It has been an amazing year for football fans in Macclesfield, from being top of the table, to a BBC documentary, The Silkmen are high-flying as new club Macclesfield FC.

But 21 months ago, the mood couldn't have been any more different.

The first ever coronavirus lockdown was impending, and Macclesfield Town FC would play their last ever competitive game, just over six months before they would cease to exist over a winding up order over debts.

146 years after their first ever game, Macclesfield Town FC's last ever league game was played.

It was a 3-0 League Two loss away at Plymouth Argyle, on March 7 2020.

But who were the last ever men to play for our town's old club. Who were the the last-ever Silkmen to play for Macclesfield Town FC? And where are they now?

Spoiler: No players from the squad of 17 returned to play for Macclesfield FC.

Manager Mark Kennedy

Before we get into the starting 11, here's a quick profile on gaffer Mark Kennedy. The ex-Premier League player had no connection to Macclesfield Town, before taking his first manigerial job in our town in January 2020.

He won one of his twelve games in charge of The Silkmen, before the pandemic put an end to the 2019-20 season. The March 7 Plymouth fixture was his eighth loss for the club.

The Irishman who was capped 34 times by his country, has not managed a club since his resignation in August 2020, after rejecting the offer of a new contract following the club's relegation to the National League as a result of a points deduction for financial issues.

In June 2021, Kennedy was appointed as assistant manager to Lee Bowyer's Birmingham City in the Championship, at a level higher than any of the Macc Town players he picked to play the Plymouth game.

Goalkeeper Jonathan Mitchell

Jonathan Mitchell was in the midst of the loan deal from Derby County to Macclesfield Town in 2020.

He would make eleven appearances between the sticks for The Silkmen, from January 2020 to March 2020.

The first-choice goalie for Macc Town's last ever line-up would then play for Northampton Town on loan, before leaving financially-stricken Derby to go to Hartlepool United.

The 27-year-old made two appearances in the North East, and still plays in League Two.

Left Back David Fitzpatrick

Manchester-defender David Fitzpatrick started his career in Cheshire with Northwich Victoria, and would later play for nearby High Peak side New Mills. Southport beckoned before The Silkmen came calling in 2015, and he played his part in our town's old club's 2017-18 promotion campaign. He stuck with the club to the end, and moved to Staffordshire with fellow League Two club Port Vale, who were then managed by Silkmen legend John Askey. Fitzpatrick, now 31, is a squad player at National League side Altrincham, having joined in August 2021. Left Centre-Back Fraser Horsfall Another Silkmen who would end up at Northampton Town, Fraser has been there since August 2020, one month before Macc Town ceased to exist. Before his move down south, he played 26 times for Macclesfield Town from 2019 to 2020. The 25-year-old Yorkshireman has made his Twitter private, so it is quite hard to see what he is up to these days. You can request to follow him here. Right Centre-Back Fiarce Kelleher

Ireland Under-19 international Fiacre Kelleher played for our town's old footie club both on loan and on a permanent deal. The 25-year-old made 78 appearances between 2018 and 2020, scoring two goals.

Before he came to Silktown, he actually played with Arsenal's Kieran Tierney at Celtic.

In the same month Macc was wound up, he went to Wrexham. It was just weeks before Hollywood stars Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney announced their interest to buy the UK's third-oldest professional football club.

During the time at the club, he donated money to charity, and appeared in YouTube interviews for the club now supported by Hollywood and football fans from around the world.

He left Wrexham this year, returning to League Two with Bradford City in June.

He's made four appearances for the West Yorkshire club, but is still fondly remembered in Macc.

As a bonus fun fact, his younger brother Caoimhín Kelleher has made three appearances for Premier League side Liverpool.

Right Back Corey O'Keefe

The youngest of Macc's defence for their final game, Corey O'Keeffe was just 21 when he played the last game for Macclesfield Town. The loanee made 31 appearances for Macc between August 2019 and March 2020. The now 23-year-old is playing for Rochdale, on loan from Mansfield Town. Left Midfielder Theodore Archibald

Scotland U21 international Theo Archibald scored four league goals in 28 appearances for The Silkmen. He also bagged two goals in cups, and was described as Macclesfield's 'Scottish Arjen Robben' by fans.

He arrived at the Moss Rose from Brentford in July 2019, but left Macc when his contract was cancelled in May 2020.

He moved up a league to play for Lincoln City in League One, but has since dropped down back to League Two on a loan deal with Leyton Orient. The 23-year-old has almost 4,000 followers on Instagram.

Left Centre Midfielder Connor Kirby

Barnsley-born Connor Kirby was on loan at Macclesfield Town from August 2019. He scored one goal in 34 appearances, and soon became the first signing for Harrogate Town in the Football League. He's still in League Two with the Sulphrites, but is on loan with former teammate David Fitzpatrick at Altrincham. It was there where he suffered a double leg break, for which fans of all his ex-clubs - including Macc - raised £1,420 for his recovery. The Yorkshireman has over 4,300 followers on Twitter. Central Midfielder Jak McCourt

A seasoned professional, Jak McCourt played for seven other Football League clubs before arriving at the Moss Rose. Jak is known and remembered for scoring screamers.

He was the first signing ahead of the ill-fated, COVID-hit 2019-20 season.

He scored two goals in 21 appearances at the heart of Macclesfield Town's midfield, from June 2019 to March 2020.

Six months after the Plymouth game, he rejoined Chesterfield, who Macc bought him from.

However, it was the first time he had played in the National League, as the Derbyshire club had been relegated while he was on the books of Macc Town. The 26-year-old Liverpudlian has not played this season.

Right Centre Midfielder Danny Whitehead

A name that needs no introduction, Danny Whitehead played for Macclesfield Town over five separate loan or permanent spells from 2015 to 2020. Whitehead was on loan from Salford at the time of the Plymouth match. He'd made ten appearances and scored no goals, in an unremarkable season for the relegation-battling Silkmen. A far cry from his performance during Macc's promotion season. Like David Fitzpatrick, Whitehead joined the short-lived John Askey project at Port Vale. And like Fitzpatrick, and Connor Kirby, the Trafford-born midfielder is now at Altrincham (on loan). The 28-year-old has made six appearances in the National League, with The Robins and his former teammates. Right Midfielder Shilow Tracey

There was a lot of excitement surrounding Shilow Tracey, when his loan deal to Macclesfield Town was announced.

Having then spent four years on the books at Tottenham Hotspur, the young winger could only make nine appearances in two months before being sent back to White Hart Lane.

He actually scored against Plymouth Argyle... earlier in the season, with a 1-1 draw at the Moss Rose on February 18. But he couldn't recreate this for Macc Town's last ever game.

After further temporary spells at Shrewsbury Town and Cambridge United, he left Spurs for The U's this year. Cambridge currently played in League One, one division above where he was at Macc.

Forward Joe Ironside

Playing as a lone striker, Joe Ironside netted six goals in 33 appearances in Macclesfield Town's curtailed season. The reliable attacker jumped two divisions from Kiddiminster Harriers in the National League North to join Macclesfield in 2019. He would then move up the divisions with his next club, helping Cambridge United to be promoted from League Two to League One. Linking up with ex-Silkmen Shilow Tracey. Ironside is in sensational form. He has netted a goal every two games. Currently standing at 11 goals in 22 games. He's almost elapsed his total for last season, which was in a lower division, bagging 14 goals in 44 games. Both he and Tracey are the most successful ex-Macclesfield Town players from their final game against Plymouth, as of December 2021. The substitutes were as follows; Nathan Cameron, Harry Hamblin, Ben Tollitt, Donavan Wilson, Ben Stephens

and Jacob Blyth.

The win saw Plymouth move up to third in League Two, before COVID stopped the 2019-20 season. Macclesfield Town were in 23rd, but were relegated later in the year when the points-per-game system was agreed.

You can watch the highlights of Macclesfield Town's last ever football game at the top of this article.

Macclesfield: Were you there in Devon for Town's last ever game against The Pilgrims?

Would you like to see any of these former Silkmen play for Macclesfield FC?

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