With each Tuesday's slip and ash Wednesday, the Derbyshire town of Ashbourne will become one of the oldest and most chaotic sports in the world. As crowds flock to the three-mile “pitch,” the streets and fields are filled with thousands of athletes and spectators. The game's name is Ashbourne Royal Schlovetide Football, but don't be fooled. This is not a typical poor match.
Unlike traditional football, Ashbourne Royal Schlovetide Football is played over two eight hours, with the ball rarely kicked at goals three miles away, but it passes through a huge “embrace.” One of the earliest rules is “no murder”, and one of the latest is “Don't carry the ball in an electric vehicle!”
The game has been played almost every year since at least 1667, despite records being destroyed by fire. It was a highlight of the locals and was even performed during World War I by soldiers from the town stationed in France. The game received the royal title in 1928 after Prince of Wales' Edward VIII opened the game.
Ashbourne Shrovetide football has similarities with rugby, but there are few rules.
The game began on Tuesday Schrove and 2pm on Ash Wednesday, when the ball “turned” from a stone pedestal in the Shawcroft parking lot at Ashbourne Town Center. The ball is then thrown into the air and thrown into a “embrace” by “Turner Up.”
The notable “Turner Up” includes Prince Charles and the Duke of Devonshire. Once the game begins, a large number of players try to push the ball against the opposition parties and aim to the goal.
Unlike traditional soccer, this process is called a “goal” rather than a score. To score the ball, the player must hit the ball three times against a millstone goal. If the ball is “got” then it becomes the valuable property of the person who scored the points.
Teams have specially designated scorers who are usually selected on their way to goal, usually Ashbourne resident. It is a great honor to “goal” the ball, and scorers often become local celebrities.
The match will continue until 10pm. Once the goal is scored before 5pm, the new ball “turns” and a fresh game begins. If a goal is scored after 5pm, the game for the day will end.
The game where hundreds of players take part and govern local rivals divides the town based on their birthplace.
Your team will decide which side of Henmore Brook you are born in. Born south of Brook, the downyard seeks to score the ball at the old Clifton factory. Born in the north, Upard is the Upard, and strives to score the ball on the old Starston mill.
The game uses specially prepared hand-painted leather balls that are larger than standard soccer and filled with cork chipping to aid in buoyancy in the river. It weighs about 4 pounds and the ball is meticulously hand-drawn according to the design chosen by the local individuals selected to “raiser” the ball at the start of the match.
Despite the entire town acting as a “pitch”, Shlovetid football games cannot be played in church gardens, cemeteries or places of worship, and private property must be respected. Players must always be aware of the directions of medical personnel, ex-s and police, and respect the town and their people.
