NEHL - After moving from the streets of Alnwick in the 1820s, the towns annual Shrovetide football match is played at The Pastures, situated north of the Aln and castle.

Though once a pastime in many towns across the country, Alnwick still hosts one of the few shrovetide matches in the country (in Alnwick it is traditionally known as "Scoring the Hales", with the hales being goals). It is a competition between the parishes of St Michael and St Paul with the first recorded match in 1762. Each team consists of roughly 100 people, and the goals decorated as a leafy arch around 370m apart. Documentary evidence also states most matches took place between married and single freemen. It is traditionally thrown from the castle by the Duke of Northumberland and a piper leads the ball from the town. Whichever team scores two hales first is the winner, and the ball is then carried to the river and thrown in. Whoever then retrieves it from the far side of the river keeps it for the year.

There is an early reference to the practice in 1827, when it had been moved to the fields but was still kicked around the town much to people's annoyance. From around 1825 it was made a penal offence, but continued to be ignored by the authorities. The reason the Duke traditionally throws the ball is that he gives it on the condition it is not to be played on public streets or highways. In 1828 it gained a crowd of around 5000.

It was after the Shrovetide of 1837 when players suggested forming a cricket club for the summer season, with games to be played on The Pastures. Their first match was against the castle servants and the Percy Household Club, with the first club match being a loss against Gateshead. In 1843 they went on to move next to the Freemens Recreation Ground.