Despite a heroic effort by the Downies – including the rolling out of reinforcements late in the game – Uppies managed to get the 2023 series of the traditional mass football game sewn up.
The three-game series, held every Easter, gives the winners bragging rights as the town splits in two – you’re either an Uppie or a Downie.
This year, Uppies clinched the first two games on Good Friday and Easter Tuesday, thanks to Leon Dymatrowski and Brian Fearon, who worked with Nathan Askew to secure that victory, so it was going to be theirs whatever.
But Downies were playing for pride today, Saturday, and although they tried their best to wrestle the ball from the Uppies’ dominant grip, after almost four hours of play, the ball was on its way to Workington Hall.
Prominent Downie Ian Rollason had to miss the final game due to other commitments, but was called in late on to help try and turn the tide. It was too little, too late as Declan Newman managed to get the ball up to Workington Hall and throw it in the air three times – known as hailing.
Triumphant Uppies walked down from Workington Hall singing ‘You’ll Never Take the Curwen’
Downies now have 12 months to lick their wounds until Uppies and Downies is played again next Easter.
You can see how Saturday’s game unfolded here.
An unlikely hero emerged from this year’s games. Alan Hall, 16, has been collecting discarded cans at all three games to make a little bit of money because he was bored during the Easter holidays. The Lakes College student has won the heart of Workington and when we reported that he would only make 6p a can, a Go Fund Me page has been set up to say a thank you to him.
