Medieval British Football

Medieval British Football

According to later legend Celtic Britons played the Romans at a game of Football in Derbyshire on Shrove Tuesday AD 217 after a battle. These games of Football had no formal rules, or numbers per side and are also known as Medieval or Mob Football with the objective usually to get the ball back to a base at either your own teams end or the opposing teams. Variations on the theme include Uppies & Downies (those living up the hill versus those living down the hill) and Town versus Country. These sports are also known in Continental Europe. In Britain these days they are mainly played in the Celtic fringes of England and Scotland: Cornish Hurling in Cornwall, Manx Cammag in the Isle of Man, Orkney Ba Game in the Orkney Islands, Shaking the Hales in Northumberland, Uppies & Downies in Cumbria, and the Shrovetide Game in Derbyshire. Other games include Eton Fives, a version of Handball first played in the Middle Ages by Peasants against the Church Walls at Eton College, with a handrail providing an obstacle down one side.

Royalty-free stock photo ID: 1275324475
Haxey,Lincolnshire,UK. January 05th 2019.The ancient game of Haxey hood took place today,two villages do battle for the leather hood,Ahead of the game the Haxey fool is smoked while giving speeches.
I
By Ian Francis

Medieval British Football

Scottish Ba’ Game. English Shrovetide Football,

Scottish Ba’ Game

English Shrovetide Football

Other English Football Games

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