Hundreds of people gathered in Alnwick on Shrove Tuesday for an unusual tradition which has been going for over 200 years.
The annual Shrovetide Football match, known locally as Scoring the Hales, took place in the fields surrounding Alnwick Castle between the rival parishes of St. Michael and St. Paul. It has been going for 207 years and is said to be one of only five games left that are still played in the country.
Historians at Alnwick’s Bailiffgate Museum say Shrovetide ball games have been played in England since at least the 12th century, including the match in Sedgefield in County Durham which is said to date back more than 900 years.
The event sees participants attempt to score the most hales, which are like football goals, but are taller than they are wide. And at the end of the match, the ball is kicked into the River Aln and players jump in after it in an attempt to be the first to get it onto the opposite bank.
Steve Temple won the ball again this year, making him a record 13-time winner. He said: “It’s not getting any easier. This is meant to be the last year – again – but we’ll see.”
Scorers of the first and second hales receive cash prizes of £15, while £30 goes to the third and conquering hale. There were also 20 prizes of £5 in recognition of good play.
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