Macclesfield FC's owner says buying the club 'saved his life'.

Rob Smethurst has been speaking on The Sports Agents podcast following the Silkmen's shock 2-1 win over FA Cup holders Crystal Palace.

During the show, he admitted that he purchased the club in 2020 'as a bit of a joke' during a time when he was struggling with addiction. 

"I sort of sold my business, did really well. And then, unfortunately went into a sort of oblivion of addiction, really. You know, I didn't really feel like I had a purpose," he said.

"When I saw the football club on Rightmove, I kind of did it as a bit of a joke, really.

"It was, 'Let's have a go and let's buy it!' And I bought it within about 24 hours… I just did it for a bit of a laugh because I wasn't in a good place."

Smethurst continued, admitting he neglected to tell his wife about buying the club.

"At that point, I hadn't told the wife or anything about what I'd done!" he said.

"It was only really when Sky turned up and the BBC turned up and, you know, they're asking, 'Can we speak to the new owner, Rob Smethurst?' And I'm thinking, 'That's me!'"

Macclesfield owner Rob Smethurst appeared on The Sports Agents podcast following Macclesfield's 2-1 win over Crystal Palace (Credit: The Sports Agents)

Upon buying the club, Smethurst confesses he knew little about the club's recent history, ongoing financial issues, and relegation from the Football League. 

"Totally oblivious," he said.

"I knew a lot of people in the area were devastated. You know, I saw it on the news, and I had quite a lot of friends that obviously loved the football club. And I know when it went under it just ripped the community apart."

Speaking candidly, Smethurst believes that taking ownership of Macclesfield helped to save his life, giving him the motivation to overcome his addiction problems while giving back to the local community.

He said: "I'm not saying it's saved my life, but in some ways, you know, it has. Because it's given me direction.

"I wanted to build something so special, not just for me personally, but generally for a community that had lost a football club. And, you know, for me, it was about trying to make a difference."

Smethurst says Ethan McLeod was Macclesfield's '12th man' in their FA Cup win over Crystal Palace (Credit: Nub News)

 Reflecting on Saturday's win over Crystal Palace, Smethurst says 21-year-old Ethan McLeod, who died in a crash in December, was the team's 'twelfth man'.

"For the parents to come to such an amazing game, and then for us to go out and deliver the performance that we did for Ethan… Because those players, you know, before we even got out there, are still broken. And I think they always will be," he said.

"I saw them [McLeod's parents], and they were clapping, and I just grabbed them and said, 'Look, you need to be a part of this. Ethan was our twelfth man on this on this pitch!'"

 Drawn against another Premier League side in Brentford in the next round of the FA Cup, Smethurst plays down the idea of their being another giant killing on the cards.

He said: "I just take it with a pinch of salt. Like, I'm laughing if I'm honest inside, you know? I mean, this has just been one of the most ridiculous things, probably within football.

"I'm realistic. This is, like the David and Goliath story. It's unbelievably great fun!"

You can watch the full episode of The Sports Agents, hosted by Mark Chapman, on Global Player, YouTube and wherever you get your podcasts.