Ashbourne Shrovetide Football: Hundreds chase after the ball in traditional game

Shop windows were boarded up and businesses closed early as the town of Ashbourne prepared for the annual Shrovetide football game. Hundreds of players joined in the traditional game as they climbed on trees and waded into rivers in an effort to retrieve the ball. The game, which has its roots in the 17th century, has very few rules - but its most important is not to murder opponents. The football will be played on Shrove Tuesday and Ash Wednesday.

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  1. The ball is thrown into the hug to start the annual Shrovetide football match (Reuters)
  2. The ball is momentarily suspended in the air as a crowd of hands reach up to grab it (Reuters)
  3. Desperate players climb a tree and hang from the branches in a bid to remove the ball from the hug. The game resembles a disorganised rugby scrum (Reuters)
  4. An elderly woman watches from the safety of her home as the hug passes. Shops boarded their windows and businesses closed early for the tense game (Reuters)
  5. One of the few rules of the game - which has been in existence since the 17th century - is not to murder opponents (Reuters)
  6. A boarded shop in Ashbourne before the annual football game (Reuters)
  7. Players in dogged pursuit of the ball as they wade into rivers and slip down banks. The goalscorers are carried back to town on teammates shoulders, applauded by hundreds of spectators (Reuters)
  8. The ball breaks from the hug in Ashbourne. The aim of the teams is to score by tapping the ball three times on stone goal plinths three miles apart on the banks of the River Henmore (Reuters)
  9. The game is played over Shrove Tuesday and Ash Wednesday. There are hundreds of players on each side - the Up
  10. ˜Members of the public follow the hug (Reuters)