Video has emerged of the final minutes of a ‘medieval football’ match played each year on Shrove Tuesday, one of England’s oldest traditions, which descends to a violent finale outside a betting shop in Atherstone.
The 823rd Atherstone Ball Game took place in Warwickshire yesterday afternoon, where players battle for a big ball with the sole aim of retaining it.
The only rules of the game, which originated in the 12th century, are that the game is restricted to Long Street and that you must not kill anyone.
In the last 20 minutes of the game, the video shows a huge crowd in front of a boarded-up William Hill betting shop, with several men climbing over the crowd to reach the entrance guarded by other players.
As a man in a black shirt looks out over the noisy crowd, he catches one of the players out of the corner of his eye coming towards him and throws several punches at the man whose jersey ripped off his back.
But this doesn’t seem to deter the other players, with several men climbing above the crowd and players grabbing the back of their jerseys and ankles to hold them on.
A man standing at the entrance to the sportsbook, dressed in a blue polo shirt and reflective orange pants, begins kicking the other players, trampling the crowd with his construction boots.
Winners Scott Wright, Lewis Cooper and Kieran Marshall were announced shortly after the whistle was blown at 5 p.m.
Speaking to BirminghamLive, the winners jointly said: ‘It’s a group of us, all Atherstone mates and we all want to win it.
“If we win it again next year, we’ll let all the guys take it until we all get one.”
The traditional game organizers warned in a Facebook post: ‘Anyone wishing to participate or be a spectator does so at their own risk!
‘Atherstone Ballgame will not be held responsible. Hear the delegates at all times for the safety and well-being of all!
A man standing at the entrance to the sportsbook, dressed in a blue polo shirt and reflective orange pants, begins kicking the other players, trampling the crowd with his construction boots.
In the last 20 minutes of the game, the video shows a huge crowd in front of a boarded-up William Hill betting shop, with several men climbing over the top of the crowd.
As a man in a black T-shirt throws several punches at another player whose jersey is ripped from his back by the crowd.
The only rules of the game, which originated in the 12th century, are that the game is restricted to the Long Road and that you must not kill anyone.
They added: “The most important thing is everyone enjoy the day and kick the babies, long live the ball game.”
Every year, the Atherstone Ball Game draws thousands of people to the Warwickshire market town to watch or take part.
It is traditionally played every year on Shrove Tuesday, where downtown merchants prepare by boarding up the windows in time for the violent game.
Organizers warned participants in the traditional ballgame that they would do so at their “own risk.”
Every year, the Atherstone Ball Game draws thousands of people to the Warwickshire market town to watch or take part
This year’s ball the ball was designed to mark the accession to the throne of King Charles III, with a ribbon in memory of the late Queen Elizabeth II
A specially designed large ball, filled with water, is thrown from the window by a selected dignitary; this year it was former champion, ‘the ox, the legend’, Gaz Jackson.
This year, the ball was designed to mark the accession of King Carlos III, complete with a ribbon in memory of the late Queen Elizabeth II, and covered in the signatures of the locals.
Last year’s winner, Grendon’s Josh Sheldon, posed for pictures with the ball before handing it over to Lee ‘Razor’ Rolinson, whose brother and winner Mark passed away tragically after an eight-month battle with cancer last year.
