Revealed: Man at centre of Shrove Tuesday ‘medieval football’ game brawl is 23-year-old labourer – who has been hailed as ‘most valuable player’
- Man at centre of ‘medieval football’ brawl identified as Reece Johnston, 23
- He’s being celebrated as a town legend and ‘most valuable player’
Footage of a ‘medieval football’ game which dates back to the 12th century held to celebrate Shrove Tuesday sparked outrage this week as the fun descended into violence and chaos.
Today one man at the centre of that violence can be identified as Reece Johnston, a 23-year-old labourer from the town of Atherstone where the annual game is held.
With his distinctive orange trousers Johnston can be seen punching and kicking other players in the doorway of a betting shop.
Rather than be shunned by his local community, Johnston was described by locals as the ‘most valuable player’ in the historic game.
And his parents have told how they are proud of his competitive performance.
The 823rd Atherstone Ball Game, in which players fight over a large ball with the single objective of retaining it, took place in Warwickshire on Tuesday afternoon.
Today the man at the centre of that violence can be identified as Reece Johnston, a 23-year-old labourer from the town of Atherstone where the annual game is held
Rather than be shunned by his local community, Johnston was described by locals as the ‘most valuable player’ in the historic game
The only rules of the game, which originated in the 12th century, are that it is restricted to the town’s Long Street, and that you ‘mustn’t kill anyone’ as teams tussle for control of a specially made large ball. The aim is to have control of the ball when the klaxon sounds at 5pm.
In the last 20 minutes of the game, the video shows an enormous crowd in front of a boarded-up up William Hill shop, with several men clambering over the crowds to reach the entrance guarded by other players.
Reece, wearing his dayglow orange work trousers, can be seen furiously kicking out at other men who are stampeding towards the shop front in search of the ‘ball’.
This year, Reece’s Atherstone team, a group of about 10 mates, triumphed for the first time in years. Those named as winners, Scott Wright, Lewis Cooper and Kieran Marshall, were underneath him clinging to the ball as he drove away challengers, mostly farmers from nearby Grendon village.
His mum, Katie said: ‘He was part of the winning team along with his two brothers so he thoroughly enjoyed it. Everyone knows what it’s like.’
This year, Reece’s Atherstone team, a group of about 10 mates, triumphed for the first time in years
With his distinctive orange trousers Johnston can be seen punching and kicking other players in the doorway of a betting shop
In the last 20 minutes of the game, the video shows an enormous crowd in front of a boarded-up up William Hill betting shop, with several men clambering over the crowds
His dad, football coach Noel Johnston, who himself won the game in 1995 and has been the event’s Chief Marshall for seven years, said: ‘This is what we do for two hours every year and it raises a lot of money for local charities. It’s just a bit of fun.
‘People might not like what they see but that is because they are unfamiliar with our traditions.
‘All you ever see is the last half hour when things get a bit raucous. Reece was right there, doing his best for his team, protecting his pals with the ball. It was teamwork.
‘People are not being hit as hard as you think because everyone is off balance. It is similar to ice hockey in that way. There are no serious injuries.’
Atherstone, known as the ‘town of hatters’ due to its history as a millinery centre, has hosted the scrummage every year since 1199 with the exception of Covid-hit 2020.
Nowadays opinion is split on the event, which takes place on the town’s main shopping street and causes all businesses to board themselves up for the afternoon.
Those taking part in the traditional ball game were warned by organisers that they would so at their ‘own risk’
As a man in a black shirt throws several punches at another player whose jumper is ripped off his back by the crowd
Most love it, the town’s schools all close at lunchtime so children can witness the tradition and the town’s pubs are full of post-match analysis.
But the pictures emerging on social media are gory and one man was photographed with a hideously swollen black eye.
It turns out he was Danny Riley, the ‘Lionel Messi’ of the Grendon village team, taken out within minutes of the start to stop his participation.
One analyst in the Wheatsheaf public house reckoned he was ‘held down and beaten’ but, he was not killed, so play continued.
Chief Marshall Johnston said: ‘I saw Danny’s injury and took him to First Aid. I don’t know how it happened. He could have fallen over or hit it on a lamppost.’
Some did feel that this year was worse than ever.
Sandra, 64, another Wheatsheaf regular, said: ‘It used to be more family oriented. The women would start it off with a pancake race up the street but now the violence is getting worse. This year was so much worse than any other years I have seen.’
This year, the ball the ball was designed to mark the accession of King Charles III, with a ribbon in memory of the late Queen Elizabeth II
Each year, the Atherstone Ball Game attracts thousands of people to the Warwickshire market town as spectators or to take part
But fellow drinker Jill, 61, disagreed: ‘I know one man had to have his nose straightened out in the Con Club afterwards but there were no serious injuries.
‘People love it. The men go mad. The shirts all get ripped off. It is great for us ladies to see some nice fit lads.
‘They are all friends afterwards until next year when it will all start again. It is proper sport.’
Others blamed social media for making things worse by providing a greater incentive for extreme behaviour and spreading the word.
‘This year we had people coming from all over – Tamworth, Nuneaton, Birmingham,’ said a drinker in the New Swan pub. ‘Some had UFC gloves and mouth guards. I do blame social media. People want to get on the clips so do crazier things.’
Others believe there is a more sinister aspect at play making the violence worse – cocaine.
One drinker, who asked not to be named, said: ‘You see them all at 2 o’clock before it starts and their jaws are swinging this way and that. A lot of them are off their heads on cocaine and you can see it in their reactions to pain.
‘It has never been this bad. One man I know was in hospital with cracked ribs by 4pm.’
Another critic said it had always been bad.
The only rules of the game, which originated in the 12th century, are that the game is restricted to Long Road, and that you mustn’t kill anyone
‘I moved here from out of the area when my kids were little and everyone told me I had to get along to the ball game. I was told it was proper family fun,’ she said.
‘One minute after the ball was thrown out of Barclays Bank, one man broke another’s nose right next to me and the pushchair was covered in blood. I have never gone back. I think it should be banned but I would never say that in this town.’
Post-Covid, Barclays Bank no longer exists so the specially made leather ball, decorated with red, white and blue ribbons and this year featuring a reference to King Charles’ Coronation, is thrown from the upstairs window of the Conservative Club instead.
From there it travels up Long Street until the klaxon ends the madness two hours later. The rules allow it to be punctured in the last 30 minutes.
Warwickshire Police attend the event but stay back during the ‘game’. They reported no concerns.
Chief Marshall Johnston added: ‘They never do have any concerns because they get no complaints. We steward this by ourselves with back up from First Aid.
‘I made £1500 the year I won, split between a local hospital ward and a local nursery. They will make a lot more this year. The winners chose the charity.’
Reece himself was less forthcoming.
He said: ‘You are trying to make out that I’m a bad person when I’m not. It’s just half an hour out of the whole year.’
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