Up'Ards win Royal Shrovetide Football game after goalless first day

The traditional Royal Shrovetide Football match in Derbyshire has been won by the Up'Ards.

Played nearly every year since at least 1667, the historic game was goalless going into Ash Wednesday.

The brutal action sees thousands of players from two sides - the Up'Ards and Down'Ards - compete to move a ball to opposite ends of the town.

The ball was "goaled" by Tom Allen, who was then carried by the crowds through the market town on Wednesday evening.

Play resumed on Wednesday with Mick Mee - a youth worker in the town - chosen to "turn up" the ball to start proceedings.

Royal Shrovetide Football has been played in Ashbourne since at least 1667

The match began from a newly-built plinth in Shawcroft Car Park

Paul Cook got the game under way at 14:00 GMT on Tuesday from a new plinth in Shawcroft Car Park.

He said: "Seeing those thousands and thousands of expectant people waiting for the ball to be turned in was a memory I'll never forget."

Players then spent eight hours moving the ball around in an effort to get on the scoreboard.

Matt Barlow, from BBC Radio Derby, said the ball was in the town centre for the majority of the first day.

"The ball spent most of the time in the hug - a thick mass of players which had steam coming off the top," he added.

Later in the day the Up'Ards had a surge in strength but they were not able to goal the ball in time.

The hug of players kept the ball in the town centre for most of the first day