Every Shrove Tuesday and Ash Wednesday, the Derbyshire town of Ashbourne becomes the grounds of one of the oldest and most chaotic sports in the world. Its streets and fields are filled with thousands of players and spectators as crowds flock to the three mile long “pitch”. The name of the game is Ashbourne Royal Football, but don’t be fooled — this is no typical footy match.
Unlike conventional football, is played over two eight-hour periods, with goals three miles apart, wherein the ball is rarely kicked, but moved through a giant “hug”. One of the earliest rules was “no murder”, and one of the most recent is “the ball must not be carried in a motorised vehicle!”.
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The players move around in a ‘hug’ (Image: Getty)
The game has been played almost every year since at least 1667, despite records being destroyed in a fire. It’s a highlight for locals and was even played during the First World War by soldiers from the town stationed in France. The game received its royal title after Edward VIII, then Prince of Wales, opened the game in 1928.
Ashbourne Shrovetide Football bears similarities to rugby, but with very few rules.
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The game which started in the 1600s has very few rules (Image: Getty)
The game kicks off on Shrove Tuesday and Ash Wednesday at 2pm, with the ball being “turned up” from a stone plinth in Ashbourne town centre’s Shaw Croft car park. The ball is then tossed into the air and into the “hug” by the “turner up”, who will be a respected local figure of chosen for the task.
Notable “turner-ups” have included Prince Charles and The Duke of Devonshire. Once the game commences, a large number of players attempt to move the ball towards their goal by pushing against the opposition.
The game sees a massive huddle wading through streams to reach the goal (Image: Getty)
Unlike traditional football, the process is referred to as “goaling” rather than scoring. To goal the ball, a player must strike the ball against their millstone goal three times. If the ball is “goaled”, it becomes the prized possession of the person who scored the point.
The team will have a specifically designated scorer who is typically chosen en route to the goal and is usually an Ashbourne resident. It’s a significant honour to “goal” the ball, and the scorer often becomes a local celebrity.
The match carries on until 10pm. If a goal is scored before 5pm, a new ball is “turned up” and a fresh game begins. If the goal is scored after 5pm, the day’s game concludes.
The first rule made was ‘no murder’ (Image: Getty)
The game, which sees hundreds of players participate and reignites local rivalries, divides the town based on birthplace.
Your team is determined by which side of the Henmore Brook you were born on: those born South of the Brook are the Down’ards, aiming to goal the ball at the old Clifton Mill. Those born on the North are the Up’ards, striving to goal the ball at the old Sturston Mill.
The streets descend into chaos (Image: Getty)
The game uses a specially prepared, hand-sewn leather ball that is larger than a standard football and filled with cork chippings to aid its buoyancy in the river. Weighing approximately 4lbs, the ball is meticulously hand-painted according to a design chosen by the local individual selected to ‘turn up’ the ball at the start of the match.
Despite the entire town serving as the “pitch”, the Shrovetide Football match cannot be played in churchyards, cemeteries or places of worship, and private property must be respected. Players must heed the instructions of medical personnel, marshals and police at all times – and respect the town and its people.