They are different worlds, but if different worlds rarely collide, they can often overlap, and in ways that give men from the shadows a first-hand view of those who live their lives in the sporting spotlight.
League One Rochdale only have to travel 12 miles to Old Trafford for tonight’s Carabao Cup tie against a rather more famous Greater Manchester club.
Dale have never been in the top two divisions, Manchester United never dropped beneath them. Rochdale’s average attendance is 4,042, United’s 73,587. Near neighbours have only met once, in 1986, but there are common denominators.
“Scott McTominay is one of my best friends, not just in football, but outside it,” said Oliver Rathbone, the Rochdale midfielder. “We played many games and spent a lot of our journey together.”
Their paths diverged then. Rathbone, 22, was released by United in 2016 after eight years on the books and one season with, though not always in, the reserves. He could testify to football’s domino effect.
When Louis van Gaal sent Adnan Januzaj and Memphis Depay down to the reserves to get game time, the regulars became substitutes. Rathbone lost his place on the bench.
He is steeped in Old Trafford tradition, courtesy of Paul McGuinness, son of the club’s former manager Wilf and the long-time coach of the Under-18s. “We used to have a classroom in the afternoon and do history lessons on Man United,” he said. “It was amazing, really.”
Rochdale may not have changed the footballing world, but they know those who did. Rathbone consulted one of the Class of ’92, Nicky Butt, about his eventual exit. He thinks of the time Ryan Giggs passed on advice, or the day Wayne Rooney asked to join him in a shooting drill after training. “Bizarre and natural at the same time,” Rathbone said.
His senior football has all come in Rochdale’s colours. Joining them, he said, is “the best thing I have done in my life.” But he has been a team-mate of Axel Tuanzebe, Andreas Pereira and Marcus Rashford. If he did not expect McTominay’s emergence, Rashford’s progress was no shock.
“I was always playing catch-up and Scotty was the same,” Rathbone said. “He had loads of difficulties with injuries. He had a tough couple of years. Maybe Scotty was surprised he was given the chance when he was but I am not surprised he has taken it so well.
“They won’t admit it but in every [youth] team, they have the ones that they think they could be ‘the one’. I definitely wasn’t one of those players, for a variety of reasons. Marcus wasn’t just the mark in his age [group], he was the mark of the academy.
"I remember signing when I was 11, there was always talk of: ‘Oh, Marcus is a player.’ He's grown into an incredible footballer and an incredible athlete. It is tough with the pressure he has had to handle.”
His manager had his own brush with the stars. Brian Barry-Murphy is a Cork native, hailing from Roy Keane territory. He spent much of his playing career in the shadow of the Manchester giants, playing with Bury and Rochdale. He acted as a mentor to Dale’s youngsters in their second-string side.
Now, with Ole Gunnar Solskjaer considering picking a fit-again Paul Pogba, his charges could emulate him. “I played against Paul once in a Rochdale reserve game,” he said, thinking back to a Manchester Senior Cup tie in 2011. “He is the best player I ever played against. He was on another planet.”
Now comes his players’ once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. “We will never get this chance again,” Barry-Murphy said. “It is everything we want. It is a brilliant day for everybody.”
Stage 5 results
1 Tadej Pogacar (SLO) UAE Team Emirates 3:48:53
2 Alexey Lutsenko (KAZ) Astana Pro Team -
3 Adam Yates (GBR) Mitchelton-Scott -
4 David Gaudu (FRA) Groupama-FDJ 0:00:04
5 Ilnur Zakarin (RUS) CCC Team 0:00:07
General Classification:
1 Adam Yates (GBR) Mitchelton-Scott 20:35:04
2 Tadej Pogacar (SlO) UAE Team Emirates 0:01:01
3 Alexey Lutsenko (KAZ) Astana Pro Team 0:01:33
4 David Gaudu (FRA) Groupama-FDJ 0:01:48
5 Rafał Majka (POL) Bora-Hansgrohe 0:02:11
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Real estate tokenisation project
Dubai launched the pilot phase of its real estate tokenisation project last month.
The initiative focuses on converting real estate assets into digital tokens recorded on blockchain technology and helps in streamlining the process of buying, selling and investing, the Dubai Land Department said.
Dubai’s real estate tokenisation market is projected to reach Dh60 billion ($16.33 billion) by 2033, representing 7 per cent of the emirate’s total property transactions, according to the DLD.
What is a Ponzi scheme?
A fraudulent investment operation where the scammer provides fake reports and generates returns for old investors through money paid by new investors, rather than through ligitimate business activities.
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More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions
Labour dispute
The insured employee may still file an ILOE claim even if a labour dispute is ongoing post termination, but the insurer may suspend or reject payment, until the courts resolve the dispute, especially if the reason for termination is contested. The outcome of the labour court proceedings can directly affect eligibility.
- Abdullah Ishnaneh, Partner, BSA Law
Know your camel milk:
Flavour: Similar to goat’s milk, although less pungent. Vaguely sweet with a subtle, salty aftertaste.
Texture: Smooth and creamy, with a slightly thinner consistency than cow’s milk.
Use it: In your morning coffee, to add flavour to homemade ice cream and milk-heavy desserts, smoothies, spiced camel-milk hot chocolate.
Goes well with: chocolate and caramel, saffron, cardamom and cloves. Also works well with honey and dates.
Infiniti QX80 specs
Engine: twin-turbocharged 3.5-liter V6
Power: 450hp
Torque: 700Nm
Price: From Dh450,000, Autograph model from Dh510,000
Available: Now
The specs
- Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
- Power: 640hp
- Torque: 760nm
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- Price: Not announced yet
How to protect yourself when air quality drops
Install an air filter in your home.
Close your windows and turn on the AC.
Shower or bath after being outside.
Wear a face mask.
Stay indoors when conditions are particularly poor.
If driving, turn your engine off when stationary.
Quick pearls of wisdom
Focus on gratitude: And do so deeply, he says. “Think of one to three things a day that you’re grateful for. It needs to be specific, too, don’t just say ‘air.’ Really think about it. If you’re grateful for, say, what your parents have done for you, that will motivate you to do more for the world.”
Know how to fight: Shetty married his wife, Radhi, three years ago (he met her in a meditation class before he went off and became a monk). He says they’ve had to learn to respect each other’s “fighting styles” – he’s a talk it-out-immediately person, while she needs space to think. “When you’re having an argument, remember, it’s not you against each other. It’s both of you against the problem. When you win, they lose. If you’re on a team you have to win together.”
MATCH INFO
Fixture: Ukraine v Portugal, Monday, 10.45pm (UAE)
TV: BeIN Sports
More Expo 2020 Dubai pavilions:
Anghami
Started: December 2011
Co-founders: Elie Habib, Eddy Maroun
Based: Beirut and Dubai
Sector: Entertainment
Size: 85 employees
Stage: Series C
Investors: MEVP, du, Mobily, MBC, Samena Capital
