Bourton-on-the-Water's century-old river football match ends in a 3-3 draw

A 3-3 draw settled Bourton-on-the-Water’s Football In The River fixture on Sunday, as mixed sides from Bourton Rovers’ men’s squads and veterans waded into the ankle-deep waters of the River Windrush in Gloucestershire for the club’s annual five-a-side tradition.

Several hundred spectators lined the riverbanks to watch the 50-minute contest, which kicked off at 2pm. Fans close to the water’s edge were advised to wear waterproofs — a precaution that proved wise when a brief shower arrived in the second half.

The first XI opened the scoring after winning a throw-in and extended their lead to 2-0 from the penalty spot following a foul. The veterans pulled one back from a controversial penalty shortly before half-time, then turned the game on its head after the interval, scoring from a throw-in to lead 3-2. A third penalty of the afternoon was blazed over the bar by the first XI before they snatched an injury-time equaliser to level at 3-3.

Referee Neil Teague, who officiated dressed as Superman, reflected warmly on the occasion. “It was a very, very good game — it was a little bit wet out there,” he said. “It’s a bit of fun and it has been taking place for over 100 years. I came out of retirement for this game.”

The origins of the fixture are unclear, but the tradition has reportedly been running for around a century. Much of England had experienced heatwaves and drought conditions in the preceding weeks, though the Windrush showed no signs of drying up, keeping the playing surface in what organisers might charitably call peak condition.