Workington Football

Workington hosts a trio of mass-football games each year, all starting off at 6.30 with the ball being thrown from Long Bridge, the footbridge over the Beck, in the Cloffocks area about halfway between Tescos and the Bowling Club. One ball is played per day with the game ending as soon as a goal is scored; teams are the Uppies and the Downies, coming from the east and west sides of town, and their goals are both about a mile away from the start, at Workington Hall entrance and at a former capstan at  the docks respectively. There are plenty of obstacles in the form of the Beck, the River Derwent and various boundaries ; getting wet is a likelihood for the players. Expect bursts of sudden movement interspersed with lengthy periods of scrummaging as each side tries desparately to shove the opponents along. As Workington is one of the larger towns with a football game of this kind, there are usually plenty of players and spectators – easily around 1000 people. There are no rules so expect plenty of chaos! We were reliably told by a resident that it can end as late as 5am (and also that the games are the best things in town in the whole year- the residents are justifiably proud of their tradition!).

Helpful Hints

Depending on the date Easter falls, the games may be played before the clocks change to British Summertime and can start when dusk is already falling.

In 2025 the games should be played on Friday April 18th, Tuesday April 22nd and Saturday April 26th.

Click here for the event Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/groups/422612464580326/