For England's Ashbourne, Shrovetide football is 'in our blood'

Players from the Up'ards and Down'ards teams compete for the ball during the annual Royal Shrovetide Football Match, in Ashbourne, Britain, February 13, 2024. REUTERS/Carl Recine/ File photo

ASHBOURNE, England (Reuters) - For two days every year, residents of the English market town of Ashbourne set aside friendships in favour of geographical rivalries and family ties to play Shrovetide football, a ferocious and chaotic game that's centuries old.

"For a lot of the people, it is the highlight of the town's year, there are some families who live and die for Shrovetide," said Ashbourne native Richard Bott, who played the game for decades until his mid-50s. "It's in your blood, I suppose."