Ashbourne Shrovetide Meet the Man Who Paints Famous Footballs

Shrovetide football happens soon in Ashbourne. Each year, people hand-craft and paint the footballs. This process takes one to three months. The “turner-up” decides the design, and they throw the ball to start the game. Tim Baker paints one of the two balls.

Tim is 52 and has lived in Ashbourne his whole life. He knows Shrovetide well, but he doesn’t play. He enjoys a different part of the tradition, as Shrovetide has always been important to him. He went to his first game at age three. He loved going with his aunt, and later, he went with friends.

In 1991, he started painting the ball, and he says it’s a great honor. Tim began painting with Stuart Avery. In the early 2000s, Stuart left, and Tim became the main painter. He paints one ball each year, while Simon Hellaby paints the other. Tim says he creates an Ashbourne icon.

He didn’t plan to paint the ball. As a kid, he practiced designs and painted other balls for fun. Painting his first ball was a shock, but he enjoyed it a lot.

Tim decorates the ball after Christmas. It is usually ready by February, and he finds it exciting. They choose someone and decide on a design, then he paints it.

Tim also works full-time. He is a curator at the Ashbourne Historical Centre. The museum has a Shrovetide display, so he always thinks about the game. The Shrovetide exhibit opened in 2022. It shows Ashbourne’s history. Tourists can learn about the game, as it is open all year.

This year’s theme is Farming and Agriculture. Tim designed a ball for Brian Pegg, who is a local farmer. The ball shows Sturston Mill, and Sturston Mill is one of the goals.