AS IT HAPPENED: Uppies clinch third victory in Uppies and Downies 2023

Tonight sees the last game of the 2023 Uppies and Downies series in Workington – and we are bringing you live updates from the traditional game as it happens.

The specially-made ball will be thrown off from the Cloffocks at 6.30pm and the weather is looking good – which will be a relief to players who battled through howling winds and heavy rain during the last game on Tuesday.

Uppies – who have to get the ball to Workington Hall – have won the first two games of 2023, with Leon Dymatrowski hailing on Good Friday and Brian Fearon on Tuesday.

You can read how Brian – with a little help from Nathan Askew – hailed the ball during one of the wettest games in recent memory here.

So it means, while Downies – who have to get the ball to Workington harbour – can’t win, they will be out in force to prevent a whitewash.

Please refresh the page to see the updates.

10.35pm

And that concludes our coverage of Uppies and Downies in 2023 – thanks for joining Lucy, Ben and Mark out at the game and me behind the keyboard.

There are many highlights from this year’s Easter series – but our particular highlight is Alan Hall, a young man who decided he would collect cans left behind at the games and did so even when we experienced the monsoon match on Tuesday.

As others have said, awesome work Alan and you’ve made your town proud.

We’ll see you next year!

10.33pm

10.30pm

10.26pm

Chanting of’ ‘you’ll never take the Curwen’ breaks out as the Uppies descend the hill and the crowd are ecstatic.

10.23pm

The massive crowd is thrilled.

10.22pm

BALL HAILED. UPPIES WIN. 3-0. Hailer is Declan Newman.

10.21pm

Massive cheer from Hall Park

10.20pm

Oops.

10.19pm

Loads of cheering – is it an Uppies win?

10.18pm

and we’re running up

10.17pm

Elvo shouting encouragement

10.16pm

And now it is against the wall into Millfield

10.16pm

Chanting for it to go up starts again as scrum enters the road and players climb wall to bottom of Hall Park View

10.14pm

Slowly approaching crossing the road, spectators moving out of the way

10.11pm

Pushing towards the main road junction

10.08pm

Ball flies on floor and players wrestling for it now the scrum has moved down. Lots of movement by the garages.

10.06pm

Heading down the beck towards the Forge Hammer

10.04pm

Downies have called out the reserves. Ian Rollason, who wasn’t going to make tonight’s game has been called out to help. I really wanted to say big guns, only because Rollo does actually have big guns.

10.03pm

10.02pm

Still time for it to go down… all to play for

10pm

Looks like it’s now in the police station car park. Police blocking Washington Street to traffic

9.59pm

Getting closer to the police station car park

9.58pm

Police drone is hovering. Wonder if they’ll set us up with a live feed next year? Moving up again.

9.57pm

Scrum is in the trees but slowly slowly maybe moving towards the police station. There are people in the beck just in case

9.56pm

Speculation the ball is lost…..

9.53pm

Moving along the access road towards the police station. Lots of branches cracking as the crowd moves

9.51pm

Shoving around towards the police station, People shouting heave!

9.50pm

This happened last year – and Downies won that game when it did

9.49pm

People hanging off the wall calling for the ball

9.47pm

Finally heard some people shouting bring it down again! Looking like the scrum is in Fusion car park but up against the cricket club wall – it’s very dark though!

9.46pm

The sound of the scrum is rising and falling as energy builds and falls into pushing – followed by shouts for the Uppies.

9.44pm

Very dark but you can hear the sounds of shouts saying to grab the ball and push

9.42pm

People running down towards the police station. Anticipating an Uppies win and lots of chanting for them

9.41pm

But there’s going to be a battle. It’s pushing along the beck towards the police station

9.40pm

Crowds gathering on the road

9.39pm

Over three hours in and it looks like it’s going up….

9.32pm

Not entirely sure where the scrum is at the moment…..

9.32pm

Definitely feisty and eventful tonight – looks like police are dealing with an incident involving spectators. Seems like there has been a few incidents that aren’t related to the game

9.31pm

Ambulance not player-related

9.31pm

In the beck alongside Wilko looking like it’s heading towards the brewery

9.30pm

Ambulance heading for Brow Top

9.29pm

Lots of people streaming down side of Wilko towards police station

9.28pm

Looks like it’s gone under the bridge

9.27pm

Two throws and looks like it’s back in the beck. Hard to see where it’s gone, people starting to move onto the Black Path

9.26pm

creams and players are launching themselves in the beck after the ball – imagine throwing yourself in and bypassing the scramble down! It’s a fairly long drop! Looks like they’re heading under the bridge

9.24pm

Lots of action, can see them in the scrum giving it all but little movement.

9.22pm

Pushing back and forth edging back down a way at the moment but big scrum looks like it’s coming back towards the bingo

9.20pm

Lots of back and forth pushing it down again – moving quickly away from the bridge. Police look like they’re arresting a young spectator.

9.19pm

9.18pm

No shouting heard for the Downies just yet, just a lot of shouting for the Uppies, are they outnumbered? Or is it just that Rollo isn’t there?

9.17pm

Pushing towards the tunnel but showed back again

9.16pm

Total sea of faces and lots of screaming as the scrum pushes down very quickly

9.15pm

Top of the car park where it narrows always a sticking point – scrum looks very chaotic, not clear what sudden moves it’ll make

9.13pm

Now it’s coming down the car park, slowly but strongly – Downies aren’t going to let this go easily

9.12pm

Climbing over steps and lots of energy just outside bridge! Lots of shouting and swaying left to right

9.11pm

Players trying to crawl their way up the mud and sliding!

9.10pm

Lucy says it’s going up

9.10pm

Out onto the car park in front of the bingo

9.10pm

Moving into beck and players shouting get it up

9.08pm

Lots of dense crowd around the scrum

9.07pm

Pushing towards the beck again lots of confusion around

9.06pm

Shouts of it’s here it’s here two scrums for a minute

9.05pm

People being dragged out of the bottom of the scrum exhausted

9.04pm

Moving away from the beck now slightly

9.02pm

Fake breaks happening all over in a bid to confuse the scrum and there seems to be more spectators than there were earlier.

9.01pm

Movement towards beck again. Couple of dummy balls popped up briefly as it is pushing back towards the beck

8.59pm

Mark says it’s a much better night than Tuesday (although that wouldn’t be difficult), still not freezing.

8.58pm

Shouts of push push and get behind it, not sure anyone knows who is shouting

8.56pm

Scrum stationary on the grass short of the beck, still next to the leisure centre.

8.56pm

Our mate Terry caught up with Alan Hall and got a more smiley picture. This is the 16-year-old who has been picking up cans at all three games. He says he was bored during the holidays. Just brilliant!

8.55pm

Short throw and it’s pushing back towards the beck.

One young lass tells us she’s getting her steps right in following the ball and tells us at this rate she’ll be losing weight by the minute!

8.53pm

Joe Clark in the thick of it and Nathan Askew circling around the outside

8.49pm

8.48pm

Loads of people still out

8.46pm

In the trees at the back of the leisure centre pushing onto the bank for the Black Path

8.45pm

Out the beck lots running to the back of the leisure centre.

8.44pm

Stationary again.

8.42pm

Lots of splashing looks like they may be slowly moving up the beck

8.41pm

John Hastings tells us he has been impressed with the quality and passion of the games this year and since its return post-COVID.

8.39pm

Getting dark now and hard to see what’s going on. It’s in the beck maybe 20ft down from the Black Path bridge. Perfect time for sneaky tactics.

8.38pm

8.35pm

Dummy run around the back of the leisure centre but it’s still in the trees.

8.30pm

While the scrum continues to tussle, this was Alan Hall, picking up cans on Tuesday. We think he deserves the freedom of the town or a medal or something.

8.29pm

Ball up out towards the car park then knocked back into the leisure centre. Mark excited saying ‘Think I got my first touch!’ He’s only been going to games for 15 years…..

8.27pm

Moving up the beck slowly

8.24pm

Scrum taking time out to “wave” at photographer Tom Kay….

8.22pm

Looks like ball is in the beck

8.20pm

Pushing about a lot, more sideways but gradually zig zagging upwards

8.20pm

Pushing up again – nearly at top of car park

8.19pm

Moving on up again…Heading towards bingo past the leisure centre bridge lots of passion in that scrum. Scattering in direction of beck. Chants of up up up in the air

8.18pm

8.16pm

Making more progress – getting closer to bridge

8.15pm

Moving up slightly. Picking up speed

8.14pm

and some shuffling upwards now

8.14pm

Some shuffling downwards

8.13pm

Small break – maybe a dummy. Getting darker now too and the temperature is dropping – are players waiting?

8.11pm

Lots of effort as ever…..

8.08pm

Push! Shouts as it heads upwards…. sideways and stops again

8.06pm

Police had to deal with a load of kids getting well into it, outside of the game.

8.05pm

Scrum moving quickly in direction of Wilko – so further up the car park

8.02pm

Meet this year’s Uppies and Downies hero – Alan Hall, 16, is a Lakes College student who is collecting cans at the Uppies and Downies games. He said he was bored during the holidays. He’s been at all three – including Tuesday’s monsoon match. He’s handing them in for recycling and getting 6p a can. Good on you Alan!

7.58pm

Think there’s a big fight being broken up – spectators not players – and the ball’s moving up

7.54pm

Over into the car park back across into the leisure centre then back long over the car park almost to the bank under Ladies Walk. Mark has avoided being trampled. Just.

7.53pm

Massive throw into car park and then back down and then back up!!! Ball barely touched the ground for a few moments! Now we’re back down towards the beck

7.51pm

It’s moving up towards the leisure centre…right next to the ABC climbing frame

7.50pm

7.48pm

Pushing left and right again and it’s edging towards the leisure centre…So much pushing you can see players digging their feet into the grass as they put their weight behind the scrum

7.47pm

The scrum is swaying left and right! Could be some sudden movement soon…Shoe being flailed around in the air. Shouts of push it up

7.46pm

At a standstill

7.45pm

7.41pm

The scrum is moving slightly further into the leisure centre grounds but crowds remain close to it

7.39pm

Player goes flying with what looks like a ball! Everyone starts running but then it quickly emerges…its fake! A dummy ball! The Downies aren’t falling for that again…

7.35pm

The familiar smell of the scrum is wafting around…but it’s a warmer night this time, the scrum isn’t steaming yet.

7.34pm

Lots of excited spectators in and around leisure centre

7.31pm

Big throw back into the leisure centre grounds

7.30pm

7.28pm

7.27pm

Some shouting of “go on you Uppies” from the crowd

7.26pm

Ground to a halt again

7.25pm

In the beck again about 30ft off the leisure centre bridge

7.23pm

Spectators scattering looks like some movement in the scrum

7.21pm

Lots less shouting now, going to be a long hard game we think. Some players leaving the scrum for a break

7.17pm

7.15pm

Could go either way at this point.

7.12pm

Loads of people out. Some movement and crowds fleeing as ball comes down beck slightly now break into the leisure centre play area

7.11pm

Another young lad out collecting trash in wellies – a good egg!

7.11pm

Bit of argy bargy out back of the scrum quickly stopped as the scrum moved to the other side of the beck

7.08pm

Brian predicted the Downies would be dying to win tonight’s game to make sure Uppies don’t get three hails in a row…

We’re still here:

7.07pm

Ben’s got his priorities right….

7.06pm

Crowd is definitely a little more lively now with the speed of the ball’s initial movements

7.05pm

There’s dedication to a game and then there’s this….

7.04pm

Scrum is under the pin

7.02pm

Ball still a bit stuck, players are in ankle/just under knee height water at the moment

7.01pm

On the plus side – Mr Whippy says he gets his updates on the ball from customers! He should have Cumbria Crack to hand….

7pm

Pushed back to the car park side but still in the beck. Downies are pushing hard…Ball popped up but back in the beck

6.59pm

A spectator throws a player on the bank some water – thirsty work for sure!

6.58pm

Is it going down? The energy is building and the scrum is jostling around in the beck

6.58pm

Centre of the scrum is fluid and moving around again! The Downies are definitely putting up a fight tonight

6.58pm

Scrum is stuck half way up the bank and half way in the water.

6.57pm

Lots of effort not much movement. Oh – and Mr Whippy has confidently returned to the car park, let’s hope the scrum doesn’t come too close…

6.56pm

6.55pm

One group of young lads, with their unofficial spokesman Liam whose feet and ankles are wet and muddy from playing, tell us they’re really hoping the Downies win tonight despite the quick moves in the direction of leisure centre

6.54pm

6.50pm

Another big throw and it’s even further down the car park! Looks like it could be in the beck. Joe Clark looks a bit tired

CORRECTION, MONDAY, APRIL 17

We’ve had this email in from Joe this morning: “I had actually smuggled the ball out of the scrum and was walking away with it up my jacket. The lad with the red football shirt to the left of the picture spotted me unfortunately otherwise I would have gotten the ball away in daylight! Look closely and you will see my right hand holding onto the ball.

I am not offended by the caption, after all I am 71….”

Kudos Joe and apologies for not spotting the lump!

6.47pm

6.46pm

Massive throw over the fence! Lots of action, energy and movement as everyone jumps over the fence!

6.45pm

Uppies have the upp(ie) hand….Sharp movements pushing the scrum forward and we have our first two shoes in the air – one flies through the air at a great height!

6.43pm

We’re level with the Cloffocks field but have stopped moving. Very impassioned Uppie shouts over the crowd “Come on Uppies!” With a smile on his face…spirits are high and there’s definitely a feeling of anticipation floating around

6.41pm

The ball is moving up!

6.40pm

You’re never too young for Uppies and Downies…. That’s how Tuesday’s hailer Brian Fearon started off!

6.39pm

Lots of movement in the centre of the scrum can be seen from a distance at the moment

6.39pm

6.37pm

6.36.5pm

Okay we’ve got our first standstill scrum in the middle of the grass very close to the bottom of the leisure centre car park

6.36pm

6.35pm

Crowds weren’t ready for that! Lots of people racing to catch up with the ball

6.34pm

6.33pm

People saying we’re incredibly close to leisure centre

6.32pm

Strong throw – we’re in the council car park already. Lots of scrambling to get up that muddy bank and it’s moving through the car park incredibly incredibly fast!