The Atherstone Ball Game in Warwickshire dates back to 1199, while the Royal Shrovetide Football Match in Derbyshire has some unusual rules.
01 March 2022
A choristers’ pancake race and ball games with a twist were among the events held across the UK to mark Shrove Tuesday.
The Atherstone Ball Game, in Warwickshire, honours a match played between Leicestershire and Warwickshire in 1199, when teams used a bag of gold as a ball.
In Winchester, choristers in their robes were among those contesting the traditional pancake race.
In Derbyshire, the Royal Shrovetide Football Match was held in Ashbourne.
The rough-and-tumble match sees two teams battling to get the ball to goals three miles apart in a relatively lawless rugby/football hybrid that dates back centuries.
