The Player

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The Ashbourne game is thought to be the largest carnival ball event in England

Shrove-Tuesday is All about pancakes. For centuries, it is also A Day for rumbustious "football" games with loose rules and unlimited number of subscribers and in some cases open violence.

Sedgefield is a fairly small town in the middle of the rolling fields of County Durham . Its picturesque green framed by a beautiful Church, tearooms and shops.

But for one afternoon every year, the sleepy town to the battle field. Dozens of steel-toe-boot the bruisers bash-thrash, a small ball through The Streets and streams of hours before a person is declared The Winner .

"Yes, it sounds a little bit", a laughs, the reigning world champion Michael Adcock , who has won the 2019 title after three-and-a-half-hour tussle.

"I try and explain it to the People , But they don't understand. I love it, it's fun, I never want to miss. "

Michael Adcock was declared, the 2019 Winner of the Sedgefield game after an epic two fight

The 30-year-old is the third member of His Family , victorious passed, the small leather ball Three Times through the bull ring in the centre of the city, to the claim.

His father, John, won in 1974 and his brother Thomas in the year 2017, so that only his other brother, Robert, to triumph to.

"do We mention that to him," Michael chuckles, before you try with brotherly faithfulness: "we are This year and help him, But it is not. "

The Ball game is a town, the tradition and the centre of the scrum is to be an exciting place to be, says Michael ; the mass of humanity pushing and pulling each other, each trying to get the elusive ball.

Such scrums and scrabbles can be found, to England on Tuesday night, of Corfe Castle in Dorset to Alnwick in Northumberland about Ashbourne in Derbyshire, and Atherstone in Warwickshire.

Each game has its own traditional characteristics and features simply as "The Rules ". And while some may be rough looking from the outside, you would not want to be on the inner side, to miss.

Chris Lines (image here "addressed") said it was a success, The Ball

touch"It's exactly how it looks," says long-Sedgefield participants Chris Lines .

"It's hectic, crazy, absolute Chaos, no alms asked, still. But then you'll suddenly see that each stop a child or older person a kick of The Ball . There are no rules, But it is a kind of code of conduct that everyone understands. If a window is broken, there is to pay for a whip-round at the end.

"Take part in The Ball game is a rite of passage in Sedgefield. I would say lose a couple of teeth in the position that I won it, But I'm not big or stupid enough.

"I war my wounds, I still have an area in my mouth is numb But after getting up from the elbow a couple of years ago. I love getting The Ball and running with it before you are tackled to the ground.

"There is no greater honor in Sedgefield, than to win The Ball game, and I say that after The Mayor Once . "

Michael (center, with ball) celebrates his victory with his brothers Robert (left) and Thomas, son Freddie, father John and mother Ann

Sedgefield ball is slightly larger than a cricket-ball, But just as hard. To win

in order to, The Player you dunk it in a beck about half a mile from the city center, before The Green for the bull-ring-final.

"The beck is quite scary, with like 100 People squeeze you says around in the water", Michael , But adds: "you just have to try and stay relaxed.

"My father told us his stories about The Game that makes us want to tell Our Own stories.

"you might have a few bruises, But no-one is actually trying to hurt each other.

"If something happens, and some of them have to fight a little bit, they only get Together in the pub afterwards with a pint. "

Each of the winners - including the three victorious members of the Adcock Family gets to keep The Ball

the Shrove Tuesday football games back have been certificated to the country as far as the 12Th Century , according to Dr. Ruth Larsen, senior history lecturer at the University of Derby.

The Ball was traditionally the bladder of a pig.

"A game with parts of The Animal to a feast, where meat was consumed in large quantities makes sense," said Dr. Larsen says, especially in view of the Shrove Tuesday is The Last day before lent, when Christians renounced traditional to eat meat.

Dr. said the football "season" began on 1. November - All Saints ' day - Another day of celebration, when the animals were traditionally slaughtered.

While many of the cities, the tradition preserved, others went away with theirs for too long.

Chester-le-Street in County Durham , outlawed in 1932. It was Popular - a bridge over the Cong Burn, broke under The Weight of spectators in 1891, But the city decided, the violence and the damage was too great.

Chester-le-Street Shrove Tuesday soccer game was so Popular . . the pedestrian bridge over the Cong Burn Out broke in 1891, under The Weight of spectators

"The Day before The Game , the craftsmen of the city begin, the pensions to their shop window - hammering six-inch nails in the frame," says Dorothy Hall , the Chairman of The Town 's heritage group

"ash Wednesday, then I would have spent would be to them All again.

"she had Finally enough of the barricading of their shops. "

Similar concerns led to the termination of the games in Manchester and Carlisle during the 16 and 17 century, during Alnwick -match moved from the city of the roads on the grounds of The Castle in the 19Th Century , in an effort to make it safer.

Alnwick moved The Event on the grounds of The Castle in an attempt to minimize disruption in the city

Probably the biggest game in the country, in Ashbourne, where the 16-hour Royal Shrovetide football game takes place over Two Days .

The Event regularly attracts news organizations from around The World to cover eager to the alarming antics, won Royal status, when a ball was presented to Princess Mary in 1922, on her Wedding Day .

shops are boarded up along the main street of Ashbourne ahead of The Game The Game the city for Two Days ,

does Each game follows its own traditions.

In Ashbourne, the whole city becomes the playing field, as The Up 'Ards traditionally, those born North of Henmore Brook game against the Bottom - 'Ards, from The South .

Alnwick -game goals - known as the hales - the 400 yards (365m) apart and decorated with greenery, The Game ends Once a team has scored a goal, twice.

Not All of the games are characterized by a large, heaving crowd.

The annual game in Corfe Castle just a kick about is "on", David Burt , 74, who participates for More Than 40 Years .

The Event attracts a lot of more "select bundles" of not More Than about 40 People - All with links to The Company of Marblers and stonecutters of Purbeck.

Corfe Castle "kick about" is transported to a calmer matter,

The tradition of The Ball to the boundary of the city of castle arose from the stonemasons of the enforcement of your rights to use the old way, the stone was broken.

These games up to Modern Times , show no signs of abating.

"From what I've heard, it's actually safer and less violent than in the past," says Sedgefield champion Michael .

"My son Freddie is three and comes to the guards, and when The Ball goes near him, he will try and kick it.

"If he wants to take part, if it is greater, then I'm happy for him to do this. "

He pauses thoughtfully, before laughing again.

"I'm going to need to stay fit so I can help him to win. "

tradition, sedgefield, culture, atherstone, corfe castle, ashbourne, alnwick, chester-le-street

Source of news: bbc.com