Today I'm going back 19 years to 10th August 2002 and the start of a new Football League season for Macclesfield Town and York City.
I remember this game well, mainly for feeling appalled at the sight of York City's brand new shirts for the new season. One or two City fans around me were wearing them and I remember telling one of them that the new shirt was nothing short of a disgrace and was highly disrespectful to the club. I think I got a shrug of the shoulders from the young man in question who surely wondered why a complete stranger was attacking him! You're probably wondering what my problem was. This was the season of John Batchelor that's what.
John Batchelor was a former motor racing driver and de facto publicity seeker who took over the Chairmanship of York City in March 2002 from Douglas Craig and immediately set about wrecking the club. One of his actions was to rebrand City as "York City Soccer Club" apparently to add to the club's appeal in North America (seriously!). The first team kit was next and this suddenly incorporated a chequered flag in recognition of Batchelor's motor racing team. It was an abomination and a shirt that I wouldn't wish to be seen dead in. Batchelor, who had run for Parliament a few years earlier on the ticket of "Sick of Politicians", was himself guilty of making empty promises that were never likely to be fulfilled and also of asset stripping the club for his own personal gain. By December 2002 the club had entered administration (thanks John) and in March 2003 was finally taken over by the Supporters Trust who immediately restored some sanity to the football club although it had been mortally wounded by the actions of Batchelor and his predecessor and would be relegated out of the Football League the following season. Batchelor died in 2010 at the age of 51 from liver disease caused by his alcoholism. Not many tears were shed for Batchelor in York.
Played in front of 2,586 adoring fans at Moss Rose, Macclesfield took the lead after 18 minutes thanks to a goal from Matthew Tipton and looked destined to secure a win until Peter Duffield equalised for Terry Dolan's York in the 90th minute.
Both clubs have tumbled down the leagues in the years since the featured game was played and, whilst York now find themselves in the sixth tier of English football, Macclesfield Town have fared even worse having folded and had to start again at the foot of the English football pyramid as Macclesfield FC in the North West Counties League Premier Division (the ninth tier). For Macclesfield, the only way is up.
CRB Match No. 1276
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