Hundreds turn out in Cookham Dean for 'friendly competition' at Boxing Day Games

Festive and competitive spirits collided in Cookham Dean as competitors faced off at the annual Boxing Day Games.  

More than 500 people braved the cold and foggy December morning – and a 9.30am early start – to enjoy the games at a muddy Old Cricket Common.

“The games went extremely well,” said organiser Peter Austen, 70, who has helped run the competition for decades.

“We had 15 teams turn out, which is really good, and the games were fought in their usual friendly and highly competitive fashion.”

Competitors battled over two hours of events which included the ‘Blindfold Bungee’, space hopping, two-person sack race, handover game and the obstacle race.

All for bragging rights and the coveted Loo Seat – which entrants have fought over since the early 1970s.

The 2024 winners were Dynamo 5 Elms with 83 points, followed by gmbH on 74 points and The Winter Hillbillies on 69 points.

The hillbillies also bagged the Loo Lid trophy for winning the tug of war.

Peter said: “The obstacle race, which is always the last event of the day, is absolutely competitively fought.

“We don’t allow people under 16s to compete because it’s quite vigorous in there: going under the rope; under some bales; through the hoops; under a scrambling net; and through a tunnel.

“Particularly during the first couple of laps when all the teams are quite close together -aggressive would be the wrong word for it, but it’s pretty physical.”

The Boxing Day Games have taken place for more than 50 years, with some entrants keeping up a long family tradition.

“Some of the teams are on their third generation now,” Peter said.

“Their grandfathers took part in the original football match that preceded these games for a few years - then joined the tug of war and continued from there.”

This year, £500 was raised for the Cookham Cherry Pickers – set to be donated to charitable causes around Cookham.

Peter, also Cookham Cherry Pickers treasurer, added: “I really would like to thank everyone for coming and taking part in such a good spirit - and for turning out quite early on Boxing Day morning.”