It is not often that a World Cup final comes around and a team playing in the North West Counties First Division South has a direct interest. Abbey Hey, based in Gorton in south east Manchester and not far at all from the Etihad Stadium, are awaiting the return of their two highest-profile players Rafael and Agustin Alvarez from international duty. Their younger brother Julian’s international duty, to be precise.
Just as Julian Alvarez’s family followed him to Manchester, they followed him to Qatar, and that meant the budding careers of his brothers in English football’s tenth tier had to be put on hold for however long Argentina remained at the tournament. At least Rafael and Agustin - or ‘Punchi’ and ‘Turron’, as they are known among the Alvarez family - have not missed much.
