2011 Ashbourne Shrovetide Football, Tuesday 8th and Wednesday 9th March.

Its that time of year again when the maddest game of football in the world takes place in Ashbourne Derbyshire.

Ashbourne in Derbyshire is host to one of the Oldest Shrovetide football games in England.

It was first recorded in 1682, though thought to date back to the 12th Century ,various attempts were made to suppress it over the years.

It has continued unabated ever since, and by 1928 it had become so respectable that the then Prince of Wales was invited to start the game. From that year on it was known as the Royal Shrovetide Football game.

The Game is played annually on Shrove Tuesday and Ash Wednesday, and consists of two teams, one from anyone born to the North of the River Henmore, and one from people born South of the river, these are known as Upards and Downards.

The Goals are on the sites of Old mills, one at Clifton and one at Sturston, these are three miles apart.
A goal is scored by a player striking the mill wheel three times with the Ball.

The ball may be kicked, carried or thrown, but generally proceeds in a series of hugs invisible to the spectator. The game can last for many hours, finishing well after dark.

The game starts at 2pm in the afternoon, when a specially prepared ball - larger than a football and filled with cork which weighs around 4lbs is thrown in by a visiting guest of honor. The balls used for the Shrovetide games are made by Ashbourne man John Harrison who is turning up the ball this year.
The hand sewn leather balls are filled with cork chippings.
The balls are a work of art and take a few weeks to paint.

The Rules
If the balls are goaled, then it will become the proud possession of the person who has goaled it. If no-one goals it, then the person that turned-up the ball gets to take it home.
The game starts in the Shawcroft Carpark (back of Waitrose supermarket), See my detailed map lower down. I have provided a detailed interactive Shrovetide map lower down in this post which will enable you to see all the key points of the playing field which 3 miles between the two goals at Sturston and Clifton.

Ashbourne Royal Shrovetide Football is something that you just have to see to believe your eyes.
Here is a video I made of the game last year in two parts to give you an idea of what its like :



This year the game takes place on 8th and 9th of March.
On Tuesday Jim Boden from Cubley will be turning up the ball at 2.00pm. And on Wednesday Frank Lomas from Kniveton will have the honour.




I have lots of photographs and several videos from past games that you can view :

Photographs:
Photographs from the 2008 Ashbourne Shrovetide Football game.

Photographs from the 2007 Ashbourne Shrovetide Football game.

Photographs from the 2006 Ashbourne Shrovetide Football game.

Photographs from the 2004 Ashbourne Shrovetide Football game.

Photographs from the 2002 Ashbourne Shrovetide Footbal game.


Videos :

Video footage from the 2009 Ashbourne Shrovetide Football Game.


Video footage from the 2007 Ashbourne Shrovetide Footaball game.

Extra video footage from the 2007 Ashbourne Shrovetide Football game.

Time-lapse driving video from Derby to Ashbourne.

Location Map:
Smartphone drop pin locator for Ashbourne Shrovetide Football,
If you own a smartphone (iPhone,HTC etc) then CLICK HERE and it will launch your mapping app with a "drop pin" which I have perfectly located above the turning up plinth, If you have never been to Ashbourne then you can use this to get walking directions to where the action will be at 2pm.
On an iPhone, once the map shows up there will be a red drop pin in the middle of the screen with the title "Ashbourne Shrovetide" above it. Touch "Directions" at the bottom and then "by foot" icon at the top of the screen to get detailed walking directions to the start of the game.


The town of Ashbourne is located in Derbyshire just off the A52, see my time-lapse driving video to Ashbourne Football.
I have created an interactive map which shows all the key points in the game such as the turning up plinth where the ball is thrown, the two goals and the Henmore which is what determines if you are an Upard or a Downard, Click the link below the map for a large view of all the points of interest :

View Ashbourne Shrovetide Football game map. in a larger map

The weather for Tuesdays football game looks good, despite a frosty start should be nice and sunny all day.

Update : Tuesdays game was a draw with Adrian Webb for the Down'ards scoring a goal at 4:50 and then Richard Goodall scoring a goal for the Up'ards at 6:45
Wednesdays game was also draw with Simon Betteridge scoring for the Down'ards about 3:30 and then Simon Fisher scoring a goal for the Up'ards at 8:55.
The first time in 75 years there have been four goals !

Thanks
Andy