Cheshire Independent Issue 203

JULY 2025 20 JOHN Rooney has been appointed the new man- ager of Macclesfield FC after the sudden depar- ture of Robbie Savage. The Silkmen moved quickly to appoint Rooney, brother of England and Manchester United legend Wayne, after Savage was unveiled as new boss of National League side Forest Green Rovers. His departure came as a shock to fans. Savage, who was also a club shareholder, signed a new two-year deal in May designed to keep him at Macclesfield until 2027. Rooney, a midfielder in the side that won the Northern Premier League in fine style last season, will now lead the Silkmen in the National League North as they look towards another promotion season in their quest for EFL football. He will be supported by Nigel Keogh, Peter Band and Anthony Curran. In a statement the club said: “Following our record-break- ing season last year, it was imperative that we acted quickly and decisively in LOCAL CRICKET ROUND-UP THE halfway stage of the Cheshire League season saw new leaders of the Premier Division. Hyde’s 146-run win on a testing surface at Bowdon sent them to the top of the table by a point. For the second time this season, Timperley passed 300 but didn’t win. A fab- ulous 133 from skipper Ed Galley got them to 307 against visitors Alder- ley Edge. All looked lost for Edge with Sam Perry gone for 20 and Arav Shetty for 50, the board showing 105-5. But Pat Ashling hit a magnifi- cent 135 not out in tandem with Gennaro Reddy adding an unbroken 207 runs for the sixth wicket. Reddy hit two fours and a six in the 51st over to seal a brilliant five-wicket win as he finished on 95 not out. Nantwich sealed a fifth win in a row away at Ches- ter BH. Chasing 232, Luke Robinson’s unbeaten 126 off 87 bowls saw the Dabbers home with 10 overs unused. Spencer Byatt (50) helped add 153 for the 4th wicket. Brooklands’ moder- ate-looking 204 proved more than enough to beat Lindow. The hosts were all out for 155 with Todd Walker tak- ing an impressive 6-23. Alex Matthews’ earlier 5-50 for Lindow proved in vain. In Division One Cheadle swapped places again with Bramhall at the top. Chea- dle powering to a 191-run win at Marple after Adam Dooler’s terrific 112 helped his side to 286-7. Marple were bundled out for 95 on a day to forget for them. Bramhall lost a thrill- ing match with Davenham which went down to the very last ball, Will Metcalf run out going for a third which would have tied the scores. Davenham posted 249-9 and in a dramatic start Bramhall lost both openers for ducks. Their recovery, led by skipper Nick Can- tello’s patient 73, saw them needing eight off the last four balls but just coming up short. Struggler Stockport Geor- gians pulled off a surprise win, beating third-place Port Sunlight by 94 runs. A knock of 105 from Khalid Sawas rolled back the years at Macclesfield as they beat Sale by 65 runs. Skipper Jack Massey had a fine game with 72 from the bat and 5-42 with ball. In Division Two, Romi- ley’s Isaac Willett blasted 207, including 14 sixes against NE Cheshire. He and David Badrock (60 not out) added 210 in 31 overs for the third wicket. Jake Reynolds made an eye-catching run-a-ball 83 in reply, but Connor Ber- gin’s 6-37 helped seal a memorable 91 run victory. Bollington’s great form continued, beating fellow high-flyers Christleton by six wickets after bowling them out for 212. Ben Gib- son (68 not out) and Rick Hough (57) were the main architects of the chase. Halfway there and all to play for LOCAL RUGBY ROUND-UP Independent LOCAL SPORT By Rhys Fullerton SANDBACH’S Jimmy Gore was called upon with eight minutes remaining to help steer Cheshire to victory in the Bill Beaumont Senior Men’s County Champion- ship final. Gore picked up his tenth county cap at the home of England Rugby, Allianz StadiumTwickenham. In an enthralling and hard-fought game against Devon, Chesh- ire were the victors, winning 50-38 and securing the Divi- sion 2 Championship. The ever-dependable Gore came on at a pivotal point with six points sepa- rating the two teams. An early Gore contribution saw him carry the ball into contact as Cheshire worked through the phases. Chesh- ire eased to victory in the end and there were jubilant scenes when the final whis- tle blew. Sandbach’s club captain and the winner of the ‘club- man of the year’ award has been involved in four of the five county games in this series. He was also named vice-captain in the match against Durham. Gore led Sandbach to an impressive third place fin- ish this season. He’s been a first team captain for several seasons and was named club captain last July. Sandbach’s ‘Senior Player Most Progress of the Season’ award winner George Cole was a travelling reserve for the final, having played two games for the county during this campaign. Macclesfield RUFC has announced the appointment of Russ Tomlinson as new director of youth rugby. In a statement the club said: “This is an exciting and important step for the club as we continue to invest in the future of our players. “Russ’ role will focus on three key areas: oversee- ing the transition of players from youth to senior rugby, managing the club’s player development pathway, and mentoring and supporting youth coaches across all age groups. “His aim is to ensure consistency and quality in coaching, helping to shape not only skilled players but also confident individuals who are well-prepared for the senior game.” THE King’s School’s young rugby players are set to shadow the Lions on a once in a lifetime tour of Australia and Malaysia. Leaving later this month, 35 students and five staff will embark on the tour. It will be the Macclesfield school’s first trip down under since 2017. The tour, involving two competitive teams and sup- ported by five experienced staff members, will feature 10 fixtures against top- level opposition. It has been carefully timed to coincide with the British and Irish Lions Tour to Aus- tralia, allowing the touring party to attend a Test match in Brisbane. King’s Australian adven- ture begins on the Gold Coast, where the students will embrace surf lessons, water park visits and acclimatise Cheshire triumph in thrilling final In the shadow of the Lions Touring squad: King’s players who are heading down under to the Southern Hemisphere in style. The squad will then travel to Sydney, taking on some of the country’s most prestig- ious rugby schools from the famed GPS circuit, including St. Joseph’s, Gregory Terrace and Nudgee College. The final leg of the tour takes the team to Kuala Lum- pur, Malaysia, where they will face a nationally selected Bar- barians XV. The school’s head of rugby, Giles Hetherington, who is missing the trip to be with his wife as they await their second baby, said: “The King’s School is proud to offer its stu- dents a truly global sporting and cultural experiences, one that will undoubtedly create memories to last a lifetime.” Rooney in as Savage departs All-change after shock departure New boss: John Rooney has taken over as manager (Photo credit: MFC) Exit: Robbie Savage has departed for Forest Green Rovers (Photo credit: MFC) “On and off the pitch, Robbie has led by example – with his passion, desire and work rate not only unpar- alleled, but infectious in its nature. “Robbie has inspired us all to make Macclesfield FC the best it can be, and his role in creating the vibrant and inclusive club that we see before us can never be exaggerated.” It added: “Robbie helped make people believe what is possible and how the ‘impossible’ can be achieved by a ruthless and relentless mindset. This is the overrid- ing legacy that Robbie leaves us with, both collectively and individually.” Three Macclesf ield players have now also departed for Forest Green Rovers, following Savage to Gloucestershire. Laurent Mendy, Neil Kengni, and Tre Pemberton have all completed perma- nent transfers for significant undisclosed fees. They have made a total of 450 appear- ances for the Silkmen. naming our new manage- ment team, and this is one which fills us with excite- ment on so many levels. “In John Rooney, we have someone who is a vibrant advocate of our football phi- losophy and how this should be executed. “He commands respect at every level of the club, and the relationships he has cre- ated here at the Leasing.com Stadium speak for themselves. “ Tactically astute, John possesses all the attributes we need to sus- tain the phenom- enal momentum we currently enjoy. “In addition to this, John’s passion to lead this club was something that is hard to put into words. John recog- nises just how much all of this means to our fans and is absolutely committed to bringing further success to this football club. “Therefore, there can be no doubt that John is fully invested in the club’s journey on an emotional level, and we have every confidence that he will be able to con- tinue our upward trajectory towards the EFL.” Savage leaves the Silkmen after a record-breaking cam- paign, which saw the club collect 109 points and score 109 goals. Commenting on his departure, the club said: “Whereas we cannot hide the fact that this is dis- appointing, Robbie leaves with our very best wishes and eternal gratitude for everything that he has done for our football club over the course of the last five years.