Published: 26/01/2009 00:00 -
Updated: 29/01/2010 12:35
SINCE the completion of my work on this year's Ash Wednesday leather I was interested to see anyone's reaction to its size and weight!
It has not been seen too much in public as yet but everyone who comes into contact with the ball is generally shocked at its weight maybe more than its size.
When I received the ball in December last, I too had the same sense of shock as in 19 years of painting them had not encountered one quite so heavy!
I took the liberty then of a little research on the subject in my many Shrovetide archives to see if I can shed some light upon the general size and weight of the balls used!
No one living can recall who started the ancient tradition of ball manufacture within the town or who indeed started it.
The oldest celebrated maker was Trevor Yeomans who was a boot maker and saddler in the Market Place. He made them until his death on the eve of Shrovetide in 1958.
Mr Yeoman's leathers were different sizes in diameter but were considerably smaller than the balls of today.
In my possession I have a 1938 ball made by him and this proves this point. The weight being about 3.5lb.
In the 1950s when the making of the balls was a joint event with Mr Percy Chadwick a more regular weight of 4lb was attained, but towards the end of the 1960s there was a definite increase in the size.
Mr Percy Chadwick taught his skill to the late Jack Smith, who himself made many balls, again these were of 4-5lb in weight and of a larger diameter.
Mr Smith died in 1969 and some of the remainder of his balls were passed to the committee and used as played balls in 1974, 1975, 1984, 1989 and lastly in 1990.
The committee decided to keep the increase of size in the 1970s in an event to stop prolonged hugging of the balls and result in more open play.
Arthur Chadwick BEM decreased the balls to a more uniform size in the early 1980s, the ones turned up in 1982 my Roy McFarland and Herbert Plumbly being not much larger than the 1938 ball mentioned earlier.
Uniformity continued certainly as my tenure began in 1991 until recently when they have increased in size once more.
You may have reached this point and think 'so what? well, exactly... But I would be interested how the ball plays on Wednesday, it is much larger and heavier than it's Tuesday counterpart, so I decided to trip back through my archives to 1990 the last time a larger ball was used.
This was the last of Mr Smith's leathers and was turned up by Ian Bates.
The News Telegraph asserted that the ball would not be able to be kicked or hugged for long periods due to it's size, and indeed was not.
The ball being goaled at Clifton early by Jim Lemon. I hope, in the true spirit of the game that this is the same for this ball.
How long must we wait for a second ball? indeed, how many more years must the turner ups wait to see if their services are needed.
Is it SO important not to lose that we have lost the need for second balls? I hope that this year the Wednesday ball is too heavy for long hugs, is free, gains even more poundage after a spell in the river and is goaled before 5pm.
Does anyone really know or indeed care that the more balls turned up, the more chances of goalers taking one home?
It has not been seen too much in public as yet but everyone who comes into contact with the ball is generally shocked at its weight maybe more than its size.
When I received the ball in December last, I too had the same sense of shock as in 19 years of painting them had not encountered one quite so heavy!
I took the liberty then of a little research on the subject in my many Shrovetide archives to see if I can shed some light upon the general size and weight of the balls used!
No one living can recall who started the ancient tradition of ball manufacture within the town or who indeed started it.
The oldest celebrated maker was Trevor Yeomans who was a boot maker and saddler in the Market Place. He made them until his death on the eve of Shrovetide in 1958.
Mr Yeoman's leathers were different sizes in diameter but were considerably smaller than the balls of today.
In my possession I have a 1938 ball made by him and this proves this point. The weight being about 3.5lb.
In the 1950s when the making of the balls was a joint event with Mr Percy Chadwick a more regular weight of 4lb was attained, but towards the end of the 1960s there was a definite increase in the size.
Mr Percy Chadwick taught his skill to the late Jack Smith, who himself made many balls, again these were of 4-5lb in weight and of a larger diameter.
Mr Smith died in 1969 and some of the remainder of his balls were passed to the committee and used as played balls in 1974, 1975, 1984, 1989 and lastly in 1990.
The committee decided to keep the increase of size in the 1970s in an event to stop prolonged hugging of the balls and result in more open play.
Arthur Chadwick BEM decreased the balls to a more uniform size in the early 1980s, the ones turned up in 1982 my Roy McFarland and Herbert Plumbly being not much larger than the 1938 ball mentioned earlier.
Uniformity continued certainly as my tenure began in 1991 until recently when they have increased in size once more.
You may have reached this point and think 'so what? well, exactly... But I would be interested how the ball plays on Wednesday, it is much larger and heavier than it's Tuesday counterpart, so I decided to trip back through my archives to 1990 the last time a larger ball was used.
This was the last of Mr Smith's leathers and was turned up by Ian Bates.
The News Telegraph asserted that the ball would not be able to be kicked or hugged for long periods due to it's size, and indeed was not.
The ball being goaled at Clifton early by Jim Lemon. I hope, in the true spirit of the game that this is the same for this ball.
How long must we wait for a second ball? indeed, how many more years must the turner ups wait to see if their services are needed.
Is it SO important not to lose that we have lost the need for second balls? I hope that this year the Wednesday ball is too heavy for long hugs, is free, gains even more poundage after a spell in the river and is goaled before 5pm.
Does anyone really know or indeed care that the more balls turned up, the more chances of goalers taking one home?
