17/02/15 Players reach for the ball at the annual Royal Shrovetide Football Match in Ashbourne, Derbyshire. After 'turning up' the ball at 2pm tho

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17/02/15 Players reach for the ball at the annual Royal Shrovetide Football Match in Ashbourne, Derbyshire. After 'turning up' the ball at 2pm thousands of rival Up'Ards' and Down'Ards' team members attempt to 'goal' the ball onto stones set three miles apart in the town of Ashbourne, Derbyshire. The game also known as "hugball" has been played from at least although the exact origins of the game are unknown but one of the most popular origin theories suggests the macabre notion that the 'ball' was originally a severed head tossed into the waiting crowd following an execution. All Rights Reserved - F Stop Press. Tel: +44 (0)1335 418629 +44(0)7765 242650

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Size: 4416px × 2916px
Photo credit: © Rod Kirkpatrick / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No

Keywords: ash, ashbourne, british, derbyshire, football, fsp, fstoppress, press, quirky, shove, shrove, shrovetide, standalone, stop, tide, tradition, tuesday, wednesday