Enterprise National League North
Macclesfield v Harborough Town
Saturday 26th September 2026
Kick-off: 3.00 pm
Venue: Leasing.com Stadium
Author – James Lee
Image – Rob O’Brien
Attention turns back to Enterprise National League North football this weekend as Harborough Town travel to the Leasing.com Stadium to take on Macclesfield FC.
This will be the first competitive meeting between the two sides, so both teams will look to make an impression.
The match has all the makings of a thrilling contest and a great occasion, backed up by manager Mitch Austin: “Something we should be really looking forward to, and I’m sure a few fans will travel up, and hopefully we can put on a performance they’ll be proud of.”
Macclesfield FC was established in 2020 immediately after Macclesfield Town dissolved and has since risen rapidly up the leagues, winning the league title in three of five seasons. The Silkmen experienced National League North football last season, finishing fourth and losing in the playoffs against eventual winners Kidderminster Harriers in the semi-final. Last season also included a memorable FA Cup run which saw them beat holders Crystal Palace 2-1 in the third round, becoming the first club from the sixth tier to knock out a Premier League side. However, they did narrowly fall to defeat in the next round against Brentford.
Manager John Rooney was appointed in July 2025 after retiring from playing following his second spell with the Silkmen. The younger brother of Premier League great Wayne Rooney, John made a career in his own right, making over 500 appearances for a number of clubs in the United Kingdom and the United States of America. This season has got off to a good start, with one loss in their nine games so far and no home losses. However, most recently in their last three league games they have failed to win, drawing 1-1 away against Spennymoor Town and 0-0 at home against Scarborough Athletic, with their only defeat this campaign coming away at Merthyr Town in a 2-1 loss. Their most recent game saw them advance in the FA Cup with an away win over Redcar Athletic.
There are several players Harborough will have to keep a close eye on throughout the match, one of these being striker Adan George, who joined The Silkmen in the summer and has netted three times already this season, making him the side’s joint top scorer, along with attacking midfielder Luke Duffy. After signing for the club for a club-record fee in the 2023/24 season from Warrington Town, he has made 163 appearances for The Silkmen. At the other end of the pitch, goalkeeper Christian Dibble, who joined after leaving promoted Kidderminster Harriers, has made 125 appearances for The Carpetmen over his three years at the club and has already kept four clean sheets in ten appearances this season. A mixture of youth and experience will certainly prove to be a tough test.
Harborough will be hoping to get back to winning ways in league football after failing to score in their past three league games, losing away at Brackley Town 1-0, falling 3-0 at home to Hereford and drawing 0-0 at home against AFC Telford United. These hopes were boosted by their most recent result, when The Bees overcame Rushall Olympic 1-0 in the FA Cup, and they will look to build on it with another positive result at the weekend. The Bees are still looking for their first win on the road this season, having drawn two and lost two.
Striker Britt Assombalonga leads the way with three goals this season, closely followed by Riley O’Sullivan with two. Both will hope to add to their tallies against The Silkmen on Saturday.
Away Supporters
The fixture will be segregated.
Harborough Town supporters will be accommodated on the North Terrace, with a block of seated tickets also available at the northern end of the Moss Lane (West) Stand and should enter through Turnstiles 2 and 3, situated at the back of the car park on the northern side of the stadium.
Turnstiles will open at 1.30pm.
Match Tickets
Tickets must be purchased from Macclesfield FC’s dedicated away-ticketing page.
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Seated Admission
– Adults: £19
– Concessions aged 65 and over: £15
– Students: £12
– Under-18s: £9
– Under-12s: £4
– Disabled, including carer: £15
Standing Admission
– Adults: £18
– Concessions aged 65 and over: £14
– Students: £11
– Under-18s: £8
– Under-12s: £3.50
– Disabled, including carer: £15
Supporters aged 13 and under must be accompanied by a responsible adult aged 18 or over.
Supporters’ Coach Travel
Official supporters’ coach travel is available through Bees Supporters Travel, in partnership with Fleckers Coaches.
The coach will depart from Market Hall at 11.00am, priced at £24 per person.
Supporters are encouraged to book early to guarantee their place.
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