Today's the day - Ashbourne Royal Shrovetide Football has come around again and we're here to bring you everything we know about the game's progress, minute-by-minute, hour-by-hour.
Shrovetide can be a tricky game to follow, but this year we've got one of our biggest ever teams following the ball and relaying the action to our website and social media, in a bid to stay one step ahead of the hug at all times.
To make sure you know where to turn when the ball vanishes, or even if you simply can't make it to one of the games and you want to follow it from wherever you are, keep watching us for live updates.
Kick-off begins at 2pm and continues until 10pm.
For the latest, follow our live updates below throughout the day.
Key Events
That concludes our live blog
Thank you for following our live blog on the Shrovetide action today.
The battle was long and arduous with both sides giving it their all.
You can click on the following link for more information about the day’s events.
https://www.derbytelegraph.co.uk/news/local-news/shrovetide-football-2018-ashbourne-1216591
The goal-scorer himself
Pictured is Barrie Swan, the man who scored the goal for the Up’ards today.
According to a reporter, he was tearful on scoring the goal.
Crowd almost at Green Man
The crowd has almost reached the Green Man, and Barrie Swan is being paraded through the town.
More on tonight's goal
Click the following link to find out more about this evening’s Shrovetide goal action.
https://www.derbytelegraph.co.uk/news/local-news/ashbourne-shrovetide-football-2018-goal-1216429
GOAL!
The Up’ards have finally just equalised with a terrific goal at Sturston!
The goal scorer is one exhausted but triumphant Barrie Swan who tapped the ball against the stone at 7.44pm!
Who will score the goal?
The ball is moving towards the Sturston goal in a hug.
It is currently in the river nearby while the players decide who will take the glory.
It's not in the Vaults!
Our reporters are hard at work searching for the ball.
One has confirmed that it is definitely not in Ye Olde Vaults in the marketplace!
Another picture from Sturston
Jess Smith-Bointon has sent in another picture of the players at Sturston.
And an unconfirmed report has said that the ball is just two fields away! Watch this space.
More unconfirmed reports
Another unconfirmed report has come in that Jordan Hydes has the ball.
No goals have been reported yet and the plot thickens.
Is a goal imminent?
We have had an unconfirmed report that the ball is in the hands of John Dawson and is heading to Sturston.
A picture from Sturston
In the pitch black it’s hard to see anything, but this is the scene at Sturston sent in by Jess Smith-Bointon.
Ball not at either goal
With the ball officially missing, the rumour mill is rife. We can confirm it’s not at Clifton. There’s a crowd gathering at Sturston, because we think it might be on its way there, possibly in Paperhouse Lane, which is an Up’ard path to the goal.
Take a look at these pictures
No goal yet
We now have a reporter at Sturston and can confirm there is no ball there, so no Up’ard goal. Where the ball is remains a mystery.
People are running to Sturston
Our reporter Gareth Butterfield is saying that he is hearing of a lot of people running to Sturston, the Up’ardsl goal scoring area.
This doesn’t mean that there has been a goal as it could still be being sat on, but watch this space.
What happens when the ball goes missing?
A relatively new rule states that, if the ball goes missing for more than two hours it is declared void and cannot be goaled. We saw this yesterday and Tom Boulton-Lear made it to the goal with less than 20 minutes to spare. There is a good chance the Up’ards will be trying to copy that tactic, although there’s nothing to say a Down’ard didn’t snatch it.
Ball is missing
The ball is currently nowhere to be found by our reporters.
Could it have been snatched by a runner?
Suspicious
Our reporter says that there’s a small group of players huddled together by a fallen tree that looks very suspicious!
He says it’s as if they’re waiting for the hug to pass by.
A bit of back and forth
The ball is still sitting in the field behind Beresford Avenue.
This type of slow play can last for a long time. The Up’ards will be happy to sit on it, using hedges and ditches to hold the ball in position. The hope is that a runner will be able to grab it and head for a goal, but it’s likely to be hugged for a while.
Ball at a standstill
The ball has come to a standstill just on the edge of the wider brook in the field.
Beresford Avenue location
Our reporter Gareth Butterfield sent in this image showing where Beresford Avenue is in Ashbourne.
The ball is still in the field behind it.
More action shots
Have a look at these action shots that were taken by Ian Hodgskinson/Picture It earlier.
Reporter hit by ball
One of our reporters says they were hit by the ball in the chest!
All’s fair in Shrovetide.
Rain could be on its way
It’s 5C in Ashbourne and it’s due to rain from 6.30pm until around 8pm, which could disperse the crowds somewhat.
But many players will stay strong and battle through the weather.
