Fooball Facts 2: Medieval Football
In the Middle Ages, early forms of football in England were known as "Mob Football".
It was played between neighbouring towns and villages, involving an unimited
number of players on opposing teams who would struggle to move an item, such
as an inflated animal's bladder to particular points, such as the opponents'
church, with play taking place in the open spaces between them.
The game was played primarily during significant religious festivals, such as
Shrovetide, Christmas or Easter.
In Atherstone (Warwickshire) a annual tradition is the Shrove Tuesday Ball Game
which is a free-for-all game played along Watling Street (the old Roman Road) at the
point where it forms the main street of Atherstone town.
The ball is decorated with red, white and blue ribbons that are exchanged for money by who ever is able to obtain one and is made of thick leather to make it too heavy to kick far.
The match starts at 3pm when the ball is thrown from the window of Barclays Bank and continues until about 5pm. However the ball may legitimately be deflated or hidden after 4.30pm.
There are no teams and no goals, though in the last century the match was played between a team from Warwickshire and one from Leicestershire.
There is only one rule: players are not allowed to kill one another. Whoever is able to hang onto the ball at the end of the game not only wins the game but is allowed to keep the ball as well.
This Shrove Tuesday ball game has been held annually since the early 12th century
and is one of Atherstone's claims to fame. 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".[6]
The 'ball' used is specially made each year and is 'thrown out' by a prominent sporting
or show business personality. Shop windows are boarded up and traffic is diverted on
the afternoon whilst the game, in which hundreds of people take part, progresses
along the town's main streets.
