Vicious scenes as Atherstone Ball game descends into brutal violence

22 Feb 2023

Video footage has emerged of a historic game which took place on the Leicestershire border descending into unpleasant violence. The gang of man were filmed throwing punches, stamping on and climbing over each other after thousands turned up for of this year’s Atherstone Ball Game.

The annual tradition, which takes place in the town on the Leicestershire border on Shrove Tuesday (February 21), saw competitors surge around the doorway to Atherstone’s William Hill betting shop in the name of laying claim to a ball. The game is the modern-day equivalent of medieval mob football and even saw punches thrown, reports CoventryLive.

The brutal scenes were all captured on camera as competitors in the middle of the huddle tried to protect the ball. However, this year’s event - the 823rd of its kind - upped the ante with people seen swinging down from the shop’s roof.

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The chaos then continued as people desperately tried to get into the melee to grab the ball. The force involved from those in the ball game even saw part of the William Hill shop’s signage being ripped off.

Organisers have already stressed that despite the brutal looking game, the event is safe and is in line with hundreds of years of tradition. This includes the throwing of sweets for children who can also take part by kicking the ball before the more physical entrants compete.

Despite those assurances, footage of the ball game has gone viral online. Since being posted on Twitter, the William Hill crowd-surfers and punchers have been watched more than three million times.

It has divided many online, with one person saying that the scenes were “pathetic” while others said they were “ridiculous”. Another said: “Boys will be boys”, but the majority were struck by the strange - and vicious looking - tradition.

Atherstone ball game

The Atherstone Ball Game is an annual tradition (Image: BirminghamLive)

The winner of the Atherstone Ball Game was Kieran Marshall who managed to cling onto the ball to the very end.

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