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

Wythenshawe Vets bench during a match
The bench for the team Vets in a 6-2 triumph against their opponents on October 19th (from left to right) - Oumar Niasse, another, a teammate, Blake Norton, Maynor Figueroa, Dean Warburton and Emile Heskey

What can you enhance a outstanding veteran team that have secured consecutive titles, including a league-cup double with 30 victories from thirty-two games?

Bring in a group of ex- professionals that have performed at the top tier of club and international soccer as you pursue further silverware.

One Greater Manchester team boasts an non-professional vets squad with 9 former top-flight players in their current roster.

222 Top Division Goals, 325 Global Appearances

The team Veterans Over-35s are located in south Manchester and compete in the Cheshire-based Veterans Division Top Division.

The roster this season features nine ex- top-flight footballers, with a total over 1,800 top-flight matches.

The star-studded squad also boasts over 220 Premier League scores and over 320 international caps.

The squad include one forward, who scored 37 scores in over 100 games for his former club after signing for them for £9m from German league club SC Freiburg in 2012.

Cisse had his debut for the team in their last home game against reigning champions Collegiate Old Boys and scored every one of the six scores in a 6-2 win - featuring a half-hour opening period hat-trick.

The roster for this campaign also includes former pros such as English and Anfield striker Emile Heskey, Hull and Burnley FC midfielder George Boyd, Everton forward Oumar Niasse, Wigan Athletic defender Maynor Figueroa, Manchester City duo Stephen Ireland and Nedum Onuoha and Premier League championship victors Joleon Lescott and Danny Drinkwater.

Collectively, the former top-flight footballers have secured 15 significant trophies and transferred for combined transfer fees of approximately £123 million.

Famous Figures and International Players

Stephen Ireland in action
He earned 6 Irish appearances, scoring 4 goals

Stephen Ireland began playing for the side during preseason this season through good friend and present team teammate Blake Norton, and the ex- Republic of Ireland player then asked other former professionals, who all compete in a midweek nine-a-side match, to join in.

Former Senegal striker Oumar Niasse, who scored 12 scores in sixty-five top-flight matches for the Toffees and even now attends their matches at Goodison Park, also made his first appearance versus the opposition - who are located in Liverpool and use an Everton training kit as their uniform.

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

"A friend Stephen told me 'join and have a game, it's enjoyable'," said the striker.

"After that he informed me we were facing a team from the city and the shock I had when I saw them sporting Everton kits - I say this is strange for me!

"When you still enjoy the game and you know you can still do it, wherever you can play, what are you going to do?

"The people who come and watch are pleased and to give a day if they see us competing there and to pose us queries - it's really about the pleasure of us getting a place we can play, with organisation of course."

Such is the squad depth at Wythenshawe, he made his debut at defender.

"It's a bit unusual but then, I love running and just go forward - I'm not defending that much," he added.

"I tell my defender 'I'm not hanging back' and that I'm just going to keep running.

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

Maynor Figueroa in action
Former Wigan defender Maynor Figueroa is playing for Wythenshawe

Unreal Feeling

Along with Cisse's six scores on debut, Ireland has netted eight in three appearances for the side, while George Boyd scored five on his debut appearance and Lescott, a centre-half by position, scored a triple in one game up front.

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

One opponent, 38, who features on the flank for the opposition, came up against ex- Wigan full-back Figueroa on Sunday - and had to tell his young son who Emile Heskey was.

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

"It was spreading like wildfire they had all these ex-Premier League players," remarked Barrow.

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

"Even Heskey came on and he's got 60-odd English caps.

"Our side held our own for a good 20 minutes but then we had a man sent off and it was tough.

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

"They were all dead sound, shaking our hands after the match - it was like facing a group of regular 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 Premier Division title the previous campaign, together with his co-manager.

"We scored 1-0 up and had a

Franklin Stewart
Franklin Stewart

A UK-based analyst and writer with over a decade of experience covering British economic trends and cultural developments.