Macclesfield to face further sanctions

Macclesfield Town FC is expected to face further sanctions from the Football League after Saturday’s League Two match with Plymouth was postponed late on Friday evening.

The Silkmen were deducted six points by an independent disciplinary commission on Thursday, with a further four suspended, over non-payment of wages to players and their failure to fulfil a fixture against Crewe on 7 December.

Now Saturday’s game with Plymouth at Moss Rose has also fallen by the wayside after the club were issued with a zero capacity notice by the local safety advisory group, meaning no supporters could attend.

There was confusion on Friday night over the status of the game when Macclesfield’s owner and majority shareholder, Amar Alkadhi, said in a statement on the club’s website after the game was officially postponed around 9pm: “I am aware of press releases which suggest that tomorrow’s game against Plymouth Argyle has been postponed. I would like to state that we have never asked the EFL to play the game behind closed doors and, as far as I am are concerned, the game will be played as scheduled.”

Macclesfield were adamant throughout the day that the match could still go ahead. But with time pressing and no safety certificate issued by late on Friday night, the EFL had no option but to postpone it.