THE anticipation is over. The News Telegraph can exclusively reveal the two people chosen by the Ashbourne Royal Shrovetide Committee to turn up next year’s Shrovetide balls.
On Shrove Tuesday the members have voted to invite Dr Paul Kirtley, Ashbourne’s GP for 32 years, to undertake the honour of officially starting the match.
And on Ash Wednesday one of the town’s most familiar faces, deputy mayor and town centre businessman Steve Bull, will be tossing the leather into the hug from the Shaw Croft plinth.
Each year the committee rigorously maintains its secret until the News Telegraph publishes on the Wednesday between Christmas and New Year.
Members abide strictly to their policy never to discuss what led them to their decisions but this year they have chosen two men who jointly deserve the town’s biggest honour for the contributions they have made throughout their lives.
For Dr Kirtley, who has spent his career patching up bruised players, he says the honour is an ‘exciting thought’ that he is very much looking forward to.
And Mr Bull, an ardent Down’ard who has played for 29 years, it is an honour he says he will never forget.
RECENTLY retired Dr Kirltey has been one of the town's longest serving GPs. In recent history his 32-year spell caring for Ashbourne patients has only been topped by Dr Quintus Madge whose career spanned 58 years.
After leaving the profession in October 2011, the 60-year-old father of four has been enjoying settling into retirement and said he was surprised to receive a letter inviting him to turn up Shrove Tuesday's ball.
He confesses: "I've never taken part in Shrovetide as a player, but I have enjoyed watching it and I've been involved every year in dealing with the consequences.
"There have never been any serious injuries, a few cracked ribs perhaps but nothing more serious than players in a rugby match might come out with.
"I think it's a great game and a great tradition and it would be a shame if it ever had to stop.
"I'm excited by the thought of turning up the ball. It's a big honour, many people in Ashbourne would kill to do it." Born in the West Indies, Dr Kirtley first came to Ashbourne in January 1980 and was a salaried GP with the then Drs Leeds and Thomson practice in the Compton Health Centre.
He became a partner on April Fool's Day, 1980 and became a senior partner in 1994. In 2004 the surgery moved to its current site in Clifton Road.
Over the past 12 years Dr Kirtley has also worked in NHS management in various roles including chairman of the Dales and South Primary Care Group and in the last few years he was chairman of the Professional Executive Committee of Derbyshire County PCT.
He joined the Ashbourne Old Trust in 1988 and became chair in January this year. A former Ashbourne Carnival chairman, he is also chairman of governors at Abbotsholme School, is a member and former chairman of Ashbourne Round Table and was a founder member of the Ashbourne Anthony Nolan Committee.
He added: "I'm torn now between having my ball back and some local guy scoring it. I just want them to have a good game but if someone does score it will be something they will always remember and that will be fine by me."
AFTER nearly 30 years of trying to goal at Clifton, and after toiling away in the hug with his fellow Down'ards since he was a boy, "Bully" could finally be about to get a ball. But Steve Bull, whose uncle Les scored at Sturston in 1938, admits he would rather see a good day's play and a deserving Shrovetider's dream of goaling a ball come true than to have his leather back.
Father of three Steve, 48, has run The Wheel pub in Ashbourne for 22 years. He was born and raised in the town and has never left it.
For 10 years he has been a member of the Ashbourne Town Council for 10 years, and has served as both Mayor and Deputy Mayor.
He is also on his second term as a Derbyshire Dales District Councillor, representing Ashbourne North, and has just been made chairman of the authority's community and environment committee.
Aside from his town and district duties, he is a board member of Ashbourne Community Transport, one of the founders of Ashbourne Cinema Group, chairman of the summer and winter pool leagues and he runs a summer domino league.
Since he stopped playing Steve and his wife Sue have taken it upon themselves to buy and present goblets to each of the turners-up, as a thank you for all the extra trade Shrovetide brings in to The Wheel.
Steve and Sue, who live in Greenway, are no strangers to the top table at the Shrovetide Luncheon, with Steve having had the pleasure of introducing the turners-up during his spell as Mayor in 2008.
The year before that, however, he broke his ankle badly during a Shrovetide game and this put an end to his playing years - and his hopes of scoring - for good.
He told the News Telegraph: I've always wanted to goal a Shrovetide ball, but why shouldn't those lads? "To have the honour of turning the ball up is the next best thing to goaling one and, although I'm a Down'ard if an Up'ard does get it to Sturston then good luck to them.
"It's a dream, goaling a Shrovetide ball, but I've had dream after dream of goaling one and what I would rather have now is a good day's play - chuck it about a bit, like it used to be."
