Introduce the Weekend League Club Featuring 1,800 English Top Division Matches

Wythenshawe Vets bench during a match
The bench for Wythenshawe Vets in a six-two triumph versus their opponents on 19 October (left to right) - one player, Papiss Cisse, a teammate, Blake Norton, Maynor Figueroa, Dean Warburton and Emile Heskey

How do you enhance a stellar experienced squad that have claimed consecutive titles, featuring a double triumph boasting 30 victories from thirty-two games?

Bring in a group of ex- professionals that have played at the top tier of club football and global football as you pursue additional silverware.

A Manchester club fields an non-professional vets squad with nine ex- Premier League players in their active lineup.

Two Hundred Twenty-Two Top Division Scores, 325 International Appearances

Wythenshawe Veterans Over 35s are situated in south Manchester and play in the Cheshire Veterans League Premier Division.

Their lineup this campaign features 9 ex- Premier League footballers, with a combined 1,801 Premier League appearances.

The high-profile squad also includes 222 top division goals and 325 international caps.

They include one forward, who scored 37 scores in 117 games for Newcastle United after joining them for £9m from German league side Freiburg in January 2012.

He had his first appearance for the team in their most recent home-field match versus defending title holders their rivals and netted every one of the six scores in a six-two win - including a 32-minute opening period triple.

The squad for this campaign also includes ex- professionals such as English and Liverpool forward Emile Heskey, Hull and Burnley midfielder George Boyd, Toffees forward Oumar Niasse, Wigan Athletic defender Maynor Figueroa, Manchester City pair Stephen Ireland and Nedum Onuoha and Premier League championship winners Joleon Lescott and Danny Drinkwater.

Together, the former Premier League players have claimed fifteen big trophies and moved for combined transfer fees of about £123m.

Famous Names and Global Players

Stephen Ireland in action
He won 6 Republic of Ireland appearances, netting 4 goals

Ireland started playing for the team during preseason this season through good friend and present Wythenshawe player Blake Norton, and the former Irish player then asked other ex-pros, who all play in a weekly small-sided game, to participate.

Ex- Senegal forward Niasse, who netted twelve scores in sixty-five top-flight matches for Everton and still attends their matches at Goodison Park, also had his first appearance versus the opposition - who are located in the city and wear an Everton training kit as their uniform.

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

"A mate Stephen Ireland said 'come and play, it's enjoyable'," commented the striker.

"Then he informed me we were playing a team from Liverpool and the shock I had when I saw them wearing Blue shirts - I thought this is strange for me!

"When you still love football and you know you can still do it, wherever you can kick a ball, what are you going to do?

"Those fans who turn up and see are happy and to give someone's day if they see us playing there and to pose us questions - it's more like the pleasure of us having somewhere we can play, with organisation of course."

So great is the bench strength at the club, he had his debut at full-back.

"It's a little unusual but then, I love sprinting and just go forward - I'm not defending that much," he said.

"I warn my centre-back 'I'm not hanging back' and that I'm just going to continue running.

"That movement is what I'm looking for. It's enjoyable."

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

'Surreal Feeling

In addition to the forward's 6 scores on debut, Stephen Ireland has netted 8 in 3 games for the side, while Boyd hit 5 on his debut appearance and Lescott, a defender by position, notched a triple in one match up front.

The team are top of the Top Division with three wins from three and a goal difference of plus nineteen.

Paul Barrow, 38, who features on the flank for the opposition, faced ex- Latics full-back Maynor Figueroa on Sunday - and had to tell his nine-year-old son who Heskey was.

He has appeared at two global tournaments for his country, in addition to playing in more than two hundred top-flight matches.

"It was spreading like wildfire they had these ex-Premier League stars," said Barrow.

"I think I was a bit awestruck facing him to be honest.

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

"We held our own for a solid twenty minutes but then we had a player dismissed and it was hard.

"Our group literally haven't ceased talking about it - I was phoning my mother and sibling on the way home.

"They were all dead sound, shaking our hands after the game - it was like playing a bunch of regular guys.

"Now we can't wait for the return fixture."

We Will Still Win the Title'

The manager coaches the opposition veterans side, who secured the Premier Tier title the previous campaign, together with his co-manager.

"We went 1-0 ahead and had a

Cameron Rose
Cameron Rose

Elara is a passionate literary critic and writer with a background in European literature, dedicated to uncovering hidden gems in contemporary fiction.