CLUB HISTORY

With grounds left in a trust to the village by local benefactor George Moore as far back as 1894, Bourton Rovers’ rich footballing heritage spans three centuries. Long time members of the Cheltenham League, the North Cotswold side has spent the majority of these years with its two sides competing frenetically on the local football scene. Despite the Rissington Road ground possessing one of the finest pitches in the area, mainly due to the dedication of groundsman of Roy Davis through the 90s, grass has not been the only surface that the village side has contested matches on over the years! The annual football in the river competition, which dates back to as long as the club has been in existence, is of world repute as a ‘quirky’ British event and the crowds drawn from far and wide regularly make for Rovers largest attendance of the season.

Always competitive though not always victorious, it has been 36 long years since Bourton have had any success on the County Cup stage, the last of three Junior Challenge Cup triumphs coming in the 1967-68 season - 1948-49 and 1953-54 providing the others. The closest the side has come in recent years was a Senior Cup semi-final defeat on penalties after two goalless draws to eventual winners Endsleigh Reserves in the 1996-97 season; 6 of that side remain today.

At league level, despite occasional triumphs in the lower divisions of the Cheltenham League, it was not until 1992-93 season that Bourton were finally crowned division 1 champions, but were prevented from making the jump up into the Northern Senior League when it was ruled that the facilities did not reach the required standards. Still playing from that team are the McPhilimey brothers, Paul and Kevin, and Rovers’ current first team manager Tony Spedding also featured as an influential veteran centre back.

It took a further 6 years before Rovers eventually repeated the feat at the end of a spectacularly successful 1998-99 season. It was under player-manager Neil Teague’s guidance (another 40 year-old in the squad for today’s final) that Bourton completed a Cheltenham League and Charities Cup double. Campden Town were pipped to the league title whilst Warden Hill were narrowly defeated by two goals to one in a Whaddon Road encounter that was, until this evening, the last competitive one between the two sides. Teague’s side then went on to cap a fine season by lifting both the Hospital Cups of Shipton-on-Stour and Bourton’s self-hosted event. It could be argued that the following season, the local tree surgeon’s last in charge, was even more successful for the villagers. Having been accepted to the Northern Senior League, Rovers lost only two league games all season as they swept to the division two title six points clear of an ambitious Slimbridge side. Buoyed by the return to the club of the hugely prolific Matthew Winter, Bourton went on to pick up the merit shield for scoring 102 goals with Winter bagging a half-century for himself.

3 Seasons in Division 1 of the Northern Senior League then followed as the Rissington Road side went through several changes of manager as they strove to compete with the more established outfits from the north of the county. Several of the players moved to play a higher grade of football and eventual relegation followed in 2002-03. With club stalwart and former reserve team manager Tony Spedding stepping in to steady the ship with his blend of experience and youth the 2003-04 season has been a bright one so far, with the club pressing to bounce straight back into the first division and the undoubted highlight of reaching the Senior Cup Final.

 

2007 Football in the River

 

While the team's strip might have changed since 1935, the annual event is as wacky as ever today.

The annual events dates back over 100 years, with this image taken in 1935.

 

 

 

 

With more than 100 years of experience putting on a show-stopping sporting performance in the River Windrush, thanks to a rare glimpse of sunshine this summer’s Bourton-on-the-Water Football in the River scored a massive success with spectators from across Gloucestershire and beyond.

Crowds of thousands lined the river banks on Monday 27 August as the goal posts were constructed between the central bridges in the River Windrush, before the six-a-side Red and White teams from Bourton Rovers FC took to the water for a 30-minute match of splashes, soakings and a few goals to boot. The result was an entertaining display of football – the likes of which you’d be hard-pushed to find at any Premiership club across the country.

The rays of sun may have been shining long enough for spectators to set-up pre-match picnics and watch from the sidelines in shorts and sunglasses, but the shin-deep water remained icy cold for the two teams of brave, and some might say eccentric, members of the clubs’ senior teams. The teeth-chattering temperatures didn’t dampen the players’ spirits, however, and the sounds of onlookers shrieking with delight when the ball bounced off the cross-bar and screaming from being sprayed with streams of water could be heard for miles around the usually peaceful Cotswold village.

While both teams strived for a score, the day’s events predictably turned into a giant water fight involving all the players, the referee, and even some of the unfortunate spectators. Much of the front row on either side of the Windrush went home almost as wet as some of the sodden competitors, with a few well-prepared onlookers donning waterproofs to avoid the inevitable soaking that more than a century of tradition demanded.

With pushing, shoving, splashing and playful cries of ‘handball’, ‘foul’ and ‘are you blind?’ to the referee, the match was a closely fought battle between the two Bourton teams. As the referee blew the full-time whistle the score was 2-1 to the victorious Red team – who were not shy in their celebrations – dunking their opponents, soaking any spectator silly enough to still be standing at the water’s edge.

Having played in the annual water sport for ten years the dripping-wet Red team captain, Guy Stanton, said: ‘We are overjoyed to have won, it has been the highlight of the year. It’s been a great day and we’re glad so many people turned out to support us. I think we all deserve a well-earned pint now – well, maybe after we’ve dried off a bit!’

Bourton Rovers’ annual football match in the River Windrush might not have seen the spectacular life-risking bravery of Gloucester’s cheese rolling or the challenging physical endurance of Tetbury’s wool sack races, but for sheer entertainment and crowd interaction this is one Gloucestershire event which cannot be beat.