Post by Madhatter on Jul 14, 2006 21:41:30 GMT
Atherstone ball game is played every year on Shrove Tuesday. The main street, Long Street, is closed from Station Street at the North end To North Street at the south end . The shops windows are boarded up, the crowds gather, and at 3pm a large over sized leather ball weighted with water and decorated with 3 ribbons is thrown from the window of Barclays bank. There are no teams, no goals and few rules. The ball is played from roughly the white bear public house(The Clock) to the Old swan inn Public House(Formally White Swan), women and children get invited to 'kick' the ball along route inbetween the strong men booting it high above street level along the main street. Sometimes it ends up on the roofs, and this is the reason for it being weighted with water. From 4.30 the ball may be legitimately deflated or hidden to help the winner keep hold of the ball. The winner is the person holding the ball at 5pm. The persons that manage to grab the ribbons get prizes. The people that manage to grab the ribbons when the ball is first thrown out get prizes.
The game is reputed to have originally been played between Warwickshire and Leicestershire. Now played 807 years the ball game is a famous Atherstone tradition. 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.
The 'ball' used is specially made each year and is thrown out by a prominent sporting or show business personality, nowdays it's from Barclays bank, but it been thrown out from various premises over the years. One was cooke and ryders sports and toys at 125 Long Street(Formally Kinghorns), however when the shop closed during the 80's a new window had to be found.
The game is reputed to have originally been played between Warwickshire and Leicestershire. Now played 807 years the ball game is a famous Atherstone tradition. 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.
The 'ball' used is specially made each year and is thrown out by a prominent sporting or show business personality, nowdays it's from Barclays bank, but it been thrown out from various premises over the years. One was cooke and ryders sports and toys at 125 Long Street(Formally Kinghorns), however when the shop closed during the 80's a new window had to be found.
