Carlisle will have to overturn an unwanted piece of history this weekend when they make their first visit to Macclesfield for more than 12 years.

It will be the Blues’ ninth trip to Moss Rose - and none of the previous eight have brought victory.

Even in the 2005/6 title-winning season they were subjected to a 3-0 defeat by the Cheshire outfit, followed by a 3-2 reverse in the Football League Trophy northern final, albeit Paul Simpson’s team held on to reach the final on away goals.

Their run of ill fortune began with a humiliating 4-2 FA Cup defeat in 1987. By 2001, the Silkmen had been a Football League outfit for four years, a spell which had seen plenty of upheaval at Brunton Park.

That summer had seen what was by now predictable turmoil. Ian Atkins, who had kept them up on a shoestring, left for Cardiff and the Michael Knighton reign was well and truly into its crisis period.

The controversial owner was also banned from being a company director following an investigation into his handling of financial affairs at a private school, while a growing fan movement against him was the backdrop to the appointment of a new manager.

That man was Roddy Collins, previously of Bohemians. He made some new additions to the squad, notably Peter Murphy who made his debut as sub in an opening-day defeat to Luton, but it remained a troubled time. Carlisle scored once in their first four league games and had won just three in 16 by the time they ventured to Macclesfield in November.

Collins was bullish despite the underwhelming start. Booed off during a goalless draw with Halifax, the Irish boss said he had got a “buzz” from the jeering, because he felt it reflected higher expectations. “Carlisle has the potential to be a really big club and I am the one to take it there,” he wrote. “Then I can say to all the doubters, ‘look at what I have done’.”

One plus in this aim was the form of a promising attacking addition. Shelbourne’s Richie Foran arrived with a hot-headed reputation but started brightly, five goals in his first 10 games sparking rumours of bigger club interest.

Against Macclesfield, the 21-year-old again proved the best of what United had. The Cumbrians started on top but without cutting edge. Peter Keen, in goal, kept them level with some excellent saves, and it required winger Brendan McGill, the winger on loan from Sunderland, to inject some more urgent forward play. In the 43rd minute his cross was met by midfielder Steve Soley, another bright light in gloomy times. His header hit the post, Foran reacted first, and hammered it home.

That appeared to deflate Kevin Keen’s Macclesfield and, even when United lost Soley to injury, they seemed set to capitalise. Dave Morley, Soley’s replacement, led a couple more attacks while Steve Skinner, another sub, was in the thick of further pressure.

Neither, though, could make good positions count and the game turned when Damien Whitehead came off the home bench, allowing forward Kyle Lightbourne to move to the left wing.

That proved the decisive move, for Lightbourne got into his stride with a string of dangerous crosses – and then, when Blues defender Mark Winstanley misjudged a corner from player-boss Kevin Keen in the 76th minute, Bermudan Lightbourne converted a free header at the near post to snatch a 1-1 draw.

Though fourth-bottom Carlisle could accept a point against a side also at the wrong end of the table, that was not the end of the drama. Collins, after the game, accused ref Mark Cooper of “racism” for allegedly calling Foran “an Irish so-and-so”.

Things then got even more surreal. Taking his squad to Dublin, Collins treated Carlisle to a bizarre guest appearance by footballer-turned-Hollywood hard man Vinnie Jones, who played 45 minutes in a 4-2 defeat to Shelbourne - while the season that continued was rarely dull.

A cluster of wins in January and February – including a 6-1 demolition of Leyton Orient – saw them improve their position, and safety was assured with a 2-2 draw at Halifax, 13-goal Foran scoring at the death with six games still to go – an uncommon state of late-season comfort for the 17th-placed Blues.

Not entirely, though. Collins was abruptly sacked before the end of the campaign, having made comments about a potential takeover by his countryman John Courtenay that irked Knighton.

A couple more tortuous months, though, and Courtenay was finally in control. Knighton’s decade-long era was over, and Collins was back in charge, a fresh period of chaos about to begin.

United: P Keen, Birch, Murphy (Jack), S Whitehead, Rogers, Winstanley, Soley (Morley), Hopper, Halliday (Skinner), McGill, Foran. Not used: Weaver, Andrews.

Macclesfield: Wilson, Abbey, Adams, Tinson, Ridler, Bullock (D Whitehead), K Keen, Priest, Byrne, Glover, Lightbourne. Not used: Martin, O’Neill, Lambert, Eyre.

Crowd: 2,432.