Latest news with #Uppies
Yahoo
19-04-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Uppies lead Downies in 'no rules' football series
The first game in this year's traditional no-rules mass football series has taken place in Cumbria. The 2025 Uppies and Downies series started on Good Friday in Workington, with players from the upper part of the town competing with rivals from the lower end for local pride and to win a specially made ball. Match ball sponsor Billie Saffill's seven-year-old son Brodhie "threw off" the ball to mark the start of the three-match series. Friday's opener was won by the Uppies. The remaining clashes will take place on Tuesday and on 26 April. Ms Saffill said this year's ball was dedicated to Graeme Dixon, known as Willox, who died following a cardiac arrest during last year's series. Uppie Richard Hodgson said he remembered Mr Dixon for always being in the scrum. Patrick Carr, a Downie, added: "He was an absolute diamond of a person." Friday's game saw the Uppies clinch victory, with Shane Roe managing to get the ball after the scrum stalled at the cricket club. The Uppies won last year's series 2-1. Records of the game go as far back as the mid-1600s. Originally it was a challenge between the dockers, now the Downies, and the miners, now the Uppies. To win, the Uppies have to try to get the ball to Workington Hall, while the Downies need to take it to a ship's capstan at Workington harbour. Uppies and Downies is one of a few surviving mass football games still played in the UK. Others include the Shrovetide Football game in Ashborne, Derbyshire, and the Ba' Game played in Kirkwall, Orkney. Uppies and Downies in Workington remains the only medieval football game to neither have official organisers nor rules. Participants turn up for each match at 18:30 at The Cloffocks. Players do not wear uniforms or identifying colours, making it difficult to know which team they belong to. There is a gentleman's agreement that cars must not be used to take the ball away from the scrum. The game is played all across town and the game only ends when the ball is hailed - thrown into the air three times - by the winner. A ball is made especially for each game, with an inscription of the date and the name of the ball maker. For more than 40 years, it has been made by Mark Rawlinson. Three families sponsor each of the three balls in the series. As a thank you, they choose who throws off the ball from the little bridge between the Black Path and Allerdale House, where the game traditionally begins. The winner keeps the ball as a trophy and becomes a town hero for the night. Follow BBC Cumbria on X, Facebook, Nextdoor and Instagram. Workington: It's time for Uppies and Downies Town readies for return of no-rules football game
BBC News
19-04-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
Workington's Uppies lead Downies in 'no rules' football series
The first game in this year's traditional no-rules mass football series has taken place in 2025 Uppies and Downies series started on Good Friday in Workington, with players from the upper part of the town competing with rivals from the lower end for local pride and to win a specially made ball sponsor Billie Saffill's seven-year-old son Brodhie "threw off" the ball to mark the start of the three-match opener was won by the Uppies. The remaining clashes will take place on Tuesday and on 26 April. Ms Saffill said this year's ball was dedicated to Graeme Dixon, known as Willox, who died following a cardiac arrest during last year's Richard Hodgson said he remembered Mr Dixon for always being in the Carr, a Downie, added: "He was an absolute diamond of a person." Friday's game saw the Uppies clinch victory, with Shane Roe managing to get the ball after the scrum stalled at the cricket Uppies won last year's series of the game go as far back as the it was a challenge between the dockers, now the Downies, and the miners, now the win, the Uppies have to try to get the ball to Workington Hall, while the Downies need to take it to a ship's capstan at Workington and Downies is one of a few surviving mass football games still played in the include the Shrovetide Football game in Ashborne, Derbyshire, and the Ba' Game played in Kirkwall, Orkney. Uppies and Downies in Workington remains the only medieval football game to neither have official organisers nor turn up for each match at 18:30 at The do not wear uniforms or identifying colours, making it difficult to know which team they belong is a gentleman's agreement that cars must not be used to take the ball away from the game is played all across town and the game only ends when the ball is hailed - thrown into the air three times - by the winner. A ball is made especially for each game, with an inscription of the date and the name of the ball more than 40 years, it has been made by Mark families sponsor each of the three balls in the series. As a thank you, they choose who throws off the ball from the little bridge between the Black Path and Allerdale House, where the game traditionally winner keeps the ball as a trophy and becomes a town hero for the night. Follow BBC Cumbria on X, Facebook, Nextdoor and Instagram.
Yahoo
19-04-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Uppies win the first game in the annual Easter tradition
The Uppies have won the first game in the annual Workington tradition of Uppies and Downies. Shane Roe hailed the ball shortly before 11pm on Good Friday, securing a win for the Uppies. The event was kicked off Seven-year-old Brodhie Saffill-Kirkpatrick from Northside yesterday evening who threw off the ball. It was an overall Uppies win last year with victory secured by Richard Hodgson, lifelong Uppie Elvin Jarvis said he is 'sure the Downies will be out in force this year to try and win'. READ MORE: Workington looks forward to Uppies and Downies 2025 series this Easter The traditional Easter game - which is played in three matches on Good Friday and the following Tuesday and Saturday - sees those with roots in the upper part of town try to take a specially-made ball to Workington Hall, while those from the lower part trying to get it to the harbour. Workington is brought to life every Easter with shouts of 'The ball is in the beck!' and 'Come on Uppies!' or 'Go on Downies!'.
Yahoo
18-04-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Uppies and Downies 2025 gets underway in Workington
THE GOOD Friday edition of Uppies and Downies 2025 has got underway. The traditional Workington event was started this evening when the ball was thrown off by seven-year-old Brodhie Saffill-Kirkpatrick from Northside. The traditional Easter game - which is played in three matches on Good Friday and the following Tuesday and Saturday - sees those with roots in the upper part of town try to take a specially-made ball to Workington Hall, while those from the lower part trying to get it to the harbour. With shouts of 'The ball is in the beck!' and 'Come on Uppies!' or 'Go on Downies!' the event has brought the town alive every Easter for as long as anyone can remember. Brodhie with the ball before throwing it off (Image: Newsquest) Earlier this week, Brodhie's mum Billy Saffill said that the seven-year-old was 'nervous' and 'excited' to be carrying on the tradition, for the second year in a row. Players have been eagerly awaiting the 2025 series, with the Downies hoping to take back the bragging rights this year. After Richard Hodgson sealed the 2-1 Uppies' victory in 2024, lifelong Uppie Elvin Jarvis said he is 'sure the Downies will be out in force this year to try and win'. READ MORE: Workington looks forward to Uppies and Downies 2025 series this Easter
BBC News
06-03-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
Uppies battle Doonies in Jeburgh's historic ba' game
A historic sport which dates back centuries has taken to the streets of a town in the Scottish Borders once annual ba' game sees the Uppies and the Doonies battle to get a small leather ball to opposite ends of the event - traditionally held on the first Thursday after Shrove Tuesday - is one of a handful of its kind still staged in the United of them have died out due to the damage to property or disruption that they cause. "It is played in the street - it's a funny game," former Jedburgh provost Len Wyse said."There are no rules to this game except one - you're not allowed to kick the ball."So you can chuck it around, pass it, but most of the time they get into like a stow - a maul - and they smuggle the ball about."Once the ball emerges, he said, the action gets more intense."Then somebody will disappear with it and the next thing you know, everybody's running after this person," he said."He's either running up the Castlegate to score for the Uppies, or they're running down the High Street to score for the Doonies." Mr Wyse also explained how players were allocated to a team."It depends on where you were born - if you were born in the town," he said."Or, if you're an incomer, where you came in."If you came in from the north you're a Doonie, if you came in from the south you're an Uppie."He said the ball they battle over is "very small"."It's only about five inches (12cm) in diameter and it's dressed up with ribbon," he said."It's made from leather and it's stuffed with moss and a page from The Scotsman newspaper - that's the tradition."If you've got a big fist you would lose it in your fist." Proceedings start in Jedburgh with the ribboned ball being thrown into a ruck of the two Uppies try to take the ball towards the town's castle while the Doonies attempt to carry it towards the Jedwater.A boys' or callants' game takes place first before the men's game later in the first record of the Jedburgh event is in 1704 - although it was not held in 1901 when it clashed with Queen Victoria's funeral. An attempt was made to stop the contest in 1849, citing the town's cholera outbreak, but that was overruled at the Court of Session.A judge concluded: "I, for one, should hesitate to encourage the abolition of an old and customary game which from time immemorial has been enjoyed by the community."The fast and furious action often runs on late into the evening as the teams make their way up and down the centre of year a special exhibition has been arranged to coincide with the ba' game, celebrating it and the other historic street games once held in the Borders.
