British BulletinBritish Bulletin
  • Home
  • News
  • Politics
  • Business
  • Entertainment
  • Lifestyle
  • Health
  • Sports
  • Tech & Science
  • Travel
  • Spotlight
  • More
    • Press Release
What's On

Salford City manager Karl Robinson sacked after League Two play-off final loss | Manchester News

2 June 2026

National Lottery on lookout for mystery winner in gateway to Peak District

2 June 2026

King’s Troops hold funeral for soldier who died at Royal Windsor Horse Show

2 June 2026

Rachel Reeves’s plots ISA tax raid as £12BILLION in savings face 22% charge

2 June 2026

Aldi brings back £1.15 Special buys snacks shoppers ‘love’

2 June 2026
Facebook X (Twitter) Instagram
Web Stories
Facebook X (Twitter) Instagram
British Bulletin
Subscribe
  • Home
  • News
  • Politics
  • Business
  • Entertainment
  • Lifestyle
  • Health
  • Sports
  • Tech & Science
  • Travel
  • Spotlight
  • More
    • Press Release
British BulletinBritish Bulletin
Home » Macclesfield FC: Robbie Savage ‘feared failure’ after promotion as BBC documentary goes behind the scenes
Sports

Macclesfield FC: Robbie Savage ‘feared failure’ after promotion as BBC documentary goes behind the scenes

By britishbulletin.com4 December 20253 Mins Read
Macclesfield FC: Robbie Savage ‘feared failure’ after promotion as BBC documentary goes behind the scenes
Share
Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Pinterest Email

In her hit Someone Like You, Adele sings of love, loss and moving on in the aftermath of a relationship ending.

Macclesfield soon had to deal with such a scenario.

Savage’s success with Macclesfield was rewarded with an approach from Forest Green – an offer he couldn’t refuse.

Not only did Macclesfield lose their manager, but his assistant John McMahon and three players went too,, external as Tre Pemberton, Neil Kengni and club captain Laurent Mendy followed Savage to Gloucestershire.

“I’ve always been honest and transparent with Rob,” Savage says in the documentary. “I rung him and said I’ve been offered the opportunity to speak to a club. Rob said ‘you have my blessing, go and smash it’. That was all I needed to hear.”

While Smethurst clearly wants his friend to succeed, he is seen to be visibly hurt by the speed of Savage’s exit.

“It’s like losing my left arm,” he says. “We had just won the league. It didn’t make sense as to why he was going.

“Sav had loads of opportunities to leave, I didn’t think it would ever happen. I thought we were in it together. Our dream was always to get this football club back to League Two.

“Now he’s gone it does feel very different, but nobody can ever deny what Sav did for this football club.”

At the end of the documentary, the pair are reunited as Smethurst visits Savage at his new club.

They hug and go for a walk around the training facilities before sitting down in Savage’s office.

“We were all on such a high,” Smethurst tells him. “We were going into the summer, we had spent ages looking at players, we had a few arguments over budgets.

“It happened so quick, it was like the heart had been ripped out of the middle.

“People genuinely believed that you were going to be with us forever. It was the speed and the letdown to the fans at the time on how quick it happened.”

Savage says he didn’t realise the backlash would be as great as it was.

“It makes me sad,” Savage says. “Every time I drive past I want to pop in. That hurts because it was our club. We built it from nothing.

“I could have kept that job for five years with you because we were together. I feared failure for the first time in my life. The stress was too big, I felt so much responsibility and it took over my life. Here I can just concentrate on being a football manager.”

At the time of writing, Forest Green are fourth in the National League, one point off top spot with only two defeats all season.

Under new manager John Rooney, Macclesfield are 14th in National League North but have games in hand that could push them towards the play-offs, and are through to the second round of the FA Cup.

“If you hadn’t have given me the opportunity to manage the first team, I wouldn’t be sitting here,” Savage tells Smethurst. “So I owe you everything in terms of my managing career.

“That’s why Macclesfield will always be part of me.”

Share. Facebook Twitter Pinterest LinkedIn Tumblr Email

Keep Reading

England vs India: Alice Capsey leaves Charlotte Edwards with huge selection call by securing win

England v India Third T20: Sophie Ecclestone misses simple run-out as India set England 181 to win

World Cup 2026: Fifa adds new offside technology to help VAR

Northern Ireland: Justin Devenny not ready for the beach after latest trophy with Crystal Palace

Ellie Kildunne: England full-back to leave Harlequins

Marco Silva to leave post as Fulham boss amid Benfica talks

Jarlath Burns: Ger Brennan and Jim McGuinness incidents like ‘comparing apples to oranges’

UK Athletics fined £350,000 over death of Paralympic shot putter at training facility

Sir Kenny Dalglish undergoing treatment for cancer

Editors Picks

National Lottery on lookout for mystery winner in gateway to Peak District

2 June 2026

King’s Troops hold funeral for soldier who died at Royal Windsor Horse Show

2 June 2026

Rachel Reeves’s plots ISA tax raid as £12BILLION in savings face 22% charge

2 June 2026

Aldi brings back £1.15 Special buys snacks shoppers ‘love’

2 June 2026

Subscribe to News

Get the latest Brittan News and Updates directly to your inbox.

Latest News

England vs India: Alice Capsey leaves Charlotte Edwards with huge selection call by securing win

2 June 2026

Leafy village locals ‘deeply alarmed’ by waste plant plan amid fears for ‘health of children’

2 June 2026

Reform UK unveils plan to ‘end two-tier policing for good’ after harrowing Henry Nowak case

2 June 2026
Facebook X (Twitter) Pinterest TikTok Instagram
© 2026 British Bulletin. All Rights Reserved.
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms
  • Advertise
  • Contact

Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.