Andy McCann has just gotten back to his regular duties. By day he serves as an assistant headteacher at Great Sankey High School in Warrington, and with the summer break finally over the new school term is in full swing. Yet, in just a few days he will be stepping away from the classroom for an eight‑day spell to take on a very different role – that of England manager, albeit in a modest, amateur setting. McCann also wears another hat: he is the manager of the Cheshire League representative side, a squad assembled from the standout players of the Cheshire League Premier Division.
This team clinched the FA Inter‑League Cup by defeating the Herts Senior County League at Leicester’s King Power Stadium on May 9. That victory earned them the right to represent England at the UEFA Regions Cup, an amateur competition that pits regional selections from across Europe against each other. The Regions Cup was launched in 1996 and, aside from a Covid‑induced hiatus in 2021, has been staged every two years since 1999.
Nations either qualify directly or receive nominations, after which the teams are divided into eight groups for an intermediate round. Group winners advance to a final tournament. Historically, Spain have been the most successful with four titles, followed by Italy (three), Poland (two) and a handful of one‑off winners such as the Republic of Ireland, Portugal, Croatia and the Czech Republic.
On Sunday, 6 September, McCann and his squad will fly to Sweden for three matches, hoping to become the first English side ever to reach the Regions Cup finals. "During the Inter‑League Cup, the chairman Rob Goodwin‑Davey – who is also the Mr Cheshire League – kept mentioning the possibility of us representing England, but I was solely focused on winning the cup," McCann told Sky Sports. "When we finally lifted the trophy, the lads in the pub started joking, ‘Now you’re England manager after the World Cup!’" He admits the comparison to a full‑time national team is tongue‑in‑cheek, but adds, "It feels like being an international manager, just on a much smaller scale. It’s a real honour to wear the England badge, even if it’s for a week and at the D‑team level." The team’s kit will be identical to the one seen on the world stage – full tracksuits, training shirts, shorts and socks all bearing the iconic three‑lion emblem.
"Seeing the players put on that shirt for a competitive game is massive for many of them," McCann says. Unlike professional squads, every player on the Cheshire League side balances football with a day job.
The roster includes names such as AJ Atherton, George Anthony, Callum Burgess, Matt Dixon, Niall Dolan, Amir Hajri, Harry Johnston, Tim Kinsella, Harrison Mather, Liam McDowell, Rob Payne, Rhys Peers, Ben Powell, Matt Saunders, Bailey Sherlock, Lee Simmons, Walker Stone and Arron Woodward. Captain Tim Kinsella works as an electrician, while vice‑captain Liam McDowell is a quantity surveyor.
Two members are qualified PE teachers, and several others are pursuing PGCEs to become teachers themselves. Because the players are amateurs, many will be taking unpaid or standard holiday leave to join the trip. "No one has had travel issues so far, though it was a concern initially," McCann notes.
He promised the squad that if they won the Inter‑League Cup, they would be the ones he would take to Sweden, and he has kept that promise. The only absentee is Juliano Rosa Silva, who played every minute of the cup run but is now sidelined with injury and understandably disappointed.
Scouting opponents at this level is a challenge. "We have an FA‑registered coach whose main job is to observe the other teams. For the first match he’ll be watching the two remaining opponents, and after that we’ll have more intelligence for the second and third games," McCann explains. Their strategy will build on the strengths that carried them to King Power – a blend of technical ability, power and pace.
In Sweden they will face representative sides from Finland (Jarvenpää United), Portugal (Algarve) and Sweden (Gothenburg). Of the 34 teams in the tournament, Finland sit 11th, Portugal 7th, Sweden 30th, while the Cheshire League is seeded 17th. Preparation has been as professional as possible for an amateur outfit. "We have the entire eight‑day schedule mapped out to the hour – rest, recovery, meals, training aligned with match times.
If you’re going to do it, you do it properly," McCann asserts. He also invited three members of the Mid‑Cheshire team that won the Inter‑League Cup in 2004 to give a talk after the final training session, incorporating their insights into the current squad’s plan. The aim is not merely to enjoy the novelty of being "England" for a week; the primary goal is to win all three group matches and secure a place in the finals. McCann also sees the venture as a chance to raise the profile of grassroots football and inspire the next generation of players.
"We’re not just going to have a holiday – we want to win and show what amateur football can achieve," he says. When the Swedish adventure concludes, McCann will be back at the school before dawn, ready to teach and guide his pupils – perhaps now with a new title of "England hero" attached to his name, even if only in a modest, amateur sense.