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

Wythenshawe Vets bench during a match
This bench for Wythenshawe Veterans in a six-two victory against their opponents on 19 October (from left to right) - Oumar Niasse, Papiss Cisse, Marcel Edwards, Blake Norton, Maynor Figueroa, Dean Warburton and Emile Heskey

How can you boost a outstanding experienced side that have won back-to-back championships, featuring a league-cup double boasting thirty wins from 32 matches?

Sign a group of former pro players who have competed at the highest level of club football and international soccer as you aim for additional honors.

One Manchester club fields an amateur vets team with 9 ex- Premier League footballers in their active lineup.

222 Top Division Goals, Three Hundred Twenty-Five Global Caps

The team Veterans Over-35s are situated in southern the city and play in the Cheshire Veterans League Top Tier.

Their squad list this campaign features 9 former top-flight players, with a total nearly 1,800 top-flight matches.

The high-profile roster also includes over 220 Premier League scores and over 320 global caps.

They feature Papiss Cisse, who netted 37 goals in 117 appearances for his former club after signing for them for nine million pounds from German league club Freiburg in January 2012.

He had his debut for the team in their most recent home-field match against reigning champions Collegiate Old Boys and scored all six scores in a six-two victory - including a 32-minute first-half hat-trick.

The team for this season also includes former pros such as England 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 top-flight title victors Joleon Lescott and Danny Drinkwater.

Collectively, the former Premier League players have secured fifteen major trophies and moved for total transfer fees of about £123m.

Well-Known Figures and International Players

Stephen Ireland in action
Stephen Ireland won six Republic of Ireland appearances, scoring 4 goals

Stephen Ireland began playing for the team in preseason this summer through close mate and present Wythenshawe teammate Blake Norton, and the ex- Irish midfielder then asked other former professionals, who all compete in a weekly nine-a-side match, to participate.

Former Senegal striker Oumar Niasse, who netted twelve goals in sixty-five top-flight matches for Everton and still goes to their home games, also had his first appearance against the opposition - who are based in Liverpool and use an Everton training kit as their strip.

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

"My friend Stephen Ireland said 'join and have a game, it's enjoyable'," commented Niasse.

"After that he told me we were facing a team from the city and the surprise I had when I noticed them wearing Everton kits - I say this is wrong for me!

"When you still love football and you feel you can still play, anywhere you can play, what are you going to choose?

"The people who come and watch are pleased and to give a moment if they watch us competing 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, Niasse made his first game at defender.

"That's a bit unusual but then, I love running and just go inside - I'm not defending that much," he said.

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

"The movement is what I'm seeking. It's enjoyable."

Maynor Figueroa in action
Former Wigan Athletic defender Maynor Figueroa is turning out for Wythenshawe

Unreal Feeling

In addition to Cisse's six goals on his first game, Ireland has netted eight in three appearances for Wythenshawe, while George Boyd hit five on his debut appearance and Joleon Lescott, a centre-half by trade, notched a triple in one game as a striker.

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

Paul Barrow, thirty-eight, who features on the flank for Collegiate OB, faced former Wigan full-back Figueroa on the weekend - and had to explain his young boy who Heskey was.

He has played at 2 World Cups for his country, in as well as playing in over 200 top-flight games.

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

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

"Even Emile [Heskey] got on and he's has over 60 English appearances.

"Our side held our own for a solid twenty mins but then we had a man sent off and it was tough.

"We literally have not ceased chatting about it - I was calling my mum and brother on the journey home.

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

"Now we are eager for the second fixture."

We Will Still Win the Title'

The manager manages the Collegiate veterans team, who won the Premier Tier title last season, together with his co-manager.

"Our team went 1-0 up and had a

Lori Carey
Lori Carey

A seasoned casino enthusiast with over a decade of experience in online gaming, specializing in slot machine strategies and industry trends.