Here's what you need to know ahead of annual Shrovetide football match
and live on Freeview channel 276
Believed to have been played on Shrove Tuesday and Ash Wednesday for 900 years, the dramatic game is thought to be one of the oldest forms of football in the world.
Ashbourne Royal Shrovetide Football begins at 2pm and sees Up'ards compete against Down'ards through the town’s streets.
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Hide AdThe game starts when the ball is 'turned up' from a stone plinth on Shaw Croft car park.
The ball is thrown into the air to mark the start of the match by the ‘turner up- usually a local person of note.
Thousands of players and spectators line the streets to observe the spectacle every year, which attracts worldwide media attention.
A player’s team depends on which side of the Henmore Brook they were born on: those born South of the Brook are the Down'ards, and try to goal the ball at the old Clifton Mill.
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Hide AdThose born on the North are the Up'ards and try to goal the ball at the old Sturston Mill.
Shrovetide Football is played using a hand-painted leather ball with a cork inner, which usually weighs around four lb.
The game is played over two eight-hour periods, and the goals are three miles apart
Several road closures have been announced for this year’s match, from 1.30pm:
The A515 Buxton Road
Market Place
Park Road
Dig Street
Compton Street
Sturston Road
St John Street
Clifton Road.