Locals have upper hand at Denholm hand ba’

Villagers beat visitors in a 6-2 win for uppies at Denholm’s hand ba’ on Monday.

Uppies, men from the Hawick side of the Leyden monument, fought to hail ba’s over the bridge at Honeyburn, while doonies, from the bottom end of the village, tried to take the ba’ past the bungalow on the Jedburgh side of Denholm.

Sneaky Beak Crawford is caught by Hand Ba' Veterans Billy Gillies and Ian Heard | William McBurnie: mob: 07740720063 - - e: [email protected] Queens Cottage, Jedburgh TD8 6EP

placeholder image — Sneaky Beak Crawford is caught by Hand Ba' Veterans Billy Gillies and Ian Heard | William McBurnie: mob: 07740720063 - - e: [email protected] Queens Cottage, Jedburgh TD8 6EP

All the photos in our gallery here: https://www.thesouthernreporter.co.uk/news/people/pictures-action-years-ancrum-and-denholm-ba-games-2072180

“It’s pretty much that if you’re from Jed, you’re a doonie, where the rest are uppies,” Kevin Crawford said. “There were still a few Denholm doonies this year, though.

Gregor Law tries to stop an injured Stewart Ramsay passing to Kris Rowley. | William McBurnie: mob: 07740720063 - - e: [email protected] Queens Cottage, Jedburgh TD8 6EP

“We had eight ba’s thrown up and could have played a few more but were just running out of light, so they’ve been held over for next year.

“As ever, it was well supported. Everybody seems to enjoy coming to Denholm.

“It was a wee bit slow to get going. The first ba’ didn’t last three minutes and it was away, so I told them to make the second one last and it was played for an hour, which wasn’t exactly what I meant!”

Mr and Mrs Lauder’s diamond wedding ba’ was hailed up by Robbie Linton, Mr and Mrs Sudden’s diamond wedding ba’, the Fox and Hound pub ba’ and the Cross Keys Pub ba’s were all hailed by uppie Ruaridh McLeod, Mr and Mrs Crawford’s golden wedding ba’ by uppie Neil Douglas, Mr and Mrs Marshall’s golden wedding ba’ by doonie Lee Notman, the Mr and Mrs Douglas golden wedding ba’ by doonie Liam Cleghorn and Mr and Mrs Purdie’s golden wedding ba’ by uppie Callum Liddle.