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At the Atherstone Ball Game in Warwickshire, a medieval football tradition feeds belonging among men

NOWNESS · UK · Documentary / Sports · 18 min · 6.7K views

Every Shrove Tuesday since 1199, the men and boys of Atherstone flood their main street for a near rule-free two-hour scramble over a ribboned ball.

A vivid look at an 800-year-old street brawl of a game and the brotherhood it sustains.

A medieval ancestor of modern football, the Atherstone Ball Game takes over the main street of the Warwickshire town in an annual tradition held every Shrove Tuesday since 1199. A game played over two hours with no pitch

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