Ashbourne Shrovetide Football, Tuesday 16th. Video footage will appear soon.

I have just got back from todays Ashbourne Shrovetide football game. I have never seen so many people turn out for a Shrovetide game.

I took this photograph at 13:41 outside the Green Man Royal hotel where the crowd can be seen wating for the ball to emerge. (see my Shrovetide map for the ball parade route)





Patrick McLoughlin threw the ball into the crowd at exactly 14:03:28 GMT
It was bitterly cold and was snowing quite heavy when the ball was on Sturston Road.
When I left the game the ball had entered a tunnel next to Somerfield where it ran under the Shawcroft car park !

No one really knew where the ball was until it emerged at the other end of the tunnel near the Duck pond on Park Road. It was extreamly muddy around the Duck Pond. This was the first time I had seen the game actually take place under the car park, must be pitch black in there.

A goal was eventully scored by Kevin Clarke for the Downards at 6:27 at the Clifton goal.

Watch this space as I will soon be posting a video of todays game in HD (720p) quality. May be a few days as I will have to look at all the video clips, then edit them together, then render the final movie in sony Vegas 9 then upload it.

If you are planning on going to Wednesdays game then you may find my Shrovetide Guide Map of use and also my last blog post about the 2010 Ashbourne Shrovetide Football Game.

2010 Ashbourne Shrovetide HD Video coming soon, keep an eye out for it.

Update Saturday 20th, Videos now live :

2010 Ashbourne Shrovetide Football - Part 1 of 2

2010 Ashbourne Shrovetide Football - Part 2 of 2

Andy