Discover the Sunday Division Team With Over 1,800 English Top Division Games

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

How do you boost a excellent experienced team that have won consecutive titles, featuring a double triumph with 30 victories from 32 games?

Bring in a group of ex- pro players that have competed at the highest tier of club and global soccer as you aim for more trophies.

A Manchester side boasts an amateur veterans squad with 9 ex- Premier League players in their current roster.

Two Hundred Twenty-Two Top Division Scores, Three Hundred Twenty-Five Global Caps

Wythenshawe Veterans Over 35s are located in south the city and compete in the Cheshire Vets Division Top Tier.

The roster this season features 9 former Premier League footballers, with a total nearly 1,800 Premier League appearances.

This high-profile team also contains over 220 top division goals and over 320 global appearances.

They feature one forward, who netted 37 scores in 117 appearances for Newcastle United after moving to them for nine million pounds from Bundesliga side Freiburg in January 2012.

Cisse made his debut for Wythenshawe in their most recent home-field game against reigning champions Collegiate Old Boys and scored all six scores in a six-two victory - featuring a half-hour first-half hat-trick.

The squad for this season also features ex- professionals such as English and Liverpool forward Emile Heskey, Hull City and Burnley winger George Boyd, Everton striker 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.

Collectively, the ex- top-flight footballers have secured fifteen major honors and transferred for combined transfer fees of approximately £123 million.

Well-Known Figures and Global Players

Stephen Ireland in action
Stephen Ireland won six Republic of Ireland caps, scoring four scores

Stephen Ireland started turning out for the team during preseason this summer through good friend and current Wythenshawe teammate Blake Norton, and the former Irish midfielder then invited other former professionals, who all compete in a midweek small-sided game, to join in.

Former Senegal forward Oumar Niasse, who scored twelve scores in 65 Premier League games for Everton and even now goes to their home games, also made his first appearance against Collegiate OB - who are located in the city and use an Everton training kit as their uniform.

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

"A friend Stephen said 'come and play, it's good fun'," commented Niasse.

"After that he informed me we were playing a side 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 the game and you know you can still do it, wherever you can play, what are you going to choose?

"The people who turn up and watch are happy and to make someone's moment if they watch us competing there and to ask us queries - it's more like the pleasure of us getting a place we can play, with organisation of course."

Such is the strength in depth at Wythenshawe, Niasse had his debut at full-back.

"That's a little different but then, I love sprinting and just go forward - I'm not staying back that much," he added.

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

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

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

Unreal Scenario

Along with Cisse's 6 goals on debut, Stephen Ireland has scored eight in three appearances for the side, while George Boyd scored 5 on his first appearance and Joleon Lescott, a centre-half by position, scored a triple in one game as a striker.

Wythenshawe are top of the Top Division with three victories from three and a goal difference of +19.

Paul Barrow, 38, who plays on the wing for Collegiate OB, came up against ex- Wigan full-back Figueroa on Sunday - and had to tell his young son who Heskey was.

He has appeared at two global tournaments for Honduras, in addition to playing in over 200 top-flight matches.

"It was going round like a rumor they had these former top-flight players," said the player.

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

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

"We competed well for a good 20 mins but then we had a man sent off and it was hard.

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

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

"Now we are eager for the return match."

We Will Still Win the Title'

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

"We went 1-0 ahead and had a

Christopher Marshall
Christopher Marshall

Emma Hartley is a London-based design writer and curator, passionate about exploring the intersection of technology and art.