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In 2004, Leeds resident and marbles enthusiast Mourad Kara, put together a team called Yorkshire Meds to participate in the British & World Marble Championships, which have been held every year on Good Friday since 1932 in Tinsley Green, near Crawley in Sussex.

The village is reputed to be the scene of an epic marbles battle in Elizabethan times over the hand of a local maiden and the modern event attracts competitors from as far afield as Australia and draws in hundreds of spectators.

A total of 21 teams, ranging in age from 11 to 70 took part, including three from Germany. Teams are each made up of six people, take to the marble ring in a series of knock-out rounds. Many of the competitors take the game very seriously, with some teams practising several times a week.

The arena of combat!

For the unitiated it can be confusing as contestants must abide by a strict set of rules, and must know their fudging from their cabbaging! Sam McCarthy-Fox, secretary of the British Marbles Board of Control set out what a good marbles player needs: "A strong thumb and good hand-eye coordination are the most important skills to have".

The Yorkshire Meds team is made up of players young and old, spanning three generations (grand parents to grand-children)! The origin of the team's name is from Yorkshire Mediterraneans, since the team is made up of Yorkshire folk and their marble-playing brethren from various Mediterranean countries who live in Yorkshire - the majority in Leeds.

On Friday 21 March 2008 (Good Friday in more ways than one!), having gone all the way to the final at the championship in Tinsley Green, defeating the reigning champions - 1st MC Erzgebirge from Germany - along the way, the Meds were victorious.

The Yorkshire Meds won two other trophies in addition to the main championship trophy; the best lady player trophy and the best individual player trophy. All Trophies are staying in the UK this year and for the first time in the history of the tournament  the main trophy is coming to Yorkshire. Previous winners have either been from Southern England or continental Europe.

Listen to Mourad Kara & Bob Croft from the Yorkshire Meds as they explain to BBC Radio Leeds' Steve Bailey about their passion for marbles and their recent success: