By Paul Jones
Robbie Savage says his new role as head of football at relaunched Macclesfield is the “perfect fit” after the original club’s closure left him “devastated”.
The former Wales midfielder, now a TV and radio pundit, will play a leading role at the club which has been relaunched as Macclesfield FC after the demise of Macclesfield Town.
The club were expelled from the National League in September after they were wound up in the High Court.
Local businessman Robert Smethurst has acquired the assets of the club and Savage insists he will have a hands-on role at Moss Rose.
The former Leicester, Birmingham, Blackburn and Wales midfielder insisted: “In my retirement from playing, I have found a love for seeing kids develop and the satisfaction I get from that cannot be rivalled – so the role I have been asked to take up seems a perfect fit for me.”
“I was devastated to see what happened here at Macclesfield – a club steeped in history and worth more than any value in money to locals.
“I am privileged to be asked by the new owner to take up a role as head of football from the first team to grassroots and was genuinely surprised to get a call as I had no idea that Rob was looking to purchase the club until we spoke and he asked if I was interested to bring an extra dimension to his ambitions.
“I live within a stone’s throw from the ground and have integral links to the club as a local grassroots coach, a father who brings his sons here to spectate and a footballing professional who campaigns and lobbies for lower tier football clubs, who are the foundation of the game.”
Danny Whitaker will remain as manager of the new club Macclesfield FC, who aim to compete in the North West Counties Football League next season.
In a statement, Smethurst said: “This is an extremely exciting opportunity to rebuild a historic football club for Macclesfield and the surrounding areas and I want to ensure that we bring the footballing heartbeat back into the local community; combined with a firm financial business plan and with consideration for the fans.
READ MORE: Macclesfield Town to relaunch as #MacclesfieldFC under new local owner.https://t.co/r7RUBNBY3W
— Hits Manchester News (@hitsmcrnews) October 13, 2020
“My vision over the coming months and years is to rebuild the club, pitch & stadium facilities and re-invest the income generated from that back into creating a first team and into the club overall.
“If we can move a new team into the North West Counties Football League next season, we’ll have achieved one of our main goals. Over the coming years, our main aim is to move up through the leagues.”
On September 16, the Insolvency and Companies Court wound up the original club over unpaid debts of more than £500,000.
Players and staff were made redundant in the wake of the ruling.
