In Atherstone, the fight for the ball got quite violent.
On the internet, a video of the renowned Atherstone Ball Game 2023 has gone viral, depicting the centuries-old Shrove Tuesday celebration devolving into brutal violence.
According to the BBC, hundreds of people engaged in a centuries-old Shrove Tuesday tradition in which they fought for control of a hefty leather ball in the street. After the planned melee on Long Street, the Atherstone Ball Game proclaimed its 823rd winner.
The video of the brawl was posted on the social media platform Reddit with the caption, "Brutal End to the Atherstone Ball Game 2023.The last half hour of the Pancake Day tradition saw punches thrown and a betting shop damaged as teams battled to gain control of an oversized ball."
The news outlet BBC further stated that "the mediaeval game honours a match played between Leicestershire and Warwickshire in 1199 when teams used a bag of gold as a ball, which was won by Warwickshire. The tradition continued, and this year, the ball, which was signed by the residents of Atherstone, pays homage to King Charles."
Before the start of the event, a post on the official Atherstone Ball Game Facebook page read: "For anybody wishing to participate or spectate, you do so at your own risk!".
The page later shared the image of the winners too.
Kieran Marshall, Lewis Cooper, and Scott Wright were the winners.