Ashbourne Royal Shrovetide Football

What is the Ashbourne Royal Shrovetide Football?

The Ashbourne Royal Shrovetide Football is a two-day mob football match in which hundreds of participants chase a painted leather ball through the streets, fields, and river of Ashbourne, Derbyshire. The two teams — the Up'ards and the Down'ards — attempt to carry, kick, or throw the ball to their respective goal mills, three miles apart. There are almost no rules, no fixed team sizes, and no referee.

The ball itself is a work of craft: a hand-stitched leather casing stuffed with cork to make it float, then hand-painted by a local artist with imagery specific to that year's game. After the match, the ball is traditionally kept by whoever scored the goal. Each ball is unique — and each game is, by design, entirely unpredictable.

The game is played across the town as a whole: the playing field includes streets, shop fronts, car parks, private gardens, and the River Henmore. Businesses board up windows in advance. The ball has been known to pass through pubs and come out the other side. Nothing is off-limits except motors and bags.

When is the Ashbourne game played?

The game is played over two consecutive days: Shrove Tuesday (Pancake Day) and Ash Wednesday. Each day's play begins at 2pm, when a guest of honour throws the ball into the crowd to start the match.

Play runs until 10pm, or until a goal is scored after 5pm — at which point the scoring side wins the day. Goals are rare enough that many days end without one. The date changes every year because Shrove Tuesday is tied to Easter Sunday, which is itself a moveable feast.

What are the rules of Shrovetide football?

The official rules of Ashbourne Shrovetide football are brief by design. Players may carry, throw, or kick the ball. Motorised vehicles may not be used. The ball must not be concealed in a bag or carried off in a vehicle. Beyond that, almost anything goes.

In practice, this means the ball can pass through rivers, gardens, pubs, car parks, and private land. Players can carry it for miles or form a massive scrimmage — known locally as a “hug” — that can involve hundreds of people and barely move for hours. Play can spread across the entire town simultaneously, with small groups breaking away to move the ball while the main hug draws attention.

What do Up'ards and Down'ards mean?

Players are divided into two teams by geography, not by choice. Up'ards are players born north of the Henmore Brook — the stream running through the centre of Ashbourne. Down'ards are those born south of it.

There are no rosters, no caps, and no limit on numbers. On a busy year, hundreds of players from each side may be active simultaneously. Visitors and tourists who wish to participate traditionally join the Up'ards. The result is a game where team sizes are impossible to predict and strategy is largely improvised.

The names derive from the geography of the brook and the town's older layout: the north side was historically “up” on the hillside and the south side was the lower town. The division has been in use for as long as the game has been recorded, and locals feel it keenly — allegiance is inherited as much as chosen.

Why is it called Royal Shrovetide Football?

The “Royal” title dates from 1928, when the Prince of Wales — the future King Edward VIII — visited Ashbourne and performed the ceremonial first throw, known as “turning up the ball.”

Turning up the ball is the act that officially starts each day's play. The ball is presented to a guest of honour — traditionally a person of local or national significance — who throws it from a plinth into the assembled crowd at 2pm sharp. The crowd surges, and the match begins.

Since the Prince of Wales's visit, the tradition of inviting distinguished guests to turn up the ball has continued every year. Past turners-up have included Olympic athletes, political figures, and local heroes. The royal prefix was formally adopted after 1928 and has remained part of the game's official name ever since.

History of the Ashbourne game

Shrovetide mob football was once common across England — played in towns and villages on Pancake Day as the last great communal event before the Lenten fast. Most of these games were suppressed in the 19th century under legislation targeting public disorder and disruption to trade. Ashbourne is one of the very few places where the tradition survived intact.

The earliest written records of the Ashbourne game date to the 17th century. Local lore suggests the game is considerably older — one tradition holds that it originated with a prisoner's severed head, thrown into the crowd after an execution, which the townspeople began to kick through the streets. Historians treat this as almost certainly apocryphal, but the story has circulated for generations.

A more credible origin is that the game evolved from the widespread pre-Lenten custom of community games involving a ball, common across northern Europe in the medieval period. Ashbourne's version was notable for its scale and its use of the entire town as a playing field, which gave it a resilience that smaller local customs lacked.

The game came close to ending on several occasions, most significantly during the two World Wars when play was suspended. It also faced pressure in the 19th century when local authorities and the police sought to restrict or ban it. The townspeople resisted. Unlike many other towns, Ashbourne kept its game alive, and the tradition has now run continuously (with wartime breaks) for at least three centuries of recorded history.

Watching or playing at Ashbourne

The Ashbourne Royal Shrovetide Football is free to watch and free to play. No ticket is required, no registration, no official team membership.

Spectators are welcome throughout the town. Arrive by 1:30pm to find a position before the 2pm start. The area around Shaw Croft Car Park is traditionally where the ball is turned up. Shops and businesses in the town centre board up their windows; the town is notably altered for the event.

Be prepared for the ball to emerge anywhere, including through doorways and across the river. The scrimmage (the “hug”) can be physically intense and slow-moving. Keeping a safe distance when the hug forms is advisable for those who only wish to observe.

Visitors who wish to play traditionally join the Up'ards. Wear clothes you're willing to damage and be ready for cold water — the River Henmore is a regular part of the game.

Frequently Asked Questions

More on Pancake Day traditions

Sources & further reading

• Royal Shrovetide Football — Wikipedia
• All about Ashbourne Shrovetide Football — Visit Peak District & Derbyshire
• Ashbourne Royal Shrovetide Football — official game records
• The Crown and Westminster (royal connection, 1928)