The Media Archive for Central England is the public screen archive for the East and West Midlands. An independent charity and company based at the University of Lincoln, MACE acquires, catalogues, preserves and makes widely available moving image materials that inform our understanding of the diverse cultures and histories of communities between the Lincolnshire coast and the Welsh border.
This film is part of Free
Alvey: Ashbourne Shrovetide Football '66
World Cup year 1966 but this is a different kind of 'beautiful game' and in these conditions Geoff Hurst would've certainly struggled to get his famous hat-trick.
From the collection of:
Overview
The 1966 Shrovetide football match in Ashbourne is notable for a guest appearance by a hero from the more familiar branch of the sport. The recently retired Stoke City and England player Sir Stanley Matthews is this year's 'turner-up' or the person selected to start the game. The moving 'hug' of players battling for the ball pass through the recently abandoned railway station and some brave players are not even slowed down by a plunge into the icy waters of Henmore Brook.
Despite all the efforts on show here the two days of Shrovetide football in 1966 finished in a goal-less draw.
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