The Atherstone Ball Game
The offices at Pin Digital overlook the high street of Atherstone Town Centre. Every year on pancake day, the Atherstone Ball Game is held. Its a tradition that goes back many years and is basically a two hour long competition where a large ball is thrown up and down the high street, the person holding the ball at the end of he competition is the winner. Simple right? Well no… you see there are very few (if any) rules for the Atherstone Ball Game. I guess one could liken it to rugby!
I’m always up for a challenge but I think I’ll be watching it from the (relative) safety of my office window! I’d love to take part but my bosses say I’m too valuable to the company to be hurt and off work 
Well.. thats kinda what they said!
John Parkes has taken a few pictures of what the high street looks like at the moment, pre game. Anyone just arriving in Atherstone for the first time today not knowing about the ball game would be very confused and probably scared!
Going back to the 12th Century, the Atherstone Ball Game is one of the oldest traditions in the country. Hundreds of locals turn up to watch and take part in the game which has no teams and is literally every person for themselves! The origins of the game are unclear and no one really knows how or why the game was started.
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Paddy Moogan
Paddy is an SEO Consultant working for Distilled in the London office.
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February 16th, 2010 at 3:13 pm
Looks like an interesting if potentially dangerous game, if the boarded up shop windows are to be taken as a signal!
January 18th, 2011 at 12:44 am
Well in 2009 I was there taking photos and the only door not boarded up (A Big door with glass panels) had 20 people go through it!