Andy McCann has just gotten back to his regular duties after a brief break. By day, he is an assistant headteacher at Great Sankey High School in Warrington, and with the summer holidays behind him the new 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.
His team clinched the FA Inter‑League Cup by defeating the Herts Senior County League at Leicester’s King Power Stadium on 9 May, and that triumph secured them the right to represent England in the UEFA Regions Cup. What exactly is the Regions Cup? It is a competition for amateur representative teams that was launched in 1996 and has been staged every two years since 1999, with the 2021 edition cancelled because of the pandemic. Nations either qualify directly or receive a nomination, then enter an intermediate stage where they are divided into eight groups.
The eight group winners advance to the final tournament. To date, Spain have lifted the trophy four times, Italy three, Poland two, while the Republic of Ireland, Portugal, Croatia and the Czech Republic have each won it once. On Sunday 6 September, McCann and his squad will fly to Sweden to play 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 Cheshire League chairman – kept mentioning that we might get the chance to represent England, but I was only focused on winning the cup," McCann told Sky Sports. "Later, as we reviewed tactics, set‑pieces and final details, we realised how big this opportunity was. After the victory, people in the pub were joking, ‘When the World Cup is over, you’ll be England manager!’" He admits the comparison to a senior international job is tongue‑in‑cheek, but the experience still feels like a privilege.
"It will sink in when we board the plane, but it’s an honour to be England manager for a week, even at this level. We’ve decided we’re the England D team and we’ll wear that badge proudly," he said. The team will not only carry the England name – they will also wear the full England kit. "When we get to the airport we receive the same tracksuits, training shirts, shorts and socks that you saw the senior squad wear at the World Cup.
The lads are buzzing just to pull on those shirts in a competitive match," McCann explained. Unlike professional clubs, the Cheshire League side is composed entirely of amateurs who juggle football with full‑time jobs. The squad includes players such as AJ Atherton, George Anthony, Callum Burgess and many others. Captain Tim Kinsella works as an electrician, while vice‑captain Liam McDowell is a quantity surveyor.
Two members are qualified PE teachers and several are studying postgraduate teaching qualifications. Some players are taking unpaid leave for the trip, but most are using their regular holiday entitlement to enjoy the eight‑day adventure. "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 said.
The only absentee is Juliano Rosa Silva, who played every minute of the cup run but is sidelined with injury and is understandably disappointed. Scouting opponents at this tier is a challenge.
"We have an FA‑registered coach whose main job during the first game will be to observe the other two teams. By the second and third matches we’ll have a clearer picture and can adapt," McCann noted.
He added that the team was built to suit their strengths, blending technical ability with power and pace. Their group in Sweden includes representative sides from Finland (Jarvenpää United), Portugal (Algarve) and Sweden (Gothenburg).
Of the 34 entrants, the Finnish team is ranked 11th, the Portuguese 7th, the Swedish 30th, while Cheshire League sits at 17th. Preparation has been as professional as possible for an amateur side.
"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 to the best of your ability," McCann emphasized. He also invited 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, incorporating their advice into his own plan. The goal is not merely to enjoy a week in England colours but to win all three games, reach the finals and raise the profile of amateur football for future generations.
"We want to be more than a novelty; we want to prove that an amateur side can compete and succeed on an international stage," McCann affirmed. After the Swedish excursion, McCann will return to Great Sankey High School at the crack of dawn, ready to resume his teaching duties and, perhaps, to be remembered by his students as the man who briefly became England’s manager – even if only for a week and at the D‑team level.