Published: 16/04/2009 00:00 -
Updated: 29/01/2010 12:34
THE day before our annual game this year Danielle and myself met on the Market Place, for the first time, Luke O'Brien and Chris Maddox; two media students at Burton College recruited to film Shrovetide 2009 for our paper when the News Telegraph decided to make a DVD record of this year's event.
We had a basic idea of what we wanted to achieve and knowing neither Chris or Luke had never seen our game before, and indeed were not local, thought this would be a bit of a tall order to say the least.
Several interviews were conducted of interest the day before Shrove Tuesday to give the guys a flavour of the game but I guess nothing could prepare them for the game itself.
They came on the first day's play armed with high definition cameras, the ones used by SKY Sports so I'm told, and we hoped to stay with them and guide them through the event... Several minutes after the turn up we had lost them!
WHY? Dear reader, I hear you ask... Well, that is simple, not only did they film the event, but took the cameras practically into the hug itself to give some never before seen images of close up play!
The two days passed, I knew only that they had got some 'key scenes' and the two goals. not a lot to go on.
It was only about three weeks ago that Danielle and myself took a nervous trip to Burton College to meet up again with Chris and Luke to see a taster of what was to come, as reported in my last blog... I was rendered speechless!
Wednesday, April 15, the day the DVD arrived into our offices for packaging and to go on sale.
I took one home and watched it last night for the first time in its entirety. I was NOT disappointed!
The guys had totally approached the game from a players perspective, giving a feeling of close play in the centre of the hug itself, by literally going in there with the camera.
The results are, in my opinion, the BEST views of our game I have witnessed. The action is crammed full from the turn up by Simon Spencer on the Tuesday through the town, they capture the break on Derby Hill and rejoin the game in the fields at Doles Farm with fill in commentary by David Calladine who fills us in where the camera left off.
The play progresses to the Clifton Goal with some amazing scenes up close in the river and the Up'ards telling their players to withdraw to let them into goal, plus, never seen before footage of the Down'ards deciding who should have the ball in the river and the eventual goaling captured by Luke literally atop the stone at Clifton!
The walk back from the goal to the town is there too and then Danielle Harrison interviews Steve Bloor at home in depth on the Wednesday morning.
Ash Wednesday's play is BREATHTAKING, as the ball was much larger and the play more open, Luke and Chris once again get into the hug with the cameras to give us some excellent coverage of the ball at times literally hitting the lens of the camera as it is SO close!
There are some terrific scenes of the play stuck behind the bus shelter on Shaw Croft with the wrenching out of the ball by Terry Kirkpatrick and Jamie Hunt.
Street play up close peppered by continuity shots of the crowds follow with the ball eventually entering the fish pond and landed in the recreation fields. We then rejoin the play at Sturston with the goaling BOTH times of the ball by Robyn Wright.
Tagged onto the end of the DVD for those lovers of nostalgia are interviews I conducted with Nick Fearn, and Seggy Handley - who remembers his time as a player in the 1950s and 1960s - and why, after the 1957 games, he switched his team from Up'ard to Down'ard.
Lindsey Porter tells of his new book and explains the switch from using goals across town to the mills as we use today.
There is a very poignant interview with Alec Smith who due to ill health could not turn up the second ball this year.
He tells of how he goaled his own ball in 1967 the last time three balls were turned up in one day.
The film culminates with a series of never seen before images from the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s. These are close captioned so the viewer knows which year they are and who is in them.
SO, reader! If you take my advice, call into the NEWS TELEGRAPH office and purchase this piece of living history and relive the memories of the 2009 games.
I doubt ANYTHING in a long time will top this film it is seriously worth owning and is on sale NOW at £10 each with a donation made from sales to the Shrovetide Committee to be used for the perpetuation of our game.
Lastly thanks to Chris and Luke for capturing the true essence of our great tradition.
We had a basic idea of what we wanted to achieve and knowing neither Chris or Luke had never seen our game before, and indeed were not local, thought this would be a bit of a tall order to say the least.
Several interviews were conducted of interest the day before Shrove Tuesday to give the guys a flavour of the game but I guess nothing could prepare them for the game itself.
They came on the first day's play armed with high definition cameras, the ones used by SKY Sports so I'm told, and we hoped to stay with them and guide them through the event... Several minutes after the turn up we had lost them!
WHY? Dear reader, I hear you ask... Well, that is simple, not only did they film the event, but took the cameras practically into the hug itself to give some never before seen images of close up play!
The two days passed, I knew only that they had got some 'key scenes' and the two goals. not a lot to go on.
It was only about three weeks ago that Danielle and myself took a nervous trip to Burton College to meet up again with Chris and Luke to see a taster of what was to come, as reported in my last blog... I was rendered speechless!
Wednesday, April 15, the day the DVD arrived into our offices for packaging and to go on sale.
I took one home and watched it last night for the first time in its entirety. I was NOT disappointed!
The guys had totally approached the game from a players perspective, giving a feeling of close play in the centre of the hug itself, by literally going in there with the camera.
The results are, in my opinion, the BEST views of our game I have witnessed. The action is crammed full from the turn up by Simon Spencer on the Tuesday through the town, they capture the break on Derby Hill and rejoin the game in the fields at Doles Farm with fill in commentary by David Calladine who fills us in where the camera left off.
The play progresses to the Clifton Goal with some amazing scenes up close in the river and the Up'ards telling their players to withdraw to let them into goal, plus, never seen before footage of the Down'ards deciding who should have the ball in the river and the eventual goaling captured by Luke literally atop the stone at Clifton!
The walk back from the goal to the town is there too and then Danielle Harrison interviews Steve Bloor at home in depth on the Wednesday morning.
Ash Wednesday's play is BREATHTAKING, as the ball was much larger and the play more open, Luke and Chris once again get into the hug with the cameras to give us some excellent coverage of the ball at times literally hitting the lens of the camera as it is SO close!
There are some terrific scenes of the play stuck behind the bus shelter on Shaw Croft with the wrenching out of the ball by Terry Kirkpatrick and Jamie Hunt.
Street play up close peppered by continuity shots of the crowds follow with the ball eventually entering the fish pond and landed in the recreation fields. We then rejoin the play at Sturston with the goaling BOTH times of the ball by Robyn Wright.
Tagged onto the end of the DVD for those lovers of nostalgia are interviews I conducted with Nick Fearn, and Seggy Handley - who remembers his time as a player in the 1950s and 1960s - and why, after the 1957 games, he switched his team from Up'ard to Down'ard.
Lindsey Porter tells of his new book and explains the switch from using goals across town to the mills as we use today.
There is a very poignant interview with Alec Smith who due to ill health could not turn up the second ball this year.
He tells of how he goaled his own ball in 1967 the last time three balls were turned up in one day.
The film culminates with a series of never seen before images from the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s. These are close captioned so the viewer knows which year they are and who is in them.
SO, reader! If you take my advice, call into the NEWS TELEGRAPH office and purchase this piece of living history and relive the memories of the 2009 games.
I doubt ANYTHING in a long time will top this film it is seriously worth owning and is on sale NOW at £10 each with a donation made from sales to the Shrovetide Committee to be used for the perpetuation of our game.
Lastly thanks to Chris and Luke for capturing the true essence of our great tradition.
