Atherstone Ball Game 2010
22nd Feb 2010 19:14pm Shrove Tuesday in Atherstone saw another game of the yearly Atherstone Ball Game. Roughly 901 years old now, this game begins with large crowds gathering in the main street (Long St) and await the huge ball to be thrown out of Barclay's Bank window. Once it's thrown out the people in the street boot the ball up and down the street for about an hour and a half, then once that time is up the mayhem erupts and everyone goes for the ball to see who has it when the claxon goes at 5pm.The game does involve violence, so if you're tempted to get the ball around 4.50pm then you more than likely will be punched, kicked or thrown everywhere... that's just how the game is. Anyways, this years winner was Mark Rollinson (I think I've spelt his name correctly).
» WikiPedia :: Atherstone Ball Game
1 Comment(s) -:- PermalinkTags: atherstone, ball game, shrove tuesday, pancake day
Atherstone Ball Game 2009
23rd Feb 2009 22:07pmWell Atherstone is already starting to prepare for the wonderful 800 year old tradition of it's Shrove Tuesday Ball Game.
So far Keri Anns, Lloyds TSB and Somerfield have already boarded up their fronts and the pubs are fairly empty as people are saving up for tomorrow.
So, what is this Ball Game you speak of Dale? Well to those people that don't know anything about it, let me give you an extract from the Atherstone Ball Game website about it.
The game begins at 3pm when the ball is thrown by a local celebrity from the window of the Barclays Bank on Atherstone's main shopping street. The object of the game is to be holding onto the ball at 5pm, when a loud klaxon is sounded to signal the end of the game.
...
Things though seriously heat up as time goes on and the Ball Game ends in dozens of men literally brawling to get hold of the ball and to hold onto it. Many of the ball games more serious competitors often drink for many hours before the game begins.
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There is only one rule, and that rule is the ball can not be taken outside the town. Anything and everything else goes. The winner in this no holds barred contest is the person holding onto the ball at 5pm.
I will be there getting pictures and recordings of it too... and hopefully - and I say that cautiously... I can be able to get close to the middle and take a few pictures of the middle of it all!
» Atherstone Ball Game Website (No longer working)
3 Comment(s) -:- PermalinkTags: atherstone, ball game, shrove tuesday, pancake day
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