302 SPORTING STORIES 



centuries ago, and every man in the district, gentle or 

 simple, had to turn out to support his side under penalty of 

 a fine. In 1796 the match had been discontinued for a 

 few years, and it has never been revived. 



Up to about sixty years ago a famous match took place 

 at Derby on Shrove Tuesday. Ladies filled the windows 

 overlooking the market-place, where, at 2 p.m., the men of 

 St Peter's met to do battle with all comers from the other 

 parishes. The ball was of very strong leather — a foot in 

 diameter and stuffed hard with cork shavings. At the 

 appointed hour this ball was tossed into the air, and the 

 mass of about a thousand players made a rush at it ; the 

 one side, whose rallying cry was " St Peter's," trying to 

 drive the ball towards the gate of a nursery ground about 

 a mile from town, while the "All Saints" party strove to 

 goal the ball against a distant water-mill wheel. So great 

 was the press of players that goals were generally won by 

 stratagem, and very seldom by direct and open kicking. 



Many stories are told of how wily players brought victory 

 to their side. Sometimes the shavings were taken out, and 

 the cover smuggled in under a smock frock or a woman's 

 shawl. In the middle of a big scrimmage a cunning fellow 

 on the outside threw his hat in the air, and the players 

 broke after it, while he picked up the ball, hid it under his 

 coat, and, sauntering to the brook, dropped in the ball, which 

 he did not follow closely, but merely kept in view. The 

 goal-keepers saw the mass of players far off, and suspected 

 nothing until he slipped past them, jumped into the water, 

 and pushed the ball in triumph against the wheel. 



The following day. Ash Wednesday, was the " Boys' 

 Day," when the men of both sides attended to see fair play, 

 and to decide whether claimants were small men or big 

 boys. Disputes were far more frequent on this day, and if 

 a cause of quarrel cropped up on Shrove Tuesday it was 

 put off for decision on " Boys' Day." This game was put 

 down as " tending to foment quarrels and endanger life." 



The ladies of Derby graced the contest with their 

 presence, and even in some cases with more active assist- 

 ance ; but the fair sex in Inverness went far beyond this, 

 and had an annual match of their own. The married 



