Supporters
Macclesfield Town have a low level of support in comparison with other teams playing at the same level. The club's average attendance of 1,832 in the 2010–11 season was the lowest in Football League Two and the Football League. Reasons for this include the proximity of Macclesfield to cities with large football clubs such as Manchester and Liverpool, and a lack of historical success, as Macclesfield Town have only been a Football League club since 1997. The bulk of supporters are from Macclesfield and its environs with small pockets of fans from Norway, Japan, Port Talbot South Wales and Fleet Hampshire (The Southern Silkmen Lads – SSL). In the April 2011 issue of the football magazine FourFourTwo, Macclesfield Town supporters were voted "League Two Best Away Fans".
Macclesfield Town's traditional rivals are Altrincham, a rivalry dating back to when both clubs were in the Cheshire League, and later the Northern Premier League and Football Conference. As far back as 1911 the Macclesfield and Altrincham teams were engaged in a close tussle for the Manchester League title – won narrowly by the Silkmen. However, the clubs have not shared the same division since the 1996–97 season when Macclesfield Town were promoted and Altrincham were relegated from the Football Conference.
Their closest rival in the Football League years (for just three years they were in the same league) has been Stockport County, however as Stockport County were relegated at the end of the 2010–2011 season this derby will not take place in the 2011–12 season. The closest rivals in the 2011–12 season will be Port Vale and Crewe Alexandra.
Famous fans include Stephen Morris of the band New Order, singer Mutley Mclad of the band Macc Lads, actor Marshall Lancaster, Amateur Football Alliance Director Jonathan Leese and ex-wrestling star Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson (having randomly picked Macclesfield Town as his team out of the hat on Soccer AM).
Read more about this topic: Macclesfield Town F.C.
Famous quotes containing the word supporters:
“No Government can be long secure without a formidable Opposition. It reduces their supporters to that tractable number which can be managed by the joint influences of fruition and hope. It offers vengeance to the discontented, and distinction to the ambitious; and employs the energies of aspiring spirits, who otherwise may prove traitors in a division or assassins in a debate.”
—Benjamin Disraeli (1804–1881)
“The hydra of corruption is only scotched, not dead. An investigation kills and it and its supporters dead. Let this be had.”
—Andrew Jackson (1767–1845)
“The opposition is indispensable. A good statesman, like any other sensible human being, always learns more from his opponents than from his fervent supporters. For his supporters will push him to disaster unless his opponents show him where the dangers are. So if he is wise he will often pray to be delivered from his friends, because they will ruin him. But though it hurts, he ought also to pray never to be left without opponents; for they keep him on the path of reason and good sense.”
—Walter Lippmann (1889–1974)