Introduce the Weekend League Team With 1,800 Top-Flight Games

What do you boost a stellar experienced team that have secured consecutive titles, featuring a double triumph boasting thirty victories from 32 games?

Sign a raft of former professionals who have played at the highest level of club and international soccer as you target further trophies.

A Greater Manchester team boasts an non-professional veterans squad with 9 ex- Premier League players in their active lineup.

Two Hundred Twenty-Two Premier League Goals, Three Hundred Twenty-Five Global Appearances

Wythenshawe Vets Over 35s are located in south Manchester and compete in the Cheshire Veterans League Premier Tier.

Their squad list this season boasts nine ex- top-flight footballers, with a collective 1,801 elite matches.

The star-studded squad also boasts 222 Premier League goals and 325 global appearances.

They include Papiss Cisse, who scored 37 goals in 117 games for Newcastle United after moving to them for nine million pounds from German league club SC Freiburg in 2012.

He made his debut for Wythenshawe in their last home-field match versus reigning champions their rivals and scored every one of the six scores in a six-two win - including a half-hour opening period triple.

The squad for this season also includes former professionals such as England and Anfield forward Emile Heskey, Hull and Burnley winger George Boyd, Toffees forward Oumar Niasse, Wigan full-back Maynor Figueroa, 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 around £123 million.

Well-Known Figures and International Stars

Stephen Ireland started turning out for the side during pre-season this summer through good mate and current team teammate Blake Norton, and the ex- Irish midfielder then asked additional ex-pros, who all compete in a midweek small-sided match, to join in.

Ex- Senegal striker Niasse, who scored 12 goals in sixty-five Premier League games for the Toffees and still goes to their home games, also had his debut versus the opposition - who are based in Liverpool and use an Everton warm-up gear as their uniform.

"My mate Stephen Ireland told me 'join and have a game, it's good fun'," commented the striker.

"After that he informed me we were playing a side from the city and the surprise I had when I saw them wearing Everton kits - I thought this is strange for me!

"If you still love the game and you know you can still play, wherever you can play, what are you going to do?

"The people who come and see are happy and to make someone's day if they see us competing there and to ask us questions - it's more like the pleasure of us having somewhere we can enjoy football, with organisation of course."

Such is the bench strength at the club, he made his first game at defender.

"It's a bit unusual but then, I enjoy sprinting and just move forward - I'm not staying back that much," he added.

"I tell my defender 'I'm not staying' and that I'm just going to continue attacking.

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

'Surreal Scenario

Along with the forward's six goals on his first game, Ireland has netted eight in 3 appearances for Wythenshawe, while George Boyd scored 5 on his debut match and Joleon Lescott, a centre-half by trade, scored a triple in one game up front.

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

One opponent, thirty-eight, who features on the flank for Collegiate OB, faced former Latics full-back Maynor Figueroa on the weekend - and had to tell his nine-year-old son who Heskey was.

He has appeared at 2 World Cups for his country, in addition to featuring in more than 200 top-flight matches.

"The news was spreading like a rumor they had these former top-flight stars," said the player.

"I felt I was a little awestruck facing him to be honest.

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

"Our side held our own for a solid 20 mins but then we had a player sent off and it was tough.

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

"The opponents were all really nice, shaking our hands after the game - it was like facing a group of normal guys.

"Now we can't wait for the second fixture."

'We'll Still Take the Title'

The manager coaches the Collegiate veterans team, who won the Top Division title the previous campaign, together with Paul Maguire.

"Our team went 1-0 ahead and had a