Andy McCann has barely settled back into his routine after a brief hiatus. By day, he serves as an assistant headteacher at Great Sankey High School in Warrington, guiding pupils through the new term now that the summer break has ended.
Yet, within the next eight days he will step away from the classroom to assume 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 finest players competing in 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 9 May, a victory that secured them a place to represent England in the UEFA Regions Cup.
What exactly is the Regions Cup? It is a competition for amateur regional selections, launched in 1996 and staged biennially since 1999, with the 2021 edition cancelled because of the pandemic. National associations either qualify their teams or nominate them, after which an intermediate round divides the entrants into eight groups. The group winners advance to the final tournament.
Historically, Spain have lifted the trophy four times, Italy three, Poland twice, while Ireland, Portugal, Croatia and the Czech Republic have each won once. On Sunday 6 September, McCann and his squad will fly to Sweden for a three‑match mini‑tournament, 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 essentially the Mr Cheshire League – kept telling me there was a chance we could go on to represent England, but I was solely focused on winning the cup," McCann told Sky Sports.
"Later, as we reviewed tactics, set‑pieces and final details, the magnitude of the opportunity sank in. After the win, people in the pub were joking, ‘When the World Cup is over, you’ll be England manager!’" He added, "I don’t want to overstate it, but the role feels a bit like being an international manager, just on a far smaller scale. It’s a real honour to be England manager for a week, whatever level that is.
We’ve decided we’re the England D team, and we’ll embrace it." The team will not only carry the England name; they will also don the full national kit. "When we arrive at the airport we receive the same tracksuits, shirts, shorts and socks that the senior squad wears. For many of the lads that alone is a massive thrill. Some are focused on the competition, but for others simply pulling on an England shirt in a competitive match is a dream come true." Unlike professional internationals, the Cheshire League players are all amateurs who hold regular jobs.
The squad includes individuals such as electrician captain Tim Kinsella, quantity‑surveyor vice‑captain Liam McDowell, two qualified PE teachers, and several players studying PGCEs to become teachers. Some will take unpaid leave for the trip, but most are using their normal holiday entitlement, treating the eight‑day adventure as a rare break from work.
"We haven’t had any travel issues, and I promised the squad that if we won the Inter‑League Cup, they would be the ones I’d take to Sweden. I kept that promise," McCann explained. The only absentee is Juliano Rosa Silva, who played every minute of the cup run but is sidelined by injury and is understandably disappointed.
Scouting opponents at this level is a challenge. "For the first match we have an FA‑registered coach whose main job is to observe the other teams.
He’ll watch the remaining two games while we focus on Monday’s fixture. By the second and third matches we’ll have far more information, and we’ll be better prepared.
Our first game will be about replicating what got us to King Power and what helped us win the Inter‑League Cup." McCann believes his selection balances technical skill with physical attributes. "We could have chosen more technically gifted players, but we opted for a side that matches our strengths – power and pace are key." Their opponents in Sweden will be representative sides from Finland (Jarvenpää United), Portugal (Algarve) and Sweden (Gothenburg).
Of the 34 teams in the tournament, the Finnish side are ranked 11th, the Portuguese 7th, the Swedish 30th, while the Cheshire League sit at 17th. Even though they are amateurs, the preparation has been as professional as possible. "We have a detailed eight‑day schedule down to the hour – rest, recovery, meals, training mirroring match times. If you’re going to do it, you give it your best," McCann said.
He also arranged for three members of the Mid‑Cheshire team that won the Inter‑League Cup in 2004 to give a talk after the final training session, drawing lessons from their experience. The aim is not merely to enjoy a week wearing England colours; the primary goal is to win all three games, reach the finals, and raise the profile of amateur football for future generations. "We want to prove that an amateur side can compete at a high level and inspire the next wave of players," he added.
When the Swedish adventure concludes, McCann will be back at the school before dawn, ready to resume his teaching duties and, perhaps, to be remembered by his pupils as a brief England manager – a title that, while modest, will undoubtedly become a favourite story in the staffroom for years to come.