EVER PLAYED
MOTOR BALL?
G'day folks,
We've just had the World Cup, but here's something similar that used to be very popular.
Not to rag on the World
Cup or anything, but why run after a football when you can just drive towards
it on a motorbike? Well that’s the spirit of Motor-ball, which is pretty much
exactly what it sounds like. All you need to play is 1) a huge inflatable ball,
2) a bike of some kind, and 3) the need for speed… and maybe 4) a death wish.
The jury’s out on how it started. Some trace it to 1930s
France, where they call it Moto-ball others
say it was started by the Worcester Motor-ball Club in 1934. Regardless, at its
peak in the mid-century there were teams all across Europe and even Russia. The
sport’s still out there today, but remains rather niche.
“You can dribble or kick with either foot, but you’ve got
to keep your eyes peeled,” reported British Pathé at a British game in 1964,
“The veterans [have] 250cc racing bikes,” and each team has two players on
stand-bye because, well, getting punted in the face is not uncommon (hence the
helmets). You can also spot a Motor-Baller by his or her knee-high boots, which
protect from chaffing and high-speed contact as they try to nestle the 40 cm
wide ball in front of their foot.
Clancy's comment: I'd sure give it a go. Would you?
I'm ...
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