I've been up for the last 5 years and it's a fantastic tradition. It's such a buzz with so many bits to it, the church bells, the boarded shops,, the team talks, the turning up songs, the hug, the pubs, the rivers, the crowds, the mud! Amazing can't wait for 2023 version.
I'm from Burton, which makes me a downard. Tried explaining shrovetide to a friend in dorset a few years ago, blew his mind. To me it seems perfectly normal, to everyone further away, its insane.
Love that story towards the end, poor defence though if there was a full open road towards Clifton! I’m now really invested in this sport haha. Beats the big and lifeless football leagues any day
I'd like to hear about some of the goals from previous years. Richard Smiths victory seems a bit hollow. Having your Dad in a car alongside you while your brother recovers. Hardly says ball game. 'Great story'.
This is fucking quality. As a Englishman I have to experience this at least once in my lifetime. Love these old traditions so glad they have kept it going. Very surprised the pc lot have not banned it. Keep it up chaps 💪🏴
@chchedda: right with you! The mumpheads ah H&S tried to ban the cheese rolling, the villagers kicked back and went ahead regardless of what they said!
This year's game contained a brilliant example of just how good Ashbourne's runners are. And unfortunately for me, this example benefitted the Up'ards. To set the scene, the Down'ards had managed to get the ball to Aldi, which is very much Clifton-side of town. We had all the momentum, even though it had gone back and forth across the Homebase car park for a good hour beforehand, we had the momentum, and everyone thought that, if there was a goal, it would be at Clifton. The ball was less than a mile from Clifton, and about 2 miles from Sturston. Needless to say, an Up'ard runner picked up the ball in the darkness, and half an hour later the Up'ards had scored. So whoever the runner was, probably did those 2 and a bit miles in 10-15 minutes. Unfortunately impressive.
Can anyone tell me is it allowed to have people defending your own goal? I'm guessing not as it would make sense to have 20 or more there to defend it.
The winner is whoever scores the most goals over 2 days. If you score before 5pm, the game restarts in the town center. The game goes on each day from 2pm until 10pm at the latest. If the ball is goaled after 5pm, that's it for the night. And I don't think we've ever had two goals before 5pm. And yes, I am from Ashbourne!
If a country wants to prepare its people to defend from an imminent or possible invasion. They need just place this game in every city and town they have. and have it as mandatory... Belter!
That's debatable, you have an old game, but this is even older. We have records from the monks that games like this were a thing in the pre-1000s. Florence is 1400s, not 1100s.
