There’s only seven days to go until this year’s Uppies and Downies in Workington.
In seven days’ time – on Good Friday – the mass no rules football game will start its first game of 2026 at 6pm on the Cloffocks.
The traditional game is believed to date back over 250 years.
Uppies have to get the specially made ball to Workington Hall and Downies have to get it to the docks.
The winner is declared when the ball is hailed – thrown up in the air three times.
There are three games in the series, on Good Friday, Easter Tuesday and the following Saturday.
Last year, Uppies managed a whitewash, so the Downies should be out for revenge this year.
The event is a sight to behold and if you can’t make it, we’ll be running live updates from all three games.
Lifelong Uppie David Shepherd, 54, is known as Nutty and has played the game for over 42 years and has brothers, sons and a nephew who play.
David has hailed the ball three times in his life so far and has seen the games go through a lot over the years.
He played his first game at the age of 12.
You can read about Nutty’s take on the game here.
If you’ve got any old pictures, stories or tales to tell us about Uppies and Downies, we’d love to hear from you.
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