Partner Article

Museum wants 150-year-old ball back

A historic football used in games more than 150 years ago has been discovered in a Newcastle museum.

The football was found as the Newcastle Society of Antiquaries moved across the city after more than 120 years in the 13th century Black Gate. It was used in the annual Shrove Tuesday game at Rothbury in Northumberland until 1867.

Museums in the North East were previously invited to mull over a number of items from the Black Gate that need new homes.

The volunteer-run Bailiffgate Museum in Alnwick, which is dedicated to the history of the town and the North Northumberland District, spotted the Rothbury ball.

The museum has set itself the goal of winning the ball as part of its collections reflecting the social history of the district. It believes the ball is even more apt as Alnwick still stages its own annual Shrove football event.

Museum senior trustee, Adrian Ions, said: “We are a district museum and we cover Rothbury, and we were very suprised to see the Rothbury ball, but we would love it for our museum.

“I have never come across anything to do with the Rothbury game, but the Rothbury ball must have been made with good leather because it looks to be in perfect condition.”

Tom Pattinson, chairman of the museum trustees, added: “We are a small museum, but we have environmentally-controlled conditions and Rothbury is very much within our remit and I hope the Antiquaries will part with the ball.

“We haven’t got a lot about Rothbury in the museum and the ball is about the social history of the area.”

A spokesman for the Antiquaries said museums in the region were being given the chance to consider which items they may want and decisions will be made later on the destinations of the various objects.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Ruth Mitchell .