Discover the Sunday Division Club Boasting Nearly Two Thousand English Top Division Appearances
How do you improve a outstanding veteran side that have secured back-to-back championships, featuring a double triumph boasting 30 wins from 32 games?
Recruit a group of former pro players that have competed at the elite level of club football and international soccer as you target additional silverware.
A Manchester side has an amateur vets team with nine ex- top-flight footballers in their active lineup.
222 Premier League Goals, 325 International Caps
Wythenshawe Vets Over 35s are located in south Manchester and play in the Cheshire-based Vets League Premier Division.
The roster this season boasts nine former top-flight players, with a collective over 1,800 elite games.
This high-profile squad also boasts over 220 top division goals and 325 international caps.
They feature Papiss Cisse, who netted thirty-seven goals in 117 games for Newcastle United after signing for them for nine million pounds from German league side SC Freiburg in 2012.
He had his debut for Wythenshawe in their most recent home game versus reigning title holders their rivals and netted every one of the six goals in a six-two victory - including a half-hour opening period hat-trick.
Wythenshawe's team for this season also features ex- professionals such as England and Anfield striker Emile Heskey, Hull City and Burnley FC winger George Boyd, Everton forward Oumar Niasse, Wigan Athletic full-back Maynor Figueroa, City duo Stephen Ireland and Nedum Onuoha and Premier League championship victors Joleon Lescott and Danny Drinkwater.
In total, the former top-flight footballers have won fifteen big trophies and moved for combined transfer fees of around £123m.
Household Figures and International Stars
Ireland began playing for the side during preseason this season through close mate and present Wythenshawe player Blake Norton, and the former Republic of Ireland player then invited additional former professionals, who all compete in a midweek small-sided match, to participate.
Ex- Senegalese forward Oumar Niasse, who scored 12 scores in 65 Premier League matches for Everton and even now goes to their home games, also had his debut against Collegiate OB - who are located in Liverpool and use an Everton warm-up gear as their uniform.
"My mate Stephen Ireland told me 'come and play, it's enjoyable'," said Niasse.
"After that he told me we were playing a team from the city and the surprise I had when I saw them wearing Blue shirts - I thought this is wrong for me!
"When you still enjoy football and you know you can still play, anywhere you can kick a ball, what are you going to choose?
"Those people who turn up and see are happy and to give a moment if they see us competing there and to ask us questions - it's really about the joy of us having a place we can enjoy football, with organisation of course."
Such is the squad depth at the club, he had his debut at defender.
"It's a little unusual but then, I enjoy running and just go inside - I'm not staying back that much," he added.
"I warn my defender 'I'm not hanging back' and that I'm just going to keep running.
"That running is what I'm looking for. It's good fun."
Dreamlike' Scenario
Along with the forward's six scores on debut, Stephen Ireland has scored eight in three appearances for the side, while Boyd hit 5 on his debut match and Lescott, a defender by position, scored a hat-trick in one game up front.
Wythenshawe are leading of the Premier Division with 3 victories from 3 and a goal difference of plus nineteen.
One opponent, 38, who plays on the flank for Collegiate OB, came up against former Wigan defender Figueroa on Sunday - and had to tell his nine-year-old boy who Heskey was.
Figueroa has appeared at two global tournaments for Honduras, in as well as featuring in over 200 top-flight matches.
"The news was going round like wildfire they had all these ex-Premier League stars," remarked the player.
"I felt I was a little starstruck facing him to be honest.
"Also Heskey came on and he's got over 60 English caps.
"We competed well for a good twenty mins but then we had a man dismissed and it was hard.
"Our group literally have not stopped talking about it - I was calling my mum and brother on the journey home.
"The opponents were all really nice, shaking our hands after the game - it was like facing a group of regular guys.
"Now we can't wait for the return match."
'We'll Still Win the League'
The manager coaches the opposition vets side, who won the Top Tier title last season, along with his co-manager.
"We went one-nil ahead and had a