Brutal Atherstone Ball Game crowns two winners at 826th game
Upholding an 826-year tradition, those in Atherstone, north Warwickshire, bloodied their fists and faces on February 17th in a brutal fight to keep a leather ball in their possession.
The “medieval football game” is played annually on Shrove Tuesday in honour of a match played between Leicestershire and Warwickshire in 1199; in the original match, the two teams competed for a bag of gold. Ultimately, Warwickshire took home the prize.
Each year, a special leather ball is produced and decorated for the occasion; a respected local figure throws the ball in the crowd to begin the combative game at 3pm; two hours later, whoever is left with the ball in their possession at 5 pm is crowned the ultimate winner.
Steve Matthews was given the honour of kicking things off this year in recognition of his efforts in sports.
This year, two balls were popped in the brutal proceedings, which sees men scramble on top of one another, throwing themselves and their fists at anyone in their way of the ball.
The town boards itself up to steer clear of unnecessary damage from the riotous tradition. Warwick Police officers were on stand-by; the game was kept to Long Street in order to minimise the interference with daily proceedings.
Warwickshire Police issued a warning before the game; the force said that anyone who uses the game as an “excuse for criminal violence or vandalism will be held to account”.
Two men, James Bernard and Kieran Marshal, were crowned victorious at this year’s event. Often, the game has more than one winner; in 2023, Scott Wright, Lewish Cooper, and Kieran Marshal were all named victors.
Despite the brutality of the match, which sees men wrestle and tug with no other formal rules to follow, many families gather to watch it take place. It offers a way to celebrate a medieval past and to continue highlighting the importance and joy of shared community.