Annual river football match continues to excite crowds in Cotswold village

Footballers waded through water as part of an annual sporting tradition in a Cotswolds village.

Monday saw the return of the annual traditional River Windrush football match in Bourton-on-the-Water, Gloucestershire.

The long-standing tradition sees goalposts placed into the shallow waters of the river, with the two sides – who are both part of Bourton Rovers Football Club – playing a 30-minute game.

Right from the start of the match, the footballers battled it out to gain possession of the ball and seemed to make a splash with crowds, who looked on excitedly.

Footballers from Bourton Rovers battle it out (Ben Birchall/PA)PA Wire/PA Images - Ben Birchall

One team wore bright orange tops with yellow shorts while the other donned a royal blue kit.

Players got stuck into the action quickly, with many running through the river to help team-mates and others trying to tackle their opponents to inch closer to the goal.

The match entertained crowds (Ben Birchall/PA)PA Wire/PA Images - Ben Birchall

One player was seen pushing two opponents out of the way as he tried to make a beeline for the net.

The match has happened in the village annually for more than 100 years (Ben Birchall/PA)PA Wire/PA Images - Ben Birchall

In one particularly grizzly moment, a group of players were seen trying to get their foot on the ball at the side of the unconventional pitch as some took pictures and others stared with anticipation.

A man wearing a dress and wig made an appearance at the match (Ben Birchall/PA)PA Wire/PA Images - Ben Birchall

A man wearing a dress and wig also made an appearance on the wet “pitch”, pointing towards something in the distance as one player looked at him with confusion and another hung his head in his hands.