'Biggest ever ball' for ancient football game

This year's ball is said to be the largest one ever used

An ancient football game dating back to the 12th Century is set to begin later with the largest ball ever used, according to the man who painted it.

The Royal Shrovetide Football game in Ashbourne, Derbyshire, is traditionally played on Shrove Tuesday and Ash Wednesday and has been held nearly every year since at least 1667.

Tim Baker, who painted a ball for this year's proceedings, has written a book about Royal Shrovetide balls and said despite it being the largest ever, it was not necessarily the heaviest.

The action is due to start on Tuesday afternoon.

Thousands of people gather in Ashbourne for the event

The game sees thousands of players - in teams called the Up'Ards and Down'Ards - compete to move the ball to opposite ends of the town.

Mr Baker works in the town's heritage centre, which has a large collection of balls, including some dating back to the 1880s.

For research into his book, families in Ashbourne brought Shrovetide balls to him to examine and measure.

"The Tuesday ball this year is extremely large. It is much larger than any ball we have ever played with," he said.

Tim Baker has been looking back at the game's history

Farmer John Tomlinson has been given the honour of "turning the ball up" to get the game under way.

Traditionally the ball has pictures on it that represent the person starting the play.

Mr Tomlinson will turn the ball up, 24 years after his father Philip did.

He said it made him feel "very proud".

John Tomlinson with the ball he will turn up, and the one he "goaled" in 1995

On Wednesday, Ashbourne builder David Calladine will be starting the game, which is done from a stone plinth in the Shawcroft car park in the centre of town.

It will be particularly special for him, as it was his construction firm that built the plinth that was used for the first time last year.

Mr Calladine said: "I am Ashbourne born and bred. Every time I go past it, I look across and think that is something to be proud of and nice to be part of."

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