"There were 117 places between Macclesfield and Palace in the English soccer pyramid when they met on Jan. 10, and Palace were the tournament's defending champions. Never before during 154 years of the FA Cup -- a competition, just like NCAA's March Madness, known for its "David vs. Goliath" upsets -- had a result delivered such a shock. Fans had streamed onto the field at the final whistle; players were paraded on shoulders."
"MACCLESFIELD, England -- Sam Heathcote is out on the field, handing out training bibs on a cold January morning. He's no stranger to this: At 28 years old, he has been a footballer all his adult life, plying his trade in English soccer's lower leagues. His proudest moment came a few weeks ago when he helped Macclesfield, a sixth-tier semiprofessional club, defy all odds in the FA Cup to knock out Premier League side Crystal Palace."
Sam Heathcote, a 28-year-old center back and gym teacher, leads Macclesfield as players balance semiprofessional football with second jobs such as property development, law, podcasting and gym ownership. Macclesfield, a sixth-tier club, stunned Premier League Crystal Palace in the FA Cup on Jan. 10, overcoming a 117-place gap in the English soccer pyramid and eliminating the tournament's defending champions. The result was unprecedented in 154 years of the FA Cup, prompting fans to stream onto the field and players to be paraded on shoulders. Training often occurs in modest settings, such as a concrete pitch at a grade school.
Read at ESPN.com
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