For readers who do not live in Briain, here are some photographs from the annual Shrove Tuesday Football Match at the village of Ashbourne in Derbyshire. One of the strangest games in the world. Very possibly the inspiration for the game in Unseen Academicals.

If you want to see the game in progress there is a video at this link

The rules and history are explained here

I want to die peacefully in my sleep, just like grandpa. Not screaming and panicking like his passengers.
Don't drink and drive from The Lancre Tavern

Ahhh the English. Inventing crazy games since 1066.

PhD Student: Research information sheet

There once was a man named Bruce
Who liked to sit on a spruce
He ate lots of chowder
And yelled at me louder:
"I'm talking to YOU, Mrs. Hughes!"
--> The Literary Genius: Mowgli

Yeah, it's those quiet reserved types that are the worst. One minute they're opening Parliament, the next they're in a bath of baked beans flying down a toboggan run.

Dragon's Kingdom - Stop typing "alot" when you mean "a lot"! - Disappointed

Yes, all stark raving lunatics.

R.

Q. How do you write?
A. One word at a time.

I prefer to refer to myself as a 'stark raving genius' personally.

Dragon's Kingdom - Stop typing "alot" when you mean "a lot"! - Disappointed

Lunatic.. Genius... you tread a thin line Mal. But as you're nearer the North than the South I support you on the genius front

I want to die peacefully in my sleep, just like grandpa. Not screaming and panicking like his passengers.
Don't drink and drive from The Lancre Tavern

Hehe...my great grandma lives there. In her house, she has one of the old footballs used a long time ago...it's intricately painted and appears to be made of wood...she said all sorts of stories about it...

It's a metaphor of human bloody existence, a dragon. And if that wasn't bad enough, it's also a bloody great hot flying thing.