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a. 
JOTTINGS ABOUT OLD DERBY. 149 
middle of the Market Place, built of brick, now supplanted by 
the present structure. 
There is one subject more connected with old Derby I cannot 
altogether pass over. I mean the Derby Football. This was 
one of the most extraordinary games, I think, ever witnessed, the 
origin of which is lost in obscurity, but it existed for ages. The 
contending parties were the parishes of S. Peter’s and All Saints. 
It was formerly played on Shrove Tuesday. The ball was a very 
large one, filled with cork shavings ; in fact, there were two—one 
called the men’s, the other the boys’. The men’s ball was 
thrown up in the Market Place, on the stroke of two, and when 
they had cleared out, the lads’ ball was thrown up. Afterwards 
an encroachment was made upon Ash Wednesday. The men 
played on Shrove Tuesday, the lads on Ash Wednesday. All 
Saints’ goal was one of the shutters of the water wheel at Nun’s 
Mill, in the Brook from Markeaton, and which still exists ; S. 
Peter’s was a gate in Grove Street, close to the Osmaston Road, 
facing north; the land where it was, is now built over. Both 
parties used what they thought the best means of settling the 
gate. The favourite course which the parishioners of All Saints 
tried for was to get the ball down Sadler Gate, Bold Lane, 
Willow Row, and so on until they got into the brook below 
Nun’s Mill, and then worked for the goal under the mill arch. 
But don’t for one moment suppose the game was what we 
understand by Football, for it was nothing of the kind. As soon 
as the contending parties were ready, All Saints’ people ranged 
themselves on the Royal Oak side of the Market Place, and 
waved their hands towards All Saints’ Church. S. Peter's 
ranged themselves under the old premises of Cox, Bowring, and 
Co., and waved their hands towards S. Peter’s Church. Both 
parties then advanced. The ball was generally thrown up in the 
midst, between them, and both sides immediately closed into a 
compact mass, with nothing but their heads, faces, and uplifted 
hands visible. Whichever representative of the sides got the 
ball had the best advantage for his party, as he could act as a 
sort of steersman in the middle for the way he wished his 
