Greater Manchester’s Sunday League team Wythenshawe Betts has made headlines thanks to a star-studded squad that includes 10 former Premier League players.
They say they’ll never lose it – and that’s exactly what the Wythenshawe veterans are expecting from a star-studded over-35 squad full of Premier League cult heroes.
You may have seen former Newcastle striker Papis Cissé on social media as he scored eight goals in Sunday’s 13-0 win over South Liverpool. The match was played in modest surroundings at Hollyhedge Park in Wythenshawe, Greater Manchester.
It’s a far cry from the arena that the 10 former Premier League players in the book once played in, but they love it just the same. Not only did the veteran boast 1,867 Premier League appearances, 389 international caps and 15 major honours, but he also featured a number of flash cars on match days.
Stephen Ireland, Emile Heskey, Maynor Figueroa, Joleon Lescott, Oumar Niasse, Nedum Onuoha, George Boyd, Danny Drinkwater and Jefferson Montero joined Cisse in the Cheshire Bet League Premier Division. The players are paid £15 a month as subs and former Leicester and Chelsea midfielder Drinkwater believes it is “just as fun as playing in the Premier League”.
“It’s great to warm up for 10 minutes, have a good laugh and then have a pint,” he added. “In professional soccer, the values are obviously different, but you can enjoy it in the same way.
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“It’s like estate football. It’s something I enjoyed when I was a kid. There’s a lot of banter. I was giggling on the pitch today.”
The team was formed after former Manchester City midfielder Ireland, who is a close friend of Wythenshawe player Blake Norton, was keen to play Sunday’s match. Ireland played a “low-key” seven-a-side match on Tuesday night with fellow ex-pros.
“I got off during preseason because I love playing football,” he explained. “I love the fitness side of it. I’ve invited other people, and slowly but surely everyone wants to play. It’s competitive and it’s getting stronger and stronger.”
“We didn’t want 15 of us ex-pros to come in and take over. We want to integrate well with the veteran players. It’s also a good humbling experience to interact with the fans. It’s nice to be able to give back and the club has been very good to me. We’re all local too.”
And now, an even bigger superstar may be joining them.
According to the Mail, none other than Wayne Rooney is interested in taking part. The former England captain and Manchester United legend currently fills his diary with media appearances, but he also frequently appears in charity games such as Soccer Aid.
“Imagine, that would be unrealistic. It wouldn’t be bad if Rooney was in the number 10 spot,” Drinkwater quipped.
He said Ireland was enthusiastic about the deal and said:
“We want to make sure we don’t have too many people, but we want it to be an event with a good combination of seasoned veterans and maybe four or five pros every time. But it’s a lot of fun, even as an incentive to prepare during the week. That’s what it is now.”
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The club also has a history with Manchester United, so there is a bit of bad blood. In 1956 Wythenshawe AFC drew 1-1 with United in the Whittaker Cup final against Sir Bobby Charlton’s team.
The match ended after extra time and the cup was shared, with both clubs “agreing” to each hold the cup for six months. However, Wythenshawe sources say United did not support ending his contract and continued to keep him on a year-long deal.
It has also been reported that UFC icon Conor McGregor is looking to stage a fight with Wythenshawe in Dublin next month. Could crowds of hundreds turn into thousands in a day?
Chairman Karl Barratt said: “At the end of the day we are a community owned club and this highlights what we do locally.” “Stevie Ireland’s work was great because he and Kieran[Meglan, manager]got people involved.
“Wythenshawe is not the most affluent area, but we hope this can help us get more players, generate more money and create a feel-good factor around this place… You can feel it.”
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