Dawson savours the limelight after historic FA Cup victory
Lancaster lad Paul Dawson was the talk of the football world on Saturday after he inspired Macclesfield to arguably the greatest cup upset ever.
The National League North outfit dumped FA Cup holders and Premier League outfit Crystal Palace out of the competition in the third-round at a raucous Leasing.Com Stadium..
It was Dawson – donning a “Terry Butcher-esque” head bandage after suffering a cut in the opening moments of the tie, headed the Silkmen into the lead from a free kick just before half-time.
If that was good, then the host supporters were sent into dreamland when Isaac Buckley-Ricketts's prod doubled Macclesfield’s advantage on the hour-mark.
Although Brennan Johnson’s late free-kick cut the deficit and made the last few moments nervy, the non-league side held on for a famous victory.
Midfielder Dawson – who lists Lancaster City and Bamber Bridge among his former clubs – shook hands with Palace skipper and England defender Marc Guehi for the coin toss before producing a man-of-the-match performance.
Macclesfield manager John Rooney – younger brother of former Manchester United and England legend Wayne – revealed that Dawson had been riding a tractor to clear the pitch of snow in the days before the tie, but then ordered him home to get some much-needed rest.
After knocking out the holders, Dawson cheekily said his men could go on and win the cup.
He said: “I’m proud of the boys, proud of everyone, proud of the fans. You see what it means to all the fans – it’s a real community club.”
A youngster at Morecambe, Dawson, 27, who attended Central Lancaster High School in Lancaster, joined Brig before being enticed to his hometown club.
He then returned to Brig and helped Jamie Milligan’s men reach the NPL Premier Division play-off final in 2023.
Although, Brig were ultimately beaten by Warrington Town, Macclesfield swooped for Dawson the following summer and he has since helped the Silkmen rise to the NL North.