Discover the Weekend Division Club With Nearly Two Thousand Top-Flight Games

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

What do you enhance a excellent experienced team that have secured back-to-back championships, featuring a double triumph boasting thirty wins from thirty-two games?

Sign a raft of ex- professionals who have played at the elite level of club and international football as you pursue more honors.

A Manchester team has an non-professional veterans team with nine former Premier League footballers in their current lineup.

Two Hundred Twenty-Two Premier League Goals, 325 Global Appearances

Wythenshawe Vets Over-35s are located in southern Manchester and play in the Cheshire-based Vets Division Top Division.

Their squad list this season features nine former top-flight footballers, with a collective over 1,800 elite games.

The star-studded roster also includes 222 top division scores and 325 international caps.

They feature Papiss Cisse, who scored 37 goals in over 100 games for Newcastle United after signing for them for £9m from German league club SC Freiburg in 2012.

He had his first appearance for the team in their most recent home-field match versus defending champions Collegiate Old Boys and scored every one of the six scores in a 6-2 victory - including a 32-minute first-half hat-trick.

Wythenshawe's roster for this campaign also features ex- pros such as England and Anfield forward Emile Heskey, Hull and Burnley winger George Boyd, Toffees forward Oumar Niasse, Wigan full-back Maynor Figueroa, Manchester City duo Stephen Ireland and Nedum Onuoha and top-flight title winners Joleon Lescott and Danny Drinkwater.

In total, the former top-flight players have secured 15 big honors and transferred for total transfer sums of approximately £123 million.

Famous Figures and Global Stars

Stephen Ireland in action
He won six Irish caps, netting 4 goals

Stephen Ireland began playing for the side during pre-season this season through good mate and present team player Blake Norton, and the ex- Republic of Ireland player then asked additional former professionals, who all compete in a midweek nine-a-side game, to participate.

Former Senegalese striker Niasse, who netted twelve goals in sixty-five top-flight games for the Toffees and even now attends their matches at Goodison Park, also had his first appearance against Collegiate OB - who are based in the city and use an Blue training kit as their uniform.

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

"My friend Stephen Ireland told me 'come and have a game, it's good fun'," said Niasse.

"Then he informed me we were facing a team from the city and the surprise I had when I noticed them sporting Everton kits - I thought this is wrong for me!

"When you still love the game and you feel you can still play, anywhere you can kick a ball, what are you going to do?

"The fans who turn up and see are pleased and to make someone's day if they see us playing there and to ask us questions - it's really about the pleasure of us getting a place we can play, with structure of course."

Such is the strength in depth at the club, he made his debut at full-back.

"It's a bit unusual but then, I enjoy sprinting and just move forward - I'm not defending that much," he added.

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

"The 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 Wythenshawe

Unreal Scenario

In addition to the forward's six scores on debut, Ireland has netted 8 in 3 appearances for Wythenshawe, while Boyd scored 5 on his first appearance and Lescott, a defender by trade, scored a triple in one match up front.

Wythenshawe are leading of the Top Tier with 3 wins from 3 and a GD of +19.

One opponent, 38, who plays on the flank for Collegiate OB, faced former Latics defender Maynor Figueroa on Sunday - and had to explain his nine-year-old son who Emile Heskey was.

Figueroa has played at two World Cups for Honduras, in as well as playing in more than 200 top-flight matches.

"The news was spreading like wildfire they had these ex-Premier League stars," remarked Barrow.

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

"Also Heskey got on and he's has over 60 English caps.

"We held our own for a solid 20 minutes but then we had a player sent off and it was tough.

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

"The opponents were all dead sound, shaking our hands after the match - it was like playing a group of normal fellas.

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

We Will Still Take the League'

The manager manages the Collegiate vets team, who won the Top Division title the previous campaign, together with his co-manager.

"Our team went one-nil up and had a

Michael Mccormick
Michael Mccormick

A tech analyst and trend forecaster with over a decade of experience in business innovation and market research.