Introduce the Weekend League Team With Nearly Two Thousand Top-Flight Appearances
What can you boost a stellar experienced team that have claimed back-to-back titles, including a double triumph boasting 30 wins from 32 matches?
Recruit a collection of former professionals who have competed at the elite level of club football and international football as you target further trophies.
One Greater Manchester side has an amateur vets team with nine former top-flight players in their active lineup.
222 Premier League Scores, 325 Global Caps
The team Vets Over-35s are situated in southern Manchester and compete in the Cheshire-based Vets Division Premier Tier.
Their lineup this season includes nine ex- Premier League footballers, with a total nearly 1,800 Premier League matches.
This high-profile roster also contains 222 top division scores and over 320 global caps.
They feature Papiss Cisse, who notched thirty-seven scores in 117 games for his former club after moving to them for nine million pounds from German league side SC Freiburg in 2012.
He made his debut for Wythenshawe in their last home game versus reigning title holders their rivals and netted all six goals in a six-two win - featuring a half-hour opening period triple.
Wythenshawe's roster for this campaign also features ex- professionals such as England and Anfield forward Emile Heskey, Hull City and Burnley FC midfielder George Boyd, Toffees striker Oumar Niasse, Wigan Athletic defender Maynor Figueroa, City duo Stephen Ireland and Nedum Onuoha and top-flight championship winners Joleon Lescott and Danny Drinkwater.
Collectively, the ex- top-flight footballers have secured fifteen major honors and moved for total transfer sums of around £123m.
Household Figures and International Players
Stephen Ireland began turning out for the team in pre-season this summer through close friend and present team teammate Blake Norton, and the former Republic of Ireland midfielder then invited other former professionals, who all play in a midweek nine-a-side match, to participate.
Former Senegal forward Niasse, who netted twelve scores in 65 top-flight games for the Toffees and even now goes to their matches at Goodison Park, also had his first appearance versus the opposition - who are based in Liverpool and use an Blue training kit as their uniform.
"A mate Stephen Ireland told me 'come and have a game, it's enjoyable'," said Niasse.
"After that he informed me we were facing a team from Liverpool and the surprise I had when I noticed them wearing Everton kits - I say this is strange for me!
"If you still enjoy the game and you feel you can still play, anywhere you can play, what are you going to do?
"Those spectators who come and see are pleased and to give someone's moment if they watch us competing there and to ask us queries - it's really about the pleasure of us having somewhere we can enjoy football, 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 enjoy sprinting and just move forward - I'm not staying back that much," he added.
"I tell my defender 'I'm not hanging back' and that I'm just going to continue running.
"The running is what I'm looking for. It's enjoyable."
Unreal Scenario
In addition to the forward's six scores on debut, Stephen Ireland has scored eight in three games for Wythenshawe, while Boyd hit five on his first appearance and Joleon Lescott, a defender by trade, scored a triple in one match up front.
The team are leading of the Premier Tier with three victories from three and a GD of +19.
One opponent, thirty-eight, who plays on the wing for Collegiate OB, came up against former Wigan full-back Figueroa on the weekend - and had to explain his nine-year-old son who Heskey was.
He has played at 2 World Cups for Honduras, in addition to featuring in over 200 Premier League games.
"It was spreading like a rumor they had all these former top-flight players," remarked Barrow.
"I think I was a little awestruck facing Figueroa to be honest.
"Even Heskey got on and he's got over 60 England appearances.
"Our side held our own for a solid 20 mins but then we had a man sent off and it was tough.
"We literally have not stopped talking 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 playing a bunch of regular guys.
"Now we are eager for the second fixture."
'We'll Still Win the League'
The manager manages the Collegiate veterans side, who won the Top Division championship the previous campaign, together with his co-manager.
"Our team scored 1-0 ahead and had a