Yaaay, Ashbourne Royal Shrovetide Football is hear once again. Every shrove Tuesday and Ash Wednesday the town where I live (Ashbourne) plays Shrovetide football. Hundreds of people from the town and more out of towners watch/play the game, but mainly the local Ashbourne men play (women and children just get in the way!).

The goals are three miles apart, the ball is made of cork and is abit larger than a football and there is no pitch. Ya can go anywhere ya want. The 'hug' is where all the action is, its like a rugby scrum except theres about 30 more men in the 'hug'. The two teams are the Up'ards and Down'ards, if you were born on one side of the river then your and up'ard and the other side your a down'ard.

To start the game the ball is thrown off a stand towards the 'hug' at 2pm and the game officially finishes at 10pm, but if the ball is scored before 5pm then 1 more ball is thrown up. The scorer gets to keep the ball.

It can get very dangerous tho, theres always crushes where at times you cant breath because your being crushed by so many people, your almost guaranteed to have bruises if you play. Anythin can happen and this year prince charles is throwin the ball up on the wednesday, which means loads of camera crews, mmmm.

Shrovetide is here. yaaay come on!

 

i'm giving up chemicals * coughs * for lent

ya wot?

ya wot?

 

shrove is the start of lent. hence pancake tuesday. giving sumthing up 4 lent u can't live wivout.

 

in history....it woz flour and eggs. a tradition that has been carried on 4 centuries

Mmmmmmmmmmmmm Pankcakes

Has anyone seen 40days and 40 nights?

If not well the bloke in that (josh hartnett) gives up sex or any form of sexual contact or behaviour for lent! Quite funny! Especially the scene where he has to pour cold water over him to get rid of his hard-on!

 

Anyone thought of doing this?

I think i'd go mad!

 

http://www.doctordanger.com/other%20events/OtherEventMidFootball1.htm

 

Taken from this site:

'A word of warning: Shrovetide Football is dangerous and can easily result in serious injury or possibly death. Participate at your own risk'

 

ooo shrovetide!

 

That looks like a good laugh.

 

Just wondering does every competitor have to sport a moustache, like in the picture?

well mad, I wanna play