First Game Is Here

Is the most important game of the season upon the Silkmen?

History has shown that the Silkmen`s seasonal success has been linked to how well we have done on the first day.

The Silkmen have only won their opening fixture on three occasions since entering the Football League. These have been the famed 2-1 win over Torquay thanks to Sodje and Landon in a season which ended with a second place finish, and promotion.

More recently John Parkin (pictured) hit two as the club beat Leyton Orient 3-1, and reached the play-offs.

The only other time was a 1-0 win over Northampton which, whilst only resulting in a 13th place finish, is the Silkmen`s highest final position outside of the two promotion campaigns.

And the trend goes back further. The season the club were promoted into the Football League began with a 2-0 home win over Kettering. The season before began with a 3-2 win over Woking and ended in 4th place and with a Wembley win and before that, Welling were dispatched 3-1 on opening day and the Conference title followed.

But even though you need to go back 15 seasons, to 1993/4, there is still hope of good times after a bad start.

Sammy McIlroy had just arrived at the club and began what would be a glittering career with a 5-1 defeat at Bath City. But the Silkmen still achieved a seventh placed finish and won the League Cup.

And there are some parallels with the Silkmen then and now. Although Keith isn`t quite managing his first game, it`s the beginning of his first full season in charge. Then, like now, the Silkmen had narrowly avoided relegation and had a managerial change.

And how many Macc fans would gladly accept a 5-1 defeat at Shrewsbury on Saturday if you knew it would ensure a play-off place and winning the Johnsons Paints Trophy?

The Football League have hardly helped the Silkmen with this statistical blip, having paired the Silkmen against the pre-season favourites away from home in three consecutive seasons. But at least we know that whilst a win could herald a great season, defeat needn`t be the end of the world.