Watch more of our videos on Shots!
and live on Freeview channel 276

Thousands of rival players are taking part in a historic two-day football match that sees opponents compete to move a ball to the opposite ends of a town.

The historic Royal Shrovetide Football Match kicked off in Ashbourne, at 2pm and will finish tomorrow, Ash Wednesday.

The ancient tradition is said to date back to medieval times and Shrovetide ball games have been played since at least the 12th century from the reign of Henry II. If the goal is scored before 6pm, a new ball is released and play restarts from the town centre, otherwise play ends for the day.

Chesterfield's Holy Trinity Church hosts Crocus Festival

The two-day contest involves thousands of rival players competing to move a ball to opposite ends of the Derbyshire town.

While it is legal to kick, carry or throw the ball, it generally moves through the town in a series of hugs, like a giant rugby scrum, made up of hundreds of people.

This year's match - contested by around 5,000 people - was started by Paul Cook, a National Farming Union agent who asked organisers to cancel the game in 2001 due to a national outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease.

Royal Shrovetide Football Match: WATCH as thousands take part in historic Derbyshire two-day football match