Last word belongs to Macclesfield skipper Paul Dawson. Beyond scoring the opener, he was absolutely brilliant today, as pointed out by Wayne Rooney after the game. Here’s Dawson, who sometimes has a naughty word in him but not right now:

I won’t swear! It’s an immense achievement to be honest. I’m proud of the boys, proud of everyone, proud of the fans. You can see what it means to them. It’s a real community club and, yeah, I’m really proud.

Some context as this all sinks in. This is the first time the holders have lost to non-league opposition since Crystal Palace themselves beat Wolves back in 1909 while in the Southern League.

Here’s more from Dominic Booth, who has seen all this with his own eyes.

Is that the biggest, greatest, most unexpected FA Cup upset of all time? I have just been one of the lucky 5,000 or so people to have witnessed it, whatever it is. The current scenes at Moss Rose are incredible, after thousands stormed onto the artificial pitch at the sound of the full time whistle. That they have knocked out the holders, and deserved to do so, is one of the greatest feats of modern history in this competition for sure. “The biggest result ever, I hope that’s what you’re writing,” is the message from one fan to the gathered media here. He might just be right.

Time for list of 10 other epic FA Cup shocks. Does this now go to No.1?

1. Hereford 2 Newcastle 1 (1972)
2. Blyth Spartans 3 Stoke 2 (1978)
3. Sutton 2 Coventry 1 (1989)
4. Wrexham 2 Arsenal 1 (1992)
5. Wycombe 2 Leicester 1 (2001)
6. Chelsea 2 Bradford 4 (2015)
7. Crawley 3 Leeds 0 (2021)
8. Cambridge 1 Newcastle 0 (2022)
9. Maidstone 2 Ipswich 1 (2024)
10. Plymouth 1 Liverpool 0 (2025)

The BBC close with Joy Division’s ‘Love Will Tear Us Apart’. Their late singer, Ian Curtis, was a Macc lad.

Some quotes from Wayne Rooney, who is absolutely buzzing for his brother, John.

As good as Macclesfield were, I thought Crystal Palace were so bad today. In the Premier League where they’re playing nice football, today they got a mixture of Macclesfield roughing them up and they couldn’t deal with it. They absolutely couldn’t deal with it. So I think the manager, Glasner, would be absolutely disappointed. But this is about Macclesfield. I think what they’ve shown today is spectacular.

Here’s Crystal Palace boss Oliver Glasner. He looks in shock. And you can’t blame him.

Congratulations to Macclesfield for winning. We missed any kind of quality today. I haven’t seen anybody who could win a dribble. Conceding another set-play goal, losing the header, no timing in the header. We know this, but we have to do better. The second goal was a more slapstick goal. And on the other side, if you can’t create clear chances, we didn’t have really maybe one or two right at the end, but everything else is just a lack of quality, what we’ve shown today. And that’s why we lost and we deserve to lose. Honestly, I have no explanation for what I have seen today.

Winning manager John Rooney is looking remarkably calm, unlike brother Wayne who is welling up. The Macclesfield boss speaks to the BBC.

The message at half-time was to manage the game, can we slow the game down, and then we go and go 2-0 up. I didn’t see that coming, but I thought we were well deserved winners, to be honest, I thought we deserved to be the winners. I think we limited them to one chance in the first half.

Asked if he could have dreamt this was possible.

Probably not, but there’s always that little bit of hope, just that little bit of hope that anything can happen on the day, but I didn’t see it coming, I’ll be totally honest.

A massive 117 places separate these sides. 117! It’s the biggest gap ever overturned in the FA Cup. It’s the first time a non-league side have knocked out the holders since 1909! 1909! It is truly one of the greatest shocks in this wonderful tournament’s history. Sensational. Absolutely sensational. Wayne Rooney is just about in tears on the BBC, so happy for his brother John the Macclesfield manager.

90+7 min: Richards sends in a long throw … no he doesn’t! IT’S A FOUL THROW! That could be that!

90+6 min: Wharton balloons over the bar on the half-volley from the edge of the box. Probably time for one more Palace attack …

90+5 min: Menayese smashes clear and Mellor forces Mitchell to put the ball out for a throw in. Not much more than 100 seconds left here.

90+4 min: Uche goes down in the box … no penalty. That looked close.

90+3 min: A couple of hoofs clear provide a smidgeon of breathing room.

90+2 min: Macclesfield can’t get out here. They’re pinned into their own final third, clinging on …

90+1 min: Six minutes of added time to be played. Six long, long minutes.

89 min: Mellor fouls Guehi on the edge of the Macc D. Free-kick to Palace and a very dangerous one …

88 min: There can surely never have been more contrasting back-to-back Cup performances than Palace’s here and at Wembley in May. They’ve been dire. But they’re not quite done yet.

87 min: Casey is caught offside as more time slips through Palace fingers.

86 min: Each second must feel like an hour for those Macclesfield fans.

85 min: The teenage substitute Casey pulls down Menayese with Palace building up a head of steam. Macc get chance to breathe again.

84 min: Tick-tock, tick-tock …

83 min: Pino finds Uche unmarked in the box … but he turns his header over the bar from 10 yards out.

82 min: The ball trundles across the Macclesfield goalline not once but twice! Sosa puts in the first, no one gets a touch. Pino, I think, returned it – again no one can turn it home.

81 min: … swung in and cleared away. Time is slipping away from Palace though.

80 min: Wharton lets the ball roll out, expecting a goal-kick … but it’s a corner …

79 min: Macclesfield subs: Duffy, Kay and Lacey off. Matheson, Borthwick-Jackson and Dos Santos on.

78 min: Heathcote goes into the book after foiling a Palace breakaway. Clever booking that, as that is just the sort of broken-play situation Palace are looking for.

76 min: One-way traffic at this point as Palace push for a way back into the game. But Mellor dispossesses Guéhi on halfway, forcing the Palace man to bring him down. He gets a yellow card, Macc get a moment to breathe.

75 min: Sutton United 2-1 Coventry City in 1989? Hereford United 2-1 Newcastle United in 1972? Wrexham 2-1 Arsenal in 1992? This might trump them all. Fifteen to go.

74 min: Dearnley again stands firm as another effort flashes towards the Macc goal. The pressure is increasing, as surely it must. Can they hold on?

73 min: Great save! Dearnley does superbly to turn away Wharton’s fizzing effort after the Palace midfielder pounces on a loose ball.

72 min: Palace have about 20 minutes to save themselves here, from what would be – or certainly what would have a very good claim to be – the biggest FA Cup shock of all time.

71 min: Duffy swings in a corner but Benitez claims comfortably.

70 min: 17-year-old Ben Casey replaces Devenny for Palace as Glasner rolls the dice in increasing desparation.

69 min: Uche has the ball in the net but his header is ruled out for offside.

68 min: Devenny shoots from the edge of the box but Heathcote nods his effort clear.

66 min: Here’s Dominic Booth at an increasingly febrile Moss Rose: “This is turning into an FA Cup giant killing of mammoth proportions. Macclesfield are 2-0 up against the Cup holders and they’ve looked every inch the top flight side … whereas Oliver Glasner’s team have been utterly listless. The fact the Silkmen are now pushing for a third – which would be ludicrous – tells you how crazy this game has been. The home fans are loving every second of it, while the masses of Palace fans behind the goal are stunned into silence.”

65 min: So close! Uche gets himself into a touch of space in the Macc box, fires across goal, but sees his effort zip a foot wide of the post.

63 min: This is wild. Macclesfield are 2-0 up and hunting for more. The ball hasn’t been out of the Palace half for five minutes.

61 min: It’s a bizarre goal really. Richards failed to clear, there was an appeal for a penalty as Mellor tumbled, and the ball broke to the edge. Edmondson, I think, fired a shot in, which deflected into the path of Buckley-Ricketts, who did superbly to adjust his body and divert the ball past Benítez. Unbelievable.

58 min: Edmondson scuffs his effort straight at Benitez after Macc again turn over the ball in Palace’s third. And that’s followed by another poor Palace clearance straight out for a throw. The Premier League side need to gather themselves.

56 min: … the whistle goes as the ball comes in … there’s a moment of baited breath … and it’s a free-kick for the home side.

55 min: Wharton – having a bit of a mare – gives the ball away yet again. Richards – just about – tidies up another mess. At the other end, Pino forces a corner …

54 min: The frenzy doesn’t really suit Palace, you fancy.

52 min: Absolute chaos briefly breaks out as Guehi almost makes a mess of a header towards his keeper, Benitez rushes out to head clear, only as far as Wharton, who makes a complete Horlicks of his attempted clearance. Dawson – I think – thumps an effort at goal with Benitez briefly stranded. It’s all going on but Palace survive.

51 min: Duffy forces a throw-in, right down by the corner flag. Nothing comes of it, but then Chris Richards thumps a rushed clearance into the stands. Signs of frazzle for the visitors.

50 min: Another stat: the last holders to be knocked out by a non-league team were Wolves in 1908-09. And. neatly, Palace were the non-league side on that occasion.

49 min: Josh Kay thunders an effort miles over the Palace bar from the edge of the box.

47 min: There’s a long way to go before all that though. And Palace have started on the front foot, Johnson forcing a corner. Dearnley gathers but you sense he is going to have a very busy 45 minutes.

46 min: A great stat from the BBC commentary team to put this into context. 117 places separate these sides – the FA Cup record for the biggest giantkilling is the 108 places between Chasetown and Port Vale in 2007.

Peep! Off we go again. Macc are 45 minutes away from immortality. Glasner have acted: Hughes, Mitchell and Johnson are on, Canvot, Drakes-Thomas and Rodney off.

Here’s Dom Booth again from a buzzing Moss Rose: “Oh. My. Word. Macclesfield lead the FA Cup holders at half-time and in all honesty, they deserve it. Their captain Paul Dawson deserves it more than anyone. It was a fine header that left Walter Benítez stranded in the Palace goal, but before that Dawson had been an utter menace in midfield, winning duels and spreading the play for the home side – all while wearing a head bandage and playing against a midfield that includes England’s Adam Wharton. The home crowd are almost disbelieving. What a story we could have on our hands here.”

45+2 min: Kay goes into the book after chopping down Pino from behind as Palace look to break.

45+1 min: Dearnley gathers as Palace thunk the ball forward.

45 min: Can the non-league side get to the break? Three minutes of added time to play.

44 min: What a moment for Macclesfield! Their captain has been outstanding. And it was a terrific header.

41 min: Kay sends a tame effort well wide from 35 yards or so. They’ve had a few moments, though, the home side. They’re in this.

40 min: After a couple of fortunate bounces, Kay thunks a low cross into the box from the left but again Palace clear with little fuss.

39 min: Dearnley turns away Pino’s effort but the flag goes up in any case.

37 min: Here’s Dom Booth from his spot behind the dugouts: “Oliver Glasner has just given Justin Devenny a sustained earful, after the wing-back was sloppily caught offside. Devenny has been afforded acres of space by Macclesfield so far yet Palace have largely ignored him, preferring slow steady buildup through the middle instead. The youngster’s ears may still be ringing from his manager’s harsh words, but if the visitors can find him onside, he could break this open. The Macclesfield fans behind Glasner have been wallowing in the German’s irritation.”

35 min: Nice work from Lacey in midfield again provides Duffy with a bit of space on the right, but again his ball into the box fails to threaten. The home side are having a good little spell, though.

34 min: Just for a moment Macclesfield look to be in on the break, but Duffy’s cross is behind Kay in the Palace area.

32 min: The National League North side have got a third of the way through the 90 unscathed. And, if you like, a quarter of the way towards penalties.

31 min: Macclesfield waste another set-piece opportunity to get the ball into the box – again the free-kick near halfway is scuffed a little short. They need to make better use of those opportunities – they’re sure to be few and far between.

29 min: Heathcote gets himself into a tangle and Uche is almost in again but the defender just enough to hold him off.

28 min: Uche comes so close to breaking the deadlock. He shimmies into space 25 yards from goal and sends a fizzing, dipping effort just over the bar. Dearnley could only watch it.

27 min: Shrewsbury have got a goal back at Wolves and Leicester lead at Cheltenham.

25 min: Wharton plonks a cross-field pass on the edge of his own box onto the chest of Luke Duffy, but the Macclesfield midfielder snatches at the resultant volley and drags his effort well wide.

24 min: “Think about it!” comes a shout from the home stands. “THINK ABOUT IT!” Good advice for us all.

23 min: At the other end Fensome whacks a hopeful cross into the Palace box but Benítez gathers comfortably.

21 min: Close! Typically, just as I mention that they’re not threatening, Palace come about as close as they have to scoring. Kaden Rodney swings the ball in from the left but Joél Drakes-Thomas misses with an attempted glancing header and Dearnley is able to gather.

20 min: Palace aren’t exactly battering on the door here. They’re in control, of course, but the home side are largely keeping them at arm’s length.

18 min: There’s a couple of other early Cup kick-offs and a shock is not on the cards at Molineux – Wolves are already 2-0 up against Shrewsbury. Meanwhile, the Shrews’ fellow League Two-ers Cheltenham are holding Leicester 0-0.

17 min: Here’s Dom Booth from his perch in the stands: “A couple of players going down injured in the early stages definitely benefits Macclesfield. The longer this stays 0-0, the more belief will spread around this small ground. The Silkmen have looked up to the task so far and the home crowd have been vocal to say the least. One aspect that has surprised me has been Macclesfield’s reluctance to throw it long when inside the Palace half. Surely set-pieces are a key opportunity today?”

15 min: Macclesfield have their first shot on target – Lacey’s effort from long range, after a couple of weak Palace clearances, is straight at Benítez.

14 min: Edmonson sends a free-kick from the Macclesfield left into the mixer, but it’s slightly mis-hit and bobbles harmlessly across goal.

13 min: Chance! And a proper chance too, for the Premier League side. Sosa and Uche combine to put Yeremy Pino through, but he scuffs his effort wide of the near post from close range.

12 min: Heathcote takes that advice on board and launches the ball forward in the direction of Josh Kay. The ball bounces off the forward and out for a goal kick.

11 min: Macclesfield, for their part, are trying to get the ball down to play, which is admirable. Though I do wonder in these situations if the old gerrit int box approach is more likely to reap rewards.

10 min: Devenny swings in a dangerous cross from the Palace right, but a Macclesfield head is there to meet it.

8 min: Dawson’s head wound has opened up again and he needs a bit more treatment. It’s all been a bit stop-start so far.

7 min: The low winter sun is casting long shadows on the pitch, but not long enough for Macclesfield goalkeeper Max Dearnley, who has donned his cap.

5 min: Uche tumbles looking for a free-kick but nothing doing as far as the referee is concerned. You can really see the difference in the surface from the way the ball bounces – might take a bit of getting used to for the Palace players.

4 min: A first touch for Macclesfield goalkeeper Max Dearnley as Christantus Uche looks to pressure the home defence.

3 min: Both are patched up and OK to continue, as Palace get their collective foot on the ball for the first time.

1 min: Jaydee Canvot and Paul Dawson go up for a header as the ball is pumped towards the Palace box and there’s a brief delay as they both need treatment for a clash of heads.

Peep! After a brief delay to tidy up a cone left behind from the warm-up (!), Macclesfield get the game under way on the 4G surface.

Click-clack, click-clack … Out come the players into the Cheshire sunshine.

Oliver Glasner is having a brief pre-match chat with the BBC. “It’s clear that we’re here to win the game,” he says of his Palace lineup.

And here’s Macclesfield’s John Rooney:“Since the club reformed we’ve done well in the leagues, pushing up the football pyramid, but we’ve never really had that FA Cup run, and one thing we spoke about in the summer is can we give the fans something to cheer going into the FA Cup, and for us to get to the third round and get drawn against the holders, you can see what it means to them today.

“It’s such an exciting game for the whole club, it’s been hard keeping the players calm and keeping their feet on the ground and getting them ready.

The BBC’s Mark Chapman says it’s “bring a family member to work day” as Wayne Rooney stands next to his brother, Macclesfield boss John Rooney, for a pre-match chat on the pitch.

Dominic Booth is our reporter at Moss Rose today, and he’s been soaking in the pre-match atmosphere:

Macclesfield are ready for their day in the FA Cup third round sun, against the cup holders Crystal Palace, no less. Walking from the railway station to the modest surroundings of Moss Rose – now the Leasing.com stadium – before kick-off, there was a palpable buzz in the air. Fans have been buying match scarves in their hundreds, the bars and food kiosks are packed and TV trucks are packing the car park. This is Macclesfield’s first game against Premier League opposition since their rebirth in 2020. As a former EFL club, they used to be semi-regulars in the third round. These days, occasions like this are to be treasured and everyone is rightly making the most of it. That Palace have included three of their FA Cup winning lineup – Wharton, Guéhi and Richards – makes it all the more tantalising for the hosts.

Palace’s last game in the FA Cup? It was a doozy:

Once upon a time in third-round games, the state of the lower league/non-league pitch would be thought of as The Great Leveller. And you could hope to throw in a bit of January wind and rain. But the Moss Rose surface is in fine fettle and there’s barely a cloud in the Cheshire sky: