Fans slam the FA for blocking Crystal Palace from making incredible gesture to Macclesfield

Fans have taken to social media, to slam the FA for blocking Crystal Palace from making an incredible gesture to Macclesfield.

Reports emerged on Thursday night, stating that the Football Association have prevented Crystal Palace from giving the full amount of their share of gate receipts from their FA Cup third round tie to the National League North side.

Macclesfield produced the biggest upset the FA Cup has ever seen, defeating the cup holders 2-1 earlier this month.

FA Cup rule 233 reads: “A club must not enter, or attempt to enter, into any agreement with another club under which their obligations under these competition rules regarding the sharing of net gate receipts may be varied or amended.”

🔺EXCLUSIVE: Crystal Palace blocked by FA from giving Macclesfield cup-tie ticket money

FA Cup holders offered to give their share of ticket sales for third-round tie

Story by @samcunningham https://t.co/vHo0sXh5Ah

— Times Sport (@TimesSport) January 29, 2026

Crystal Palace had offered this generous gesture ahead of the cup tie, to help support Macclesfield, a club that was reformed after suffering financial difficulties.

It sees further backlash for the FA, especially when it’s become harder financially for lower-league clubs in the FA Cup has become less lucrative in recent years due to the elimination of replays and reduced ticket prices.

Speaking after defeating Crystal Palace, Macclesfield owner Robert Smethurst told talkSPORT: “We do spend quite a lot because we have huge gate receipts. Within football, unfortunately, the better you do and the higher you move up the leagues, the worse it actually gets financially as an owner.

“This will make the club for the next couple of years, especially with the next draw, if we’re lucky enough to potentially get an away game, especially if it’s a Premier League club — you can be drawing nearly up to a million pounds in funds.”

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As mentioned, fans slam the FA for blocking Crystal Palace from making the incredible gesture to Macclesfield…

@footballconfid1: Palace should just sign one of their players for an inflated price, and loan him back for free indefinitely. If the FA wanna get silly about it, just play silly back.

@gwilymcox: Palace should sign a Macclesfield player for the exact same amount as the gate receipts, on a one year contract and loan him to Macclesfield for the duration of the contract.

@zander_05: The FA can do one. Palace needed help when trying to defend themselves against demotion to the conference league and the FA were nowhere to be seen. Give Macclesfield the money and tell the FA to kick rocks.

@fatboyscum: The FA are a disgrace. Supposed to be the protectors of English football at all levels, whilst scrapping replays at the behest of a small group of elite clubs who rake in fortunes every year, meanwhile there’s no money for non league sides to improve old dangerous grounds.

@Predict_Palace: Why? That should have nothing to do with them. It should be between to 2 clubs…. So poor from them!

@rob_fisher_efc: The FA only wants to benefit themselves, shocking & sadly not surprising. No wonder the football pyramid is failing with this archaic system still in charge.

@HookmeisterG: Buy a player from @thesilkmen and loan him back straight away… job done!

@impsteaderz: So replays being scrapped isn’t enough of a kick in the balls for lower league teams now this, let’s not reward success for these teams that can barely survive but keep billions in the top flight! Shame on you FA 😡

@dazzgedd73: It’s fine, just donate it, what they gonna do? Kick us out the cup 😂 Other option. We make a donation to their club what can they do ?

@ohjoewalker: What a weird thing to push back on

@CPFC_Cal: The FA have always been and continue to be a disgrace. It’s all about championing the importance of the football pyramid until it comes to actually doing something about it.

@Tommy_Oldham1: This is pathetic from the FA they really don’t help themselves they say how they represent and do for the good of the game. It was a fantastic gesture from Crystal Palace to help Macclesfield especially at a time when many clubs lower down the footballing pyramid are struggling.

@ChampionshpTalk: They abolished FA Cup replays, and now they’re stopping a Premier League team helping out a non-league side. Magic of the club has well and truly gone. #fa #facup #cpfc

@SkyBlueBen: Bit that makes me laugh is the FA saying they are “protecting the integrity of the competition”. They were quick enough to scrap replays. The integrity of the competition didn’t seem to concern them then.

@kelvinstuttard: God forbid a football club actually wants to help others lower down the pyramid! Between this and their lack of terrestrial tv games, it feels like the FA are determined to destroy the FA cup

@Kate011085: This is absolutely Fucked! Can Palace just sign a youth player from Macclesfield for that exact amount then offer the player back to Macclesfield for free? Still time in the window to do that #CPFC

@eaglecoxy79: Palace should pay it anyway then when they get prosecuted for “bringing the game into disrepute” they should ask for a personal hearing to bring it to the attention of the world how much the FA care about the smaller clubs

@RussWWFC: The FA were complicit in killing the original Macclesfield Town and are trying to do the same again.

@Pauline04023347: This is the same FA that agreed with the Premier League to scrap replays in the FACup depriving lower league clubs of a financial windfall. They don’t give a hoot about lower clubs and their survival and no doubt will agree to televised matches at 3pm on a Saturday soon!

@traverslemiroir: Your annual reminder that The FA had to change the name of the Charity Shield because they wouldn’t tell the authorities how much money actually went to the charities they claimed to support

@jellycat1966: FA & EFL, both not fit for purpose. The premier league have all the money, every club below them need money. There’s not enough help for the lower league clubs. Pure greed

@ref_grassroots: The FA are priceless, bow to the top teams with huge squads, reducing the value of the FA Cup, and now taking money out of the “smaller” clubs pockets. Like IFAB completely out of touch with the fans.

@MattyRobbo24: The magic of the FA cup ey 🙄 never been an issue before! The FA quickly destroying one of the best sporting tournaments anywhere in the world.