The Ba

The Ba' is played every Christmas and New Year's Day in Kirkwall, Orkney. This traditional game of mass football is played in the streets of the town between the Uppies and the Doonies.
We got our place on the wall beside St Magnus Cathedral in the perishing cold & the game started, apparently it can last as long as six hours but we only managed an hour and a half & they hadn't moved very far.
The Doonies goal is the sea, normally within the Basin of the Harbour, but as long as it is immersed in the salt water of Kirkwall Bay, the Ba' has gone doon. The Uppies must round the Long, or Mackinson's corner at the junction of Main Street with New Scapa Road, opposite the Catholic Church.
Couple of scary moments when the scrum forced us to back off the wall. It looks so dangerous & steam was coming from the scrum, would hate anyone I knew to be amongst it! The tradition lives on!