Royal Shrovetide Football – a game like no other!

On March 4th, our very own Lee Mortimer swapped mortgage deals for mud, mayhem, and a few well-earned pints as he watched the Royal Shrovetide Football in Ashbourne – a tradition dating back to 1667!

For those unfamiliar, this isn’t your typical football match. Imagine a ball twice the size of a regular football, hundreds of players, two “goals” three miles apart, and a game that lasts eight hours a day for two days! Oh, and tackling through rivers, fields, and streets is totally normal.

Here are a few fun facts about Shrovetide Football:

• The ball is hand-painted and filled with cork, so it floats in the river (a crucial feature!).
• The entire town becomes the pitch – shops board up their windows, and everyone gets involved.
• A ball can go hours without moving as both teams wrestle for control.
• Scoring is rare! Some years, there are no goals at all.

Lee may not have joined the scrum, but he did enjoy the atmosphere and a pint or two!