Uppies have taken first blood in the 2025 Uppies & Downies series this Easter.
The mass no-rules football game takes place in Workington every year and the first of three games was held today, Good Friday.
The game will be followed by clashes on Easter Tuesday and the following Saturday.
A Workington tradition that dates back hundreds of years, for the uninitiated – the town divides into two and the Uppies have to get the ball to Workington Hall and the Downies have to get the ball to Workington Harbour.
The ball is thrown off from the concrete bridge at The Cloffocks at 6.30pm.
You can find out all about its history here and find out who has hailed the ball over the years here in our hall of fame.
Shane Roe. of Belverdere Street, can add his name to our hall of fame for 2025 – he hailed the ball for the Uppies at around 10.45pm after a tense game which didn’t move quickly in either direction.
Downies still have it all to play for – they haven’t won a series since 2022. Last year saw Uppie John Irving hail on Good Friday, Downie Dan Fryer on Easter Tuesday and Uppie Richard Hodgson.
You can see how the game unfolded here
Join us on Tuesday and Saturday from 6pm for the next games as we bring you all the action!
