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Has anyone ever heard of it?
It's a tradition dating back 816 years apparently.
an oversized football with ribbons on is dropped into the middle of the main shopping street and people literally fight over it.
official description;
An annual tradition in Atherstone is the Shrove Tuesday Ball Game played on a public highway with large crowds. The game celebrated its 800th anniversary in 1999.
The game is a complete free-for-all played along Watling Street (the old Roman road) at the point where it forms the main street of Atherstone town. The ball is decorated with red, white and blue ribbons that are exchanged for money by who ever is able to obtain one and is made of thick leather to make it too heavy to kick far. The match starts at 15:00 when the ball is thrown from the window of Barclays Bank and continues until about 17:00. However the ball may legitimately be deflated or hidden after 16:30. There are no teams and no goals, though in the last century the match was played between a team from Warwickshire and one from Leicestershire. There is only one rule: players are not allowed to kill one another. Whoever is able to hang onto the ball at the end of the game not only wins the game but is allowed to keep the ball as well.
This Shrove Tuesday ball game has been held annually since the early 12th century and is one of Atherstone's claims to fame. The origin of the game, in the reign of King John, is thought to have been a "Match of Gold that was played between the Warwickshire Lads and the Leicestershire Lads on Shrove Tuesday".[6]
The 'ball' used is specially made each year and is 'thrown out' by a prominent sporting or show business personality. Shop windows are boarded-up and traffic is diverted on the afternoon whilst the game, in which hundreds of people take part, progresses along the town's main streets.
If you get chance check it out on youtube.
All the shops stay open but board up all windows and doors.
It's a tradition dating back 816 years apparently.
an oversized football with ribbons on is dropped into the middle of the main shopping street and people literally fight over it.
official description;
An annual tradition in Atherstone is the Shrove Tuesday Ball Game played on a public highway with large crowds. The game celebrated its 800th anniversary in 1999.
The game is a complete free-for-all played along Watling Street (the old Roman road) at the point where it forms the main street of Atherstone town. The ball is decorated with red, white and blue ribbons that are exchanged for money by who ever is able to obtain one and is made of thick leather to make it too heavy to kick far. The match starts at 15:00 when the ball is thrown from the window of Barclays Bank and continues until about 17:00. However the ball may legitimately be deflated or hidden after 16:30. There are no teams and no goals, though in the last century the match was played between a team from Warwickshire and one from Leicestershire. There is only one rule: players are not allowed to kill one another. Whoever is able to hang onto the ball at the end of the game not only wins the game but is allowed to keep the ball as well.
This Shrove Tuesday ball game has been held annually since the early 12th century and is one of Atherstone's claims to fame. The origin of the game, in the reign of King John, is thought to have been a "Match of Gold that was played between the Warwickshire Lads and the Leicestershire Lads on Shrove Tuesday".[6]
The 'ball' used is specially made each year and is 'thrown out' by a prominent sporting or show business personality. Shop windows are boarded-up and traffic is diverted on the afternoon whilst the game, in which hundreds of people take part, progresses along the town's main streets.
If you get chance check it out on youtube.
All the shops stay open but board up all windows and doors.
Last edited by y2johnny on Wed Feb 18 2015, 07:40; edited 1 time in total (Reason for editing : adding in wikipedia description)
