As we edge ever closer to the big kick off on Saturday 8th August away at Marine in the Enterprise National League North, we take an in-depth look at our fixtures over the festive period for the 2026/27 campaign.
BUXTON (H) – SATURDAY 26TH DECEMBER – LEASING.COM STADIUM – 3PM
Our Boxing Day fixture for 2026/27 mirrors that of last season, at home to Buxton, when the Silkmen solemnly returned to action following the passing of Ethan McLeod. Emotions ran high all afternoon, which was clear to see in the performance, with our local rivals taking all three points back across the A537. Danny Elliott would see his spot-kick saved, and in an attempt to steer home the rebound under duress, suffered a ruptured ACL, resulting in over 8 months on the sidelines.
The Silkmen restored the bragging rights on Good Friday at the Tarmac Silverlands Stadium, with Paul Dawson providing a brace, along with impressive strikes from Elliot Osborne and Luke Duffy to bump Macc up to 3rd in the league. Previous encounters against our neighbours have typically been closely fought affairs, with or two goal deficits often the difference, including our meeting in the Emirates FA Cup back in 2023, when goals either side of the interval from Laurent Mendy and Luke Duffy would see the Silkmen progress to the Third Qualifying Round of the famous old competition.
Macc edge the overall head to head record with six victories to Buxton’s four in all competitions. The two sides will meet again for the twelfth time on Easter Monday (29th March) in Buxton.
AFC TELFORD UNITED (A) – MONDAY 28TH DECEMBER – SEAH STADIUM – 3PM
Telford are the second of three opponents Macc will face over Christmas and are a side the Silkmen struggled against last season, taking only a point from their two meetings in the Enterprise National League North. John Rooney’s fatigued side fell to a 3-0 defeat at the Seah Stadium in March, though would be the wakeup call required to go on and win the next four games against Hereford, Alfreton and Buxton, all but confirming our spot in the play-off places.
A solitary, though incredibly impressive Danny Elliott free-kick would rescue a point at the Leasing.com Stadium in November last year to become Macclesfield FC’s all-time leading goalscorer, notching for the 54th time in blue after an early strike from Remi Walker, again in somewhat of an uncharacteristic performance amidst a run of six successive home fixtures in all competitions.
Prior to last season’s clashes, Macc have historically come out on top, winning all previous five match-ups in the National League between 2013 and 2015. With the Bucks impressing more recently though, John Rooney recently recruited Ammar Dyer, who was a standout performer in both meetings last season and will play a prominent part in an inevitable Silkmen promotion push second time round. Our return fixture against Telford will take place on Good Friday (26th March)
HEDNESFORD TOWN (A) – SATURDAY 2ND JANUARY – KEYS PARK – 3PM
Hednesford are one of six new teams that the Silkmen will face this season having achieved promotion to the Enterprise National League North via the Northern Premier League play-offs in the most dramatic of fashions, defeating Warrington Rylands via a penalty shootout following a last-gasp equaliser.
The Pitmen finished second only to Hebburn Town by just two points last season and will be looking to carry their momentum in to the division above and assert themselves in the second tier of non-league football.
The Club’s have met previously many moons ago, most recently in a pre-season friendly in 2008, ending all square at Keys Park. The last competitive clash came back in 1997, when Hednesford ran out comfortable victors, though Macc Town got the better of the Pitmen on penalties in the semi-final of the Staffordshire Senior Cup two days after a Steve Wood injury-time winner away at Stevenage. Macc went on to beat Bilston in the final, winning the same set of silverware two seasons on the spin.
Hednesford will be Macc’s first opponents of 2027 on Saturday 2nd January, playing host to us at Keys Park and rounding off the festive period before facing one another again at the beginning of April as the campaign comes to a close, at which point results can of course be decisive with the Silkmen hopefully in the hunt for promotion to the National League.
