It’s a Christmas Eve footballing tradition
A YEARLY Christmas Eve football game that started as a kickabout between a small group of mates in Hinckley celebrated its 20th anniversary.
Well over a dozen players turned up for the annual game in Richmond Park, with drinks afterwards to celebrate the milestone.
The tradition has provided plenty of golden memories to treasure, from playng on a field so waterlogged the ball wouldn’t move across the ground, to player Alec Brotherton being knocked clean off his feet by a stray golden retriever.
Alec said: “For pretty much all of us, even those who weren’t there at the start, we have grown up with this tradition from children or teenagers to adults.
“It’s a wonderful reunion of friends each year which definitely captures the spirit of Christmas, especially that of friendship and returning home for Christmas.”
The game retains its simple and informal style, with no referee or scoreboard, picking numbers in a group to select the teams, and with jumpers used as goal posts and typically a next-goal-wins ending.
It started on Christmas Eve when seven friends bored of waiting for Christmas decided to go out for a game of football to ease their nerves, with most of the founding members still playing now.
Alec said: “We played and realised that it was the greatest idea ever to get muddy and soaked then turn up to our stressed parents ready for the festivities.
“All of my endeavours since have been an attempt to recreate the sweet year.”
The number of players has grown over the years as friends of friends were invited along, with some of the players who have known each other since primary school only seeing each other at the game.
Sometimes fewer than 11 people turn up and sometimes there’s a swarm of people, with 23 coming along last year.
Unique traditions include player Robert Faux always turning up in an old school Peter high of the first Schmeichel Manchester United shirt, even though he doesn’t support them.
There is also a mini game of keepie ups after the main match called BUMS, with each player gaining a letter each time they drop the ball.
If a player drops the ball four times, spelling bums, each player gets a turn hitting a ball at them while they bend over.
Apparently Robert Faux has never fallen victim to this unhappy fate, even though he is a popular candidate.