Andy McCann has only 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 a surprising twist, he is about to step away from the classroom for eight days to assume a very different kind of leadership role – that of an England manager, albeit in a modest, amateur setting. McCann’s secondary job is as the manager of the Cheshire League representative side, a squad assembled from the top performers in the Cheshire League Premier Division.
The 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 earned them the right to represent England at the UEFA Regions Cup. The Regions Cup is an amateur competition launched in 1996 and held biennially since 1999, with the 2021 edition cancelled because of the pandemic.
National associations either qualify or are nominated, after which the teams enter an intermediate stage split into eight groups. The group winners progress to a final tournament.
Historically, Spain have lifted the trophy four times, Italy three, Poland twice, and 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 for three matches, hoping to become the first English side ever to reach the finals of the competition. "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.
"Our coaching team met several times to fine‑tune tactics, set‑pieces and other details, and only then did the magnitude of the opportunity sink in. After we won, people in the pub were shouting, ‘When the World Cup is over you’ll be England manager!’" He added that, while the comparison to a senior international job is tongue‑in‑cheek, the experience feels similar on a smaller scale. "When we board the plane I’ll realise just how special it is – being England manager for a week, even at this level, is a genuine honour.
We’ve decided to call ourselves England D, and we’ll wear that badge proudly." The team will indeed be dressed in full England kit. "When we arrive at the airport we receive the same tracksuits, shirts, shorts and socks that you see the senior squad wear at the World Cup. For many of the lads, just pulling on that shirt in a competitive match is a massive thrill," he explained. What sets the Cheshire League side apart from professional clubs 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. "Some players have taken unpaid leave, but most are using normal holiday time to enjoy the eight‑day adventure," McCann noted. "We haven’t had any travel issues, though it was a concern at the start. I promised the final squad that if we won the Inter‑League Cup, they would be the ones I’d take to Sweden, and I have stuck to that promise.
The only absentee is Juliano Rosa Silva, who played every minute of the cup but is injured and understandably devastated to miss out." Scouting opponents at this tier is a challenge. "For the first match we have an FA‑registered coach whose primary task is to observe the other teams, so while we play on Monday he’ll be watching the remaining two opponents.
By the second and third games we’ll have gathered more intelligence and will be better prepared. Our focus for the opener is to replicate what got us to King Power and secured the cup victory." McCann believes his selection balances technical ability with physical attributes.
"We could have chosen a more technically gifted XI, but we opted for a side that plays to our strengths – power and pace. That combination makes us unique and competitive," he said. The Cheshire League will face representative squads from Finland (Jarvenpää United), Portugal (Algarve) and Sweden (Gothenburg). Of the 34 teams entered, the Finnish side is ranked 11th, the Portuguese 7th, the Swedish 30th, while the Cheshire League sits at 17th.
Even though the players 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 matched to game times. If you’re going to do something, you give it your all," 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, incorporating their advice into the current plan.
The goal isn’t merely to enjoy a week wearing the England badge; it’s to win all three matches, reach the finals, and raise the profile of amateur football for future generations. "We’re not just going to be England for seven days and then get beaten. The focus is on victory, but I also see this as a chance to inspire the next wave of players.
It’s massive," he concluded. After the Swedish trip, McCann will be back at the crack of dawn, returning to his teaching duties and, hopefully, carrying the status of an England hero – at least in a modest, yet meaningful, sense.