Andy McCann has only just gotten back to his regular duties, but a very unusual adventure is about to pull him away from the classroom for a full eight days. By day, McCann is an assistant headteacher at Great Sankey High School in Warrington, guiding pupils through the new school year after the summer break.
By evening, however, he also wears the hat of manager for the Cheshire League representative side – a squad assembled from the finest players in the Cheshire League Premier Division. That dual role has taken on a whole new dimension after his team triumphed in the FA Inter‑League Cup, beating the Herts Senior County League at Leicester’s King Power Stadium on 9 May. The victory not only secured the trophy but also handed the Cheshire League 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, founded in 1996 and staged biennially since 1999 (with the 2021 edition cancelled because of the pandemic), is the pinnacle tournament for non‑professional representative teams. Nations either qualify directly or receive a nomination, after which the field is split into eight groups for an intermediate round. The eight group winners then advance to the final tournament. Historically, Spain have dominated with four titles, Italy three, Poland two, and a handful of other countries – the Republic of Ireland, Portugal, Croatia and the Czech Republic – have each lifted the cup once.
Now, on Sunday 6 September, McCann and his squad will board a flight to Sweden for a three‑match mini‑tournament that could see them become the first English side ever to reach the Regions Cup finals. "During the Inter‑League Cup, the chairman Rob Goodwin‑Davey – who is essentially the chairman of the Cheshire League – kept telling me there was a chance we could go on to represent England, but I wasn’t thinking about that at the time. I was solely focused on winning the cup," McCann told Sky Sports.
"As a management team we met a few times to iron out tactics, set‑pieces and final details, and that’s when the magnitude of the opportunity started to sink in. "After we won, people in the pub were joking, ‘When the World Cup is over, you’ll be England manager!’" he added with a grin.
"I don’t want to compare it too much with the professional game, but the role does feel a bit like being an international manager – just at a much lower level. It will hit me fully when we board the plane, but it’s a genuine honour to be England manager for a week, whatever the level. We’ve decided we’re the England D team, and we’ll wear that badge proudly." The experience is not just a matter of title.
When the team arrives at the airport in Sweden, they will be handed full England kits – the same tracksuits, training shirts, shorts and socks that the senior national side wore at the World Cup. For many of the players, the chance to pull on that iconic strip in a competitive match is a dream come true. What sets the Cheshire League side apart from the professional national teams is that every player is an amateur with a day‑job. The squad 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 physical‑education teachers, and several others are studying postgraduate certificates in education to become teachers themselves. "Some lads are taking unpaid leave, but most are using normal holiday entitlement and treating it as a chance to have eight days off and enjoy the experience," McCann explained. "We haven’t had any travel issues, though it was a concern initially.
In preparation for the final, I promised the squad that if we won the Inter‑League Cup, they would be the team I’d take to Sweden. I kept that promise, and the only absentee is Juliano Rosa Silva, who played every minute of the cup but is now injured and devastated to miss the trip." Scouting opponents at this level is a challenge. "For the first game we have an FA‑registered coach whose primary job will be to observe the other teams, so on Monday he’ll be watching the two opponents we haven’t faced yet. By the second and third matches we’ll have a clearer picture of what we’re up against, and we’ll be far better prepared," McCann said.
"Our first focus is on what got us to King Power and helped us win – a blend of technical skill, power and pace. We’ve built a squad that plays to our strengths, even if there are technically gifted players we didn’t select." The Cheshire League will face representative sides from Finland (Jarvenpää United), Portugal (Algarve) and Sweden (Gothenburg).
In the overall ranking of the 34 teams entered, Finland sits 11th, Portugal 7th, Sweden 30th, while the Cheshire League is placed 17th. Despite the amateur status, the preparation has been as professional as possible.
"We have every hour of the eight days mapped out – rest, recovery, meals, training and match simulations. If you’re going to do it, you do it to the best of your ability," McCann emphasized. He also arranged for three members of the Mid‑Cheshire team that won the Inter‑League Cup in 2004 to give a motivational speech after the final training session.
"I spoke with them over the summer, asked what worked for them, and incorporated their advice into our plan," he noted. The goal is not merely to enjoy a week wearing the England badge; the ambition is to win all three matches, reach the finals and, in doing so, raise the profile of amateur football for the next generation. "We’re not going just to be England for seven days and then get beaten. The focus is on winning and showcasing what grassroots football can achieve," McCann said.
"If we succeed, it will be massive for the players, the league and the young kids watching us." After the Swedish adventure, McCann will be back at the crack of dawn, back in the classroom, shaping the next generation of learners – perhaps now with the added distinction of having been an England manager, albeit for a week, and hopefully returning as a local hero in the eyes of his pupils and community.