Discover the Weekend League Club Boasting Nearly Two Thousand Top-Flight Games

Wythenshawe Vets bench during a match
The bench for Wythenshawe Veterans during a 6-2 triumph against Collegiate Old Boys on 19 October (left to right) - one player, another, a teammate, Blake Norton, Maynor Figueroa, Dean Warburton and Emile Heskey

How do you improve a stellar experienced squad who have won consecutive titles, including a double triumph boasting 30 wins from thirty-two games?

Recruit a group of former professionals who have played at the top level of club football and international soccer as you aim for further honors.

A Manchester team boasts an amateur veterans squad with 9 ex- top-flight players in their present squad.

Two Hundred Twenty-Two Premier League Goals, 325 International Caps

Wythenshawe Vets Over 35s are based in southern the city and compete in the Cheshire Veterans League Top Tier.

The lineup this season boasts 9 former Premier League footballers, with a combined over 1,800 elite games.

The star-studded squad also contains over 220 top division goals and 325 international appearances.

The squad feature Papiss Cisse, who scored thirty-seven goals in 117 appearances for Newcastle United after joining them for £9m from Bundesliga club SC Freiburg in 2012.

He made his first appearance for Wythenshawe in their last home match versus defending title holders Collegiate Old Boys and scored every one of the six scores in a six-two win - including a half-hour first-half triple.

Wythenshawe's team for this campaign also includes former professionals such as England and Liverpool forward Emile Heskey, Hull City and Burnley FC winger George Boyd, Everton striker Oumar Niasse, Wigan Athletic full-back Maynor Figueroa, City duo Stephen Ireland and Nedum Onuoha and Premier League title winners Joleon Lescott and Danny Drinkwater.

In total, the ex- top-flight footballers have claimed 15 major honors and transferred for total transfer fees of approximately £123m.

Household Names and International Stars

Stephen Ireland in action
He earned 6 Republic of Ireland caps, netting four scores

Ireland started turning out for the team during pre-season this summer through close friend and current Wythenshawe teammate Blake Norton, and the former Republic of Ireland player then invited additional ex-pros, who all play in a weekly small-sided game, to participate.

Former Senegalese forward Niasse, who scored 12 goals in sixty-five Premier League matches for the Toffees and still goes to their home games, also had his debut versus the opposition - who are located in Liverpool and wear an Everton warm-up gear as their strip.

Oumar Niasse playing for Everton
He played for the club from 2016 and 2020

"My mate Stephen said 'come and play, it's a laugh'," said Niasse.

"After that he told me we were facing a side from the city and the shock I had when I saw them sporting Blue shirts - I say this is strange for me!

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

"Those people who turn up and see are happy and to make a moment if they see us playing there and to ask us queries - it's more like the pleasure of us having somewhere we can enjoy football, with organisation of course."

Such is the strength in depth at Wythenshawe, Niasse had his debut at defender.

"It's a little unusual but then, I enjoy running and just go forward - I'm not staying back that much," he added.

"I tell my centre-back 'I'm not hanging back' and that I'm just going to keep attacking.

"The running is what I'm looking for. It's good fun."

Maynor Figueroa in action
Ex- Wigan full-back Maynor Figueroa is turning out for Wythenshawe

'Surreal Experience

In addition to Cisse's 6 scores on debut, Stephen Ireland has netted 8 in three games for the side, while Boyd hit five on his first appearance and Lescott, a centre-half by trade, notched a hat-trick in one match up front.

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

Paul Barrow, thirty-eight, who features on the flank for the opposition, came up against ex- Latics full-back Maynor Figueroa on Sunday - and had to explain his young son who Heskey was.

He has played at 2 global tournaments for Honduras, in addition to featuring in over two hundred Premier League matches.

"The news was spreading like wildfire they had all these former top-flight stars," remarked Barrow.

"I think I was a little starstruck playing against Figueroa to be honest.

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

"We competed well for a solid 20 mins but then we had a man dismissed and it was hard.

"We literally have not stopped chatting about it - I was phoning my mum and sibling on the way home.

"They were all friendly, shaking our hands after the match - it was like facing a group of regular fellas.

"Now we are eager for the return fixture."

We Will Still Take the Title'

Andy Kirby coaches the Collegiate veterans side, who won the Top Tier title last season, along with his co-manager.

"Our team scored 1-0 ahead and had a

Crystal Lewis
Crystal Lewis

A cybersecurity analyst with over a decade of experience in threat detection and digital forensics, passionate about educating users on privacy best practices.