurst stated, "You're in absolute shock... I was literally numb."

"They kicked me out - and banned my whole family," Smethurst revealed. The former owner expressed that after clearing his name and having all allegations dropped, he is now able to move forward with his life. "Now that my name is clear and all the allegations have been dropped, I can move on with my life," he said.

Smethurst had ambitions to build something significant for the Macclesfield community, describing it as his 'destiny' as he is from the town. He was instrumental in the club's famous 2-1 FA Cup victory against Crystal Palace. Isaac Buckley-Ricketts scored Macclesfield's second goal in that memorable match.

Smethurst had previously filmed two BBC documentaries with Macclesfield's former director of football and manager, Robbie Savage. The dramatic events surrounding Smethurst's arrest and personal life have been described as plunging the club's FA Cup fairytale into 'toxicity'.