Discover the Weekend League Club Boasting Over 1,800 English Top Division Games

Wythenshawe Vets bench during a match
This bench for Wythenshawe Vets in a six-two triumph versus their opponents on October 19th (from left to right) - one player, another, Marcel Edwards, Blake Norton, Maynor Figueroa, Dean Warburton and Emile Heskey

What do you enhance a outstanding experienced squad who have won consecutive championships, including a double triumph boasting 30 wins from 32 games?

Bring in a collection of former professionals that have competed at the top tier of club football and global soccer as you pursue further silverware.

One Manchester club boasts an amateur veterans squad with nine former top-flight footballers in their present lineup.

222 Premier League Scores, 325 International Caps

The team Veterans Over 35s are situated in south the city and compete in the Cheshire-based Vets Division Premier Tier.

Their roster this campaign boasts 9 ex- Premier League footballers, with a combined nearly 1,800 Premier League appearances.

The star-studded team also boasts 222 Premier League goals and over 320 international caps.

The squad feature one forward, who notched 37 goals in over 100 games for Newcastle United after joining them for £9m from Bundesliga club SC Freiburg in 2012.

Cisse had his first appearance for Wythenshawe in their most recent home match against defending champions their rivals and scored every one of the six scores in a six-two win - featuring a 32-minute opening period triple.

The team for this campaign also features former pros such as English and Anfield striker Emile Heskey, Hull and Burnley FC winger George Boyd, Toffees forward Oumar Niasse, Wigan defender Maynor Figueroa, Manchester City pair Stephen Ireland and Nedum Onuoha and top-flight championship victors Joleon Lescott and Danny Drinkwater.

Together, the former Premier League players have claimed fifteen significant trophies and transferred for total transfer sums of around £123m.

Famous Figures and Global Players

Stephen Ireland in action
Stephen Ireland earned 6 Irish caps, scoring 4 goals

Ireland began turning out for the side in pre-season this summer through good friend and current Wythenshawe player Blake Norton, and the former Republic of Ireland player then invited other former professionals, who all compete in a weekly small-sided game, to join in.

Ex- Senegalese forward Niasse, who scored 12 goals in sixty-five Premier League matches for Everton and even now attends their matches at Goodison Park, also made his debut against the opposition - who are based in the city and use an Blue warm-up gear as their strip.

Oumar Niasse playing for Everton
Oumar Niasse featured for Everton between 2016 and 2020

"A mate Stephen told me 'come and have a game, it's a laugh'," said the striker.

"Then he told me we were playing a side from Liverpool and the surprise I had when I saw them sporting Blue shirts - I say this is wrong for me!

"When you still enjoy football and you feel you can still do it, anywhere you can play, what are you going to do?

"The spectators who come and see are happy and to make someone's day if they watch us playing there and to pose us queries - it's more like the pleasure of us having somewhere we can play, with structure of course."

Such is the strength in depth at Wythenshawe, he had his first game at defender.

"It's a little different but then, I love running and just move inside - I'm not defending that much," he said.

"I warn my defender 'I'm not hanging back' and that I'm just going to keep running.

"That running is what I'm after. It's good fun."

Maynor Figueroa in action
Former Wigan full-back Maynor Figueroa is turning out for the team

Unreal Feeling

Along with the forward's 6 goals on his first game, Stephen Ireland has scored eight in 3 games for the side, while George Boyd hit 5 on his first appearance and Lescott, a centre-half by trade, notched a triple in one game up front.

The team are top of the Top Division with three victories from 3 and a GD of plus nineteen.

One opponent, thirty-eight, who plays on the flank for the opposition, faced former Wigan full-back Figueroa on Sunday - and had to tell his young son who Emile Heskey was.

He has appeared at two World Cups for Honduras, in as well as featuring in over 200 Premier League games.

"It was spreading like wildfire they had all these former top-flight players," said Barrow.

"I felt I was a little awestruck playing against him to be honest.

"Even Emile [Heskey] got on and he's has 60-odd England caps.

"We held our own for a good twenty mins but then we had a man sent off and it was hard.

"We really haven't ceased chatting about it - I was phoning my mother and sibling on the journey home.

"They were all really nice, shaking our hands after the match - it was like playing a bunch of normal fellas.

"Now we are eager for the return match."

'We'll Still Take the League'

Andy Kirby coaches the Collegiate veterans team, who secured the Top Tier championship last season, along with Paul Maguire.

"We went 1-0 up and had a

Jennifer Brown
Jennifer Brown

Berlin-based event curator and nightlife journalist with a passion for urban culture and entertainment trends.