'This is our Hollywood takeover' - the two Greater Manchester towns who have their football clubs back

There's a Manchester derby of sorts on Saturday, but it will be a world away from the billion pound empires that collide when Manchester City and Manchester United lock horns. The biggest game in Manchester won't be at the Etihad or Old Trafford, but down the road at Boundary Park.

Hardened fans of Oldham and Rochdale ironically refer to this weekend's derby fixture as 'El Crapico', and while they are both desperate for three points to keep their fading play-off hopes alive, this is a clash between two sides who share far more than what divides them. Notably, they have both stared liquidation square in the face and are still trying to recover.

Four divisions below the Premier League, Latics and Dale are chasing a return to the Football League at the earliest opportunity but finding it harder than it looks. Both clubs dropped out of the EFL as a result of very different ownership crises - Oldham almost went out of business in 2022 and are facing a new reality, while Dale are not out of the woods with a rescue package to save the club in the process of going through.

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Oldham were saved by local businessman Frank Rothwell and his family just after dropping out of the Football League for the first time. They bought the club, stadium and surrounding land from controversial Moroccan agent Abdallah Lemsagam, whose disastrous reign saw two relegations, a string of managers and endless players signed who simply weren't good enough.

Wages and tax bills went unpaid, the fanbase revolted, and when Lemsagam opted to sell,