Former Manchester United midfielder Robbie Savage, currently a pundit for TNT SPORTS, has successfully guided Macclesfield FC to promotion in his first season as manager.
Macclesfield secured their place in the National League North with a 2-1 victory over Bamber Bridge on Saturday. This win ensures their promotion from the Northern Premier League with six games remaining in the season.
This promotion marks a remarkable debut season for Savage, who took over as manager of Macclesfield FC, a club formed in 2020 after the dissolution of Macclesfield Town.
Macclesfield FC currently holds a commanding 20-point lead over their closest rivals, Worksop, having won 29 of their 36 matches, scoring 88 goals and conceding only 26.
Their dominant performance ensures they will finish as Northern Premier League champions regardless of their results in the remaining fixtures.
Savage assumed the managerial role last summer, succeeding Michael Clegg. He had previously stated that he would consider his position untenable if he failed to secure promotion this season.
In August, Savage expressed the high stakes: “If I fail, I know my time will be up. I won’t be able to go back to being a director of football…if I’ve come up short. I know everything is on the line.”
Despite the pressure and some negative comments at the start of his tenure, Savage has successfully led the team to promotion.
Macclesfield FC owner Robert Smethurst acknowledged Savage`s success and predicted that bigger clubs might soon seek to hire him, recognizing his potential for higher levels of management.
Smethurst commented, “How long he`ll stay here at Macclesfield, God only knows. Maybe we`ll be lucky enough to keep him for another year. He`s already getting clubs coming for him now, higher up in the league. It`ll only be a matter of time before he proves himself and will no longer be here at Macclesfield. I`m aware of that.”
