Today I’m taking my three sons to Shrovetide football in Ashbourne, where I’m originally from.
For those that have never heard of it, “The Royal Shrovetide Football Match is a “medieval football” game played annually on Shrove Tuesday and Ash Wednesday in the town of Ashbourne in Derbyshire, England”.
The town shuts down for two days, all windows are boarded up and thousands of people turn out for a game which involves getting a large cork ball to one of two goals post a mile and a half either side of the town centre.
The two teams (Up’ards and Down’ards) are decided on whether you were born north or south of the river.
I took the boys to watch when they were younger but as the half terms rarely coincide, it’s been years since they’ve been.
Often, when I mention the game to people who have vaguely heard of it, their response it something like “I hear there’s loads of fighting”.
Or “lots of injuries” or “damage”.
And there really isn’t.
The town is very protective of it’s game.
It’s one of very few medieval football games that still exists.
It’s by far the largest one I believe.
It’s the oldest game of football in the world.
Everyone knows that, in the modern world of litigation and insurance, not much would have to go wrong and the game might not survive.
It’s physical, sure.
But fighting is not tolerated.
And people are conscious of making sure people don’t get hurt and property isn’t damaged.
The narative still sticks though.
Becuause it “just sounds about right”, doesn’t it?
Many narratives can end up sticking.
Despite overwhelming evidence to the contrary.
Or, at least, a lack of investigation into the evidence.
People remain convinced that carbs are inherently fattening despite mountains of studies that show that, when calorie matched, carb-fat-protein ratios make no difference for weight loss.
Or that “I can’t seem to lose weight, no matter what I do” when studies show that they would be the first person ever assessed to not lose weight in a verified, sustained calorie deficit.
People trot out “too busy” as their go to justification for not doing something without doing a clear audit of where their time is currently assigned and / or looking into what tools or systems that they could use to make better use of their time.
People maintain that they are “big boned” or “could never be that weight” when something like a quick check on our In-Body machine could verify that either way (something you get as part of our programme —> www.myrise.co.uk/apply) .
I get it.
It’s easy to form opinions that we perceive as fact.
We might not even be aware of the evidence to the contrary.
That’s cool.
That’s what I’m here for 🙂
Much love,
Jon ‘There’s a town still plays this glorious game, Tho’ tis but a little spot. And year by year the contest’s fought, From the field that’s called Shaw Croft. Then friend meets friend in friendly strife, The leather for to gain, ‘And they play the game right manfully, In snow, sunshine or rain. ‘Tis a glorious game, deny it who can’ Hall
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RISE in Macclesfield was established in 2012 and specialise in Group Personal Training weight loss programmes for those that don’t like the gym and find diets boring and restrictive!
