Introduce the Weekend Division Squad Featuring 1,800 Top-Flight Games

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

What can you improve a stellar experienced team that have claimed back-to-back titles, featuring a league-cup double with thirty wins from thirty-two matches?

Recruit a collection of ex- professionals who have performed at the highest level of club football and global football as you aim for more trophies.

One Manchester club fields an non-professional veterans team with 9 former Premier League footballers in their active squad.

222 Top Division Scores, Three Hundred Twenty-Five Global Appearances

Wythenshawe Vets Over-35s are based in south Manchester and compete in the Cheshire-based Vets League Top Tier.

The roster this campaign features nine former top-flight footballers, with a combined nearly 1,800 Premier League matches.

This elite roster also boasts over 220 Premier League goals and 325 global caps.

The squad feature one forward, who netted 37 goals in 117 games for Newcastle United after joining them for £9m from German league side SC Freiburg in 2012.

Cisse had his first appearance for the team in their most recent home match versus defending title holders Collegiate Old Boys and scored all six goals in a six-two win - featuring a half-hour opening period triple.

Wythenshawe's squad for this season also features former pros such as England and Anfield striker Emile Heskey, Hull and Burnley FC midfielder George Boyd, Everton 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 ex- top-flight footballers have claimed 15 significant honors and transferred for total transfer sums of around £123 million.

Famous Figures and International Players

Stephen Ireland in action
He earned 6 Republic of Ireland appearances, scoring 4 scores

Stephen Ireland started turning out for the team in pre-season this season through good friend and current team teammate Blake Norton, and the former Irish midfielder then asked additional former professionals, who all play in a weekly nine-a-side match, to join in.

Ex- Senegalese striker Oumar Niasse, who netted 12 goals in 65 top-flight games for the Toffees and even now goes to their home games, also had his debut against Collegiate OB - who are based in Liverpool and use an Blue training kit as their uniform.

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

"A friend Stephen told me 'come and have a game, it's good fun'," commented Niasse.

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

"If you still love football and you feel you can still do it, anywhere you can kick a ball, what are you going to choose?

"Those people who come and see are pleased and to give a moment if they see us playing there and to pose us questions - it's more like the pleasure of us having a place we can play, with organisation of course."

Such is the bench strength at Wythenshawe, he had his debut at full-back.

"That's a little different but then, I enjoy sprinting and just move inside - 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 attacking.

"The running is what I'm after. It's enjoyable."

Maynor Figueroa in action
Former Wigan defender Maynor Figueroa is turning out for the team

'Surreal Experience

In addition to Cisse's 6 scores on his first game, Ireland has netted eight 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 game up front.

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

One opponent, 38, who plays on the flank for Collegiate OB, came up against ex- Wigan full-back Maynor Figueroa on the weekend - and had to tell his nine-year-old boy who Emile Heskey was.

He has played at two World Cups for his country, in addition to featuring in more than 200 Premier League games.

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

"I felt I was a bit starstruck playing against Figueroa to be honest.

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

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

"Our group really have not stopped talking about it - I was phoning my mum and brother on the journey home.

"They were all friendly, shaking our hands after the game - it was like facing a bunch of normal guys.

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

We Will Still Win the Title'

Andy Kirby coaches the Collegiate vets side, who won the Premier Division championship the previous campaign, along with his co-manager.

"We scored 1-0 up and had a

Ellen Fisher
Ellen Fisher

Eleanor Voss is a design journalist and curator based in London, exploring contemporary creativity across Britain.