Bourton-on-the-Water crowds gather to watch river football match

Crowds of people gathered in Bourton-on-the-Water to watch a historic five-a-side river football match.

The annual event is played in the River Windrush, which is ankle-deep as it flows through the village of Bourton-on-the-Water in the Cotswolds.

Hundreds of spectators turned out on Bank Holiday Monday to watch the players of Bourton Rovers Football Club play against the club's coaching staff.

Player Matty Winter said: "It's a bit mad... we're quite eccentric."

A crowd gathered to watch the action on Bank Holiday Monday

The event is said to have started about 120 years ago when drinkers in the riverside Kingsbridge pub got bored one day and decided to stage an impromptu match in the water.

The tradition sees goalposts placed into the shallow waters of the River Windrush and the two sides playing a 30-minute game.

Spectators lined the river bank on Monday to watch the teams battle it out in ice cold water in a contest which saw the coaching staff complete a comfortable 4-0 victory.

People compete in the annual football match in the River Windrush in Bourton-on-the-Water

Mr Winter, who scored a hat trick playing for the coaching team, was delighted with his performance.

He said: "I've never scored a hat-trick before in this and two bullet headers and a volley and it couldn't get much better.

"I thought they were going to beat us the young ones but our experience and class just shone in the end."

In Monday's match, Bourton Rovers FC players played against the club's coaching staff

Mr Winter added: "It's a bit mad and people like the eccentric stuff in life and we're quite eccentric."

The match regularly draws large crowds and fans are advised to wear waterproofs if they plan to stand close to the action.

Covid presented challenges in keeping the 120-year tradition going in 2020 but a small group of players kicked-off at 07:00 BST and played five minutes each way to ensure the game still took place.

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