Ashbourne Shrovetide Football

I thought you may be interested in reading this poem. When my Father threw the ball up in 1974, he wrote this poem, and read it out as part of his speech:

There is a town called ‘The Gate to Dovedale"
And early every year
Men gather in the Green Man Bar
To Drink their Rum and Beer
They play a game of football there
They play it in the street
The men they are a rugged crowd
And very hard to beat

Shrove Tuesday and Ash Wednesday
These days are always set
To play a game of football
Through Sunshine Snow and Wet
They carry a chosen one shoulder high
Until they reach Shaw Croft
They sing 'The Queen' and 'Auld Lang Sine'
Then the ball is tossed aloft

All barriers are broken then
Religion, Races too
To try and hold that wondrous ball
Robed in Red, White and Blue.
It’s sometime Up And it’s sometimes Down
As they play there in the street
And neither side will give way
Or ever show defeat.

The day goes on and the night air cold
As slowly they leave the town
To fight through hedgerow sludge and brook
Till that Mill Wheel is found.
Then out of dirty pockets wet
A coin is quickly tossed
Men walk away, no luck that day
For them the game is lost

The Victor he rejoices
His friends stand by his side
With the ball tucked under his arm
Into Ashbourne town they stride.
Men gather in the Green Man Bar
And tales are told that night
Of Royal Shrovetide Football
And how they won or lost the fight

So don’t decry our ancient game
And never show defeat
Let’s see our children’s children
Play Shrovetide in the street

Donald Lowndes
February 1974
linda taylor nee lowndes

Shrovetide Is Thaa Best!! Although I Was With St Johns Ambulance This Year Lol Still Got A Kick Of The Ball Though WoopWoop!!
Nicci..UpArd :)

well done both sides for a game well played , clean and very hard and with sportsmanship from both sides , as it should be, excellent, shrovetide is back !
old upard

Love the game!! its getin rougher now a days thow with all the out of town people!!haha ...Go DOWN'ARDS :)xx
Danni Smith

well done to the downards for scoring so quickly on day one, but a bigger well done to the uppards on day two for tieing it. congrats to both sides. keep the tradition going. god bless you all.
hugh gilbride

What a fantastic Shrovetide this year!!! Such a good atmosphere everywhere. I love it sooooooooooo much. Shrovetide forever x
A long lost Down'ard

This was the first time ive been to Shrovetide, on Tuesday, it was reali enjoyable, and it doesnt seem like you are walking loads and loads when you are but you dnt think about it.
Hannah Swindell

Even though i wasnt there i think they did very weelllll Lol GOOOOOOO NEILLL TITO :DXxxxx
Rachel Quipp :)

cmon you uppards , we played well wednesday and we r gonna win next year ! ! !
james ingram

Upards & Downards draw! but i think unfortunately soon the 14 years of losses to the downards will be broken because slowly there are becoming more downards due to everyone been born at Derby but then it won't be soon before that the ashbourne hospital is up and running and then the upards will return! C'mon you upards! I am really looking forwards to 2010 shrovetide even thought its a years away because it going to get harder every single year for the upards till the next generation of upards return! (I am one of the current!) and i am proud to be an up!
Charlie Herridge

just want 2 say congratulations to the runners mark williams, kevin clarke, karl webster, for their part in getting it away on tuesday that was fantastic running and congratulations to the winner lets have more the same next year.
a downard.

I went to see it today with my pe class and were not from near ashbourne. it was absolutly amazing and are beggin our teacher to take us agian next year. an unimaginable experience!
Lucy Smith

Complete waste of time....strong in the arm thick in the head!
Peter Harrison

I heared last year about this event and HAD to make it a priority to get here to see this game kick off. Im amazed at its popularity and its one amazing event to watch! I trully will go home telling everyone about it and get others to come to this event next year its a must on ashbournes calender! Keep the game going its a fantastic event to be part of and very friendly people that add to ashbournes warm welcome no matter where your from! Im taking a upards sweatshirt from here as a keepsake ad next yr i hope to wear it with equal pride! WELL DONE ASHBOURNE THANK YOU ALL FOR FANTASTIC COUPLE OF DAYS
debbie davies south wales!

in regards to the comment from the ex-upard i have to say, both sides use phones,cars,vans etc and they both use tactics. it is sad they feel this way? i'm an up'ard and proud. what matters most about shrovetide is no matter what tactics r used it is an un-predictible game. no meetings etc can decide what happens on the day. up or down, does it really matter as long as the ball is goaled...........
proud upard

Harry and I started making an annual video back in 1985 of the Shrovetide games, and have much enjoyed the experience. I am known for viewing the game from my infamous step ladder. After helping with this years games I will be handing over making DVD's to Shrovetider Danny Moon who is keen to carry on in future years and to raise cash from sales to support the Committee. We plan to get the DVD's into Nigel's Butchers in Dig Street, Ashbourne as quickly as possible after Shrovetide. Look out for our posters.Danny has bought a great new camera with infra red for night filming. I will cover the luncheon with speeches. Which are not being covered by CCTV this year. Also the Turn up and any special bits that come my way. Danny plans to follow in my style of coverage, and hopes to make a record of all the days play. With your comments, so look out for us.
yvonne hithersay

Shrovetide is the best two days out of the year! Come on Up'ards, beat them dirty Down'ards AGAIN!! haha
Vicky Mellor

Hope we win this year. :)
Katiee...Dwnard...x3

we all no that up'ards are gonna win this year, the down'ards say they are better but they are really scared of us!!!! cum on u UPARDS
harryhellaby

Congratulations to Mr Spencer for his appointment with history! Skip a generation? I do not think so! Face facts! Hard as it maybe that this guy has given his life to Ashbourne and its way of life! As he stated the game is far bigger than they who play! Messer’s Harrison, Grant, Rattcliffe, Calladine,baggie, Kerr (like it or not) you are all folk law heroes! But the thousands who have trod before you and since are merely players of one of this worlds most exquisite games!
MJ SMITH

I remember growing up.. the stories of my grandmother Doris still the only woman ever to have scored! I remember the ball...painted and hanging proud in the chip shoip on the Market Place in Ashbourne over the two days that Shrovetide was held. I remember all the shops being boarded up and much more. A fine tradition tradition...KEEP IT UP ASHBURNIANS!!!!!!!!
lm

I think this event is the most amazing in the world
Andrew Fleming

If the upards are so gud then why do they have to make a plan eg,meetings, vans,mobile phones and paintbrushes? ?
Ex-upard

There was a dummie ball...Thats so bad shrovys been around for years..theres no need to cheat!!
me

All i say is bring on 2009!C'mon u downards!!!
Ruby (Dwnard!)..x.

shrovetide is a great tradition which is brill fun for everyone!!!up'ard are the best and always will be!!! whoop whoop!!....now its all over until another year.xxx
golly gosh!

What a great day. Be back next year. Keep the faith.
Sir Nigel

Well upards uv done us this year!! both days but wait till next year Downards ALl the way Baby!!=]
Rosanna Taylor

Abs fab play on Tues 2008- it was the best play I have ever seen! Down 'ards played well hard n definately deserved a win here's to 2009 come on you down 'ards - lets get it down!
Cal B

Better luck next year Down'ards!!!
Natalie Edge-Edwards

Two fantastic days of play- plenty of river play, the ball saw lots of air and breaks against the run of play. Roll on 2009!!
Leon

Bad luck downards. You put your all into it. Salty in pain this morning, if he was an animal you'd put him out of his misery! Roll on next year.
Mrs Salty

shame about people coming in from not round here they ruin it and abuse it it shud just b local people coming!!!!!!!!
never you mind

what a ledgend game. Absoulutly brutally but awesome!!!!
furball

I have been brought up in a family who has always played a big part in shrovetide and lately its sad to say that in my opinion the game is becoming more and more restricted with stewards, rules and last but not least the little team meetings months prior to shrovetide. we should take a look back in history when the good old shrovetiders played the real men (free from wet suits, meetings, decoys, and cars) it was every man for himself and the players were more deserving of a ball rather than now a days when its who's relative you are depends on if you get a ball or not!
downard

Watchout upards, the Dingo is going to score. Catch me if you can.
Bob Dyer

Well an Upard scored yeterday and Downards worked all yesterday pushing that ball towards clifton , Downards deserved to have that ball they worked the hardest all day. In my mind the downards scored that goal.
Downard

shrovetide is a good game i rather watch this game then watch derby county play it is a fair game and i really enjoy watching it i hope next year will be the same and we need them downards winning so come on you downards
vincent rowe

come on you uprds we did it last year we can do it again next year.p.s dont be fooled by those dirty dowards who are soure loosers
upard

fantastic game, fantastic town. been coming to shrove tide for 6 years now, many more to come!! up'ards to win again in '08. C'mon.
hugh gilbride ex landlord of george n dragon

u upards r gonna win this year ,i hav faith in u!! cum on upards
Harry Hellaby

Nearly here again, so come on upards lets do it again this year and beat the downards
Ben Sellers

I never home with whatever all what suggested and saw I started We used
landdog

Come on you DOWNARDS ! ! ! ! ! ! ! !
April

come on upards do the same as last year and show the downards were the stronger team
Ben sellers

Thanks John Graves. Thats my picture from last year. It is also in the Radio Derby Calender for Charity.I will be there again this year to watch this great event.
Warren Elkes

watch out you upards this year this is are year and its turning you no that its true and they is note you can do . lets av an open game this year year lets get sum balls scored o yea downard's of course
from all the downard's