[Soccer] Shrovetide Football

[Brodel]

Seeing as it's Shrove Tuesday I thought there should be a post about Shrovetide Football. I've never participated myself, has anyone here?

The Royal Shrovetide Football Match occurs annually on Shrove Tuesday and Ash Wednesday in the town of Ashbourne in Derbyshire, England. It has been played since at least the 12th century, though sadly the exact origins of the game are unknown due to a fire at the Royal Shrovetide Committee office in the 1890s which destroyed the earliest records. However, one of the most popular origin theories suggests the macabre notion that the 'ball' was originally a severed head tossed into the waiting crowd following an execution.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Royal_Shrovetide_Football

[Andy07]

haha... makes real footballers look like pussies.

[riahc3]

We are in the year 2007 and this is still allowed?

[Brodel]

We are in the year 2007 and this is still allowed?

Why not? It's a tradition, they use a special ball not a persons head, and everyone for the most part is mature enough to play it for what it is and not murder anybody in the process. They still allow the 'encierro' in Spain don't they?

On a side note, I'm learning about medieval Iberia at University this semester, very interesting. :)

[riahc3]

Why not? It's a tradition, they use a special ball not a persons head, and everyone for the most part is mature enough to play it for what it is and not murder anybody in the process. They still allow the 'encierro' in Spain don't they?

On a side note, I'm learning about medieval Iberia at University this semester, very interesting. :)

Same old excuses; You can ****ing punch and beat someone (by the looks of the rules) to get the ball. There is something called "evolution" that this tradition obviously hasnt passed by.

This will problably stop when someone gets killed.

[Brodel]

Same old excuses; You can ****ing punch and beat someone (by the looks of the rules) to get the ball. There is something called "evolution" that this tradition obviously hasnt passed by.

This will problably stop when someone gets killed.

What 'excuses'? Like I said, they still allow the encierro in Spain, which is a far more barbaric sport IMO. You aren't forced to play, people know what to expect and it's been going since the 12th Century so the odds of it being banned soon are stacked against you. Read the wikipedia article.

[riahc3]

What 'excuses'?

Like I said, they still allow the encierro in Spain, which is a far more barbaric sport IMO.

Do you even read your posts? :no:

This is alot more barbaric. Punches and generally a free-for-all to get a stupid ball.

I'm going to leave this topic seeing as this will probably turn into a flamewar and I'm at 100%.

My last note is: This game is stupid and ridiculous. Period.

[Powa]

Normal football is just as bad nowadays.

[Martyn]

Normal football is just as bad nowadays.

The brawl at the end of the Carling Cup Final today was a good example of that! Oh, and when Terry got KO'd :p.