British Folk Customs - From Plough Monday to Hocktide - By Malcolm Taylor, Doc Rowe

Whatever the origin of the custom, the date, the name of it and the idea of it being a celebration of lovers has persisted for a long time. [...] The opponents here are called the Uppies and the Doonies, which relates to the place in the town where the participants were born. [...] Here the ball is thrown up in the market place, either by the winner of the previous game or an invited guest, and the hurlers deliberately confine themselves to the shuttered main street in the first hour for a financial reward. [...] After that the Townsmen try to keep the ball going to the Southwest, towards the town, and the Countrymen try to get the ball out of the town to the North. [...] The scramble over, the first of the barrels is thrown up three times and on the third throw the crowd kick, push and generally attempt to grab the barrel.