Discover the Weekend League Team Featuring Over 1,800 Top-Flight Appearances
What can you boost a stellar veteran side who have claimed consecutive championships, featuring a league-cup double with thirty victories from 32 matches?
Bring in a group of former pro players who have competed at the top level of club and international soccer as you aim for further honors.
A Greater Manchester club fields an non-professional veterans team with nine former Premier League players in their present squad.
Two Hundred Twenty-Two Top Division Goals, Three Hundred Twenty-Five Global Appearances
Wythenshawe Veterans Over-35s are situated in southern Manchester and compete in the Cheshire Vets League Premier Division.
Their lineup this campaign includes 9 former Premier League players, with a collective over 1,800 Premier League appearances.
The elite roster also boasts 222 top division scores and 325 global caps.
They feature Papiss Cisse, who notched 37 scores in 117 appearances for his former club after joining them for £9m from German league club Freiburg in January 2012.
He had his debut for the team in their most recent home match against reigning champions Collegiate Old Boys and netted all six goals in a six-two victory - featuring a 32-minute opening period triple.
Wythenshawe's roster for this campaign also includes former pros such as England and Anfield forward Emile Heskey, Hull and Burnley midfielder George Boyd, Everton forward Oumar Niasse, Wigan Athletic full-back Maynor Figueroa, City duo Stephen Ireland and Nedum Onuoha and top-flight title victors Joleon Lescott and Danny Drinkwater.
In total, the ex- Premier League players have secured fifteen significant trophies and moved for total transfer sums of approximately £123m.
Household Figures and International Stars
Ireland began turning out for the side in pre-season this season through good friend and current Wythenshawe player Blake Norton, and the former Irish midfielder then invited additional ex-pros, who all compete in a midweek small-sided game, to join in.
Ex- Senegal forward Oumar Niasse, who netted 12 scores in sixty-five top-flight games for Everton and even now goes to their home games, also had his first appearance against Collegiate OB - who are based in the city and use an Everton training kit as their uniform.
"My friend Stephen told me 'come and play, it's a laugh'," commented the striker.
"After that he told me we were facing a team from Liverpool and the shock I had when I noticed them wearing Everton kits - I say this is wrong for me!
"When you still enjoy football and you feel you can still do it, wherever you can kick a ball, what are you going to do?
"Those spectators who turn up and watch are pleased and to give someone's moment if they see us playing there and to ask us queries - it's really about the joy of us having somewhere we can play, with structure of course."
So great is the strength in depth at Wythenshawe, he had his first game at defender.
"It's a little unusual but then, I love running and just go forward - I'm not staying back that much," he said.
"I warn my defender 'I'm not hanging back' and that I'm just going to keep attacking.
"The running is what I'm looking for. It's good fun."
Unreal Experience
Along with Cisse's six goals on debut, Ireland has netted eight in three appearances for the side, while Boyd hit five on his debut match and Joleon Lescott, a defender by trade, notched a hat-trick in one game as a striker.
Wythenshawe are top of the Premier Division with three wins from three and a GD of +19.
One opponent, thirty-eight, who features on the wing for the opposition, faced former Latics defender Figueroa on the weekend - and had to tell his young son who Emile Heskey was.
Figueroa has played at two global tournaments for his country, in addition to featuring in over 200 Premier League matches.
"It was going round like wildfire they had all these ex-Premier League players," remarked Barrow.
"I think I was a little starstruck facing him to be honest.
"Also Heskey got on and he's got 60-odd England caps.
"Our side competed well for a solid 20 mins but then we had a man sent off and it was hard.
"We really have not stopped talking about it - I was calling my mother and brother on the way home.
"They were all friendly, shaking our hands after the game - it was like playing a bunch of normal fellas.
"Now we can't wait for the return fixture."
'We'll Still Take the Title'
Andy Kirby manages the Collegiate vets team, who secured the Premier Division championship last season, together with his co-manager.
"Our team scored one-nil up and had a