Of course, we all know the Wythenshawe-born Manchester United and England star has been making a name for himself on the football pitch and scoring impressive goals since he was a teenager, but it has been his ongoing work off the field to end child food poverty, stand up against the government, challenge racism and prejudice, inspire people across the globe, and ultimately give a voice to the voiceless that has seen him really shine since 2020.
It’s what earned him thousands of new fans, countless accolades, and an MBE in the process – and now, it’s also what’s seen him take the reins as the guest-editor and star of the Beano.
The 24-year-old footballer has been immortalised in cartoon form on the front cover of the ever-popular children’s comic, and said he “jumped at the chance” to guest-edit a one-off edition too when it was pitched to him.
Rashford also appears throughout the magazine, and is drawn alongside iconic characters like the Bash Street Kids, Billy Whizz, and Bananaman.
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In his special guest-edited edition of the world’s longest-running comic, Rashford makes sure to urge all his young readers to “embrace their differences”, and celebrate “all the things that make us unique”.
Breaking news! 😱 😁
We are excited to announce @MarcusRashford as guest editor of our special issue in stores next week! ⚽️
He revealed in his editor’s letter that his favourite thing about the Beano is how “brings together all sorts of different children,” adding: “Instead of our differences dividing us, we embrace them here and we find strength in them.
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“Nobody is a success in football without good teammates, and that’s true in life as well.
“Everybody needs to build a team of allies to have fun with and speak up for what’s important. Our voice is strong alone, but when our voices come together, we are powerful. When we fight for things that are important together, we can make progress a lot quicker than by ourselves. Asking for help is no weakness. Asking for help to achieve things quicker is a superpower.
“Finding your voice doesn’t have to be difficult. It can be as simple as having the confidence to stand up for something you believe in, or to champion someone else and their difference.
“Your journey is your strength, and everyone has something valuable to contribute.”
The 24-year-old footballer has been immortalised in cartoon form on the front cover of the children’s comic / Credit: Beano
The special edition of Beano celebrates the launch of Rashford’s new book, You Can Do It: How to Find Your Voice and Make a Difference, which has been co-written with Carl Anka and published by Macmillan Children’s Books.
The special guest editorship is also part of NatWest’s Thrive programme – created in partnership with Rashford and the National Youth Agency – and aims to help six-16 year olds become more financially confident and realise their full potential through a series of interactive group workshops and peer-to-peer sessions.
For each copy of the special edition sold, 20p will be donated to the Marcus Rashford Book Club to help children access books.
Featured Image – Beano
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Sportsbet.io Tour Championship 2026: Manchester welcomes some of snooker’s best
Danny Jones
This Monday marks the start of the World Snooker Tour’s 2026 Sportsbet.io Tour Championship, which is back in Manchester once again– and there are some big names on show.
Returning to our city for a third consecutive time, this year’s Tour Championships began at 1pm, with the likes of world number one Judd Trump playing some of the opening frames against Northern Ireland’s Mark Allen, along with Barry Hawkins taking on 2026 World Open winner, Thepchaiya Un-Nooh.
These are just the first two opening fixtures in what is set to be an eventful week-long tournament that will span a total of 19 matches, concluding in the final on Sunday, 5 April.
Hosted once again over at Manchester Central, this elite field of in-form players is basically only missing Ronnie O’Sullivan, who the aforementioned Thai tour start beat in last week’s final.
Only the top 12 players from this season’s highly competitive rankings earned a place in the draw, so all pretty much all the greats and the next generation are shooting for the title.
Defending champions John Higgins – a four-time world champion – will be breaking off against Mark Williams on Tuesday, 31 March.
Meanwhile, other names on the schedule of play include World Champion Zhao Xintong, Mark Selby (who Higgins beat in Manchester last year), Shaun Murphy, Neil Robertson and Mark Allen.
Put simply, this isn’t just another big sporting event landing in our city centre, but a showcase of some of the very best talent in the discipline.
With tickets starting from just £25, these games are also some of the most affordable premium sports you can enjoy in central Manchester.
Better still, it’s also worth noting that the official Fanzone over in the foyer of the venue is open to all, even without a ticket.
There’s completely free coaching for players of all ages, interactive games, and even the chance to try a proper full-sized professional table – a perfect day out for the Easter school holidays.
The event itself is being aired on Channel 5, but if you’re interested in going along to see the action up close and personal, you can grab your seats right HERE.
Featured Images — Press shot (supplied via Manchester Central)/The Manc Group
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The Oldham Man and The Sea: the documentary about the Latics owner’s record-breaking Atlantic voyage
Danny Jones
It doesn’t matter if you’re not an Athletic fan or native to the borough; we think everyone should go along to watch the much-anticipated documentary about football club owner Frank Rothwell and his record-breaking journey across the Atlantic Ocean: The Oldham Man And The Sea.
One of the simplest and most satisfying names for a film we’ve heard in a long time.
For anyone who doesn’t know about the Oldham Athletic FC chairman turned OBE’s incredible story, Frank Rothwell has set multiple records with his impressive sea-faring feats in recent times.
This new doc, which just premiered at this year’s Manchester Film Festival, charts his latest trip across one of the biggest bodies of water on the planet in March 2024.
As you can see from the recent trailer, it’s almost as arduous a tale as the original Hemingway story.
This movie – produced by Journeyman Pictures and Chief Productions – made its full debut at the Odeon in Great Northern Warehouse for MFF 2026, and is set to have a number of other screenings in and around Greater Manchester in the coming weeks and months.
One of those is happening rather soon, in fact, over at Saddleworth’s Millgate Arts Centre on Saturday, 28 March, which is ideal for those local to the region; grab your tickets now.
ln fact, there’s also one happening even closer to his hometown the following month, with Oldham’s very own Queen Elizabeth Hall also hosting a special screening of Rothwell’s incredible achievement.
You can reserve your seats for that one right HERE.
Having not only become the eldest (70) Talisker Whisky Atlantic Challenge finisher back in 2021, but now holding the Guinness World Record for the oldest person to ever complete the crossing while rowing solo at 73 years old, he’s become nothing short of a local hero – and that’s just his stewardship of the Latics…
The film does, obviously, touch on his time at the helm of the League Two side, who finally returned to the EFL last June, but the heart and soul of this inspiring watch is the sail itself.
More importantly, it also documents not just the gruelling nature of the 64-day, seven-hour and 53-minute trek, but also how Frank has now helped raise more than £1.4 million on behalf of Alzheimer’s Research UK.
What an absolute icon.
Hopefully, this should be just about all the reason you need to watch The Oldham Man And The Sea the very next opportunity you get to do so – and, of course, all proceeds from ticket sales will also be going to charity, because just the kind of bloke he is.
And here’s hoping we get a streaming version sometime soon.
Emily Sergeant -
27th July 2022 
