Uppies and Downies 2009

Easter is the time for the annual Uppies and Downies games in Workington. With a history stretching back hundreds of years, three games are played on Good Friday, Easter Tuesday and the following Saturday.

Of these, the Tuesday game is considered by many to be the most prestigious as this was the original match day. The local Daglish family has started the Tuesday match for as long as the games have been played, and also participated in many.

On Tuesday, Jennifer Daglish (pictured above) threw the ball in - the first woman to do so since 1941. The match was won by the Uppies, who also won on Good Friday giving them a 2-0 lead. However the Downies salvaged some pride with a win in the last match which, at 40 minutes, was one of the quickest in recent times.

The future of the games has been under threat for some time as Tesco plans to build a new store on the area where the games are played.

Pictures from the Workington News & Star.