FOR many, the biggest risk they take on Shrove Tuesday is flipping a pancake.

But in a usually serene North-East village, windows will be boarded up and cars removed from the streets as residents prepare for one of the most reckless and frantic sporting occasions known to man.

Hundreds of people will travel to Sedgefield, County Durham, today and throw themselves into the scrum as they compete in the traditional Shrove Tuesday ball game.

Historians believe the game dates back about 1,000 years and started life as a four-hour football match between local farmers and tradesmen.

More gruesome folk tell a tale of warring tribes using heads instead of a ball.

Alison Hodgson, of Sedgefield Local History Society, said: "I have seen articles about the game in early 19th Century newspapers showing it was around for a long time before that. We are fairly sure it has been held since at least medieval times.

"I think it most likely started out several hundreds of years ago as a game of football between farm workers and town people.

"They used goals at either end of the village, one in a blacksmith's pond at North End and the other in a stream on Spring Lane."

Each year, one of the community's most respected elders starts proceedings by passing the ball through a bull ring on the village green three times at 1pm before it is hurled into the air for pandemonium to ensue.

This year, the honour falls to 92-year-old Mary Barron, who has lived in Sedgefield all her life and raised her five children in the village.

She said: "I am very pleased to be doing it, I have supported it for many years and never thought I would see the day I was asked to start the ball game.

"One of my daughters, Joan Merrington, who delivered post in the area, would have been asked, but she died last year. She would have been very proud."

The game will end between 4pm and 5pm when the holder returns to the bull ring and repeats the opening ceremony to win.

Rumour has it that a cork softball was flown 4,000 miles from Canada to the UK, where a traditional leather outer was sewn on to it in preparation for this year's game.

The 12in ball is much closer in size to the original than those used in recent years, when players have turned to the sports of cricket or polo to find a smaller ball for the event.

Last week, the ball mysteriously turned up at a village pub and was carried through the village at the weekend, when residents donated money to a repairs fund to cover the cost of damage caused to windows on the day.

Village police officer PC Keith Todd is urging participants to take care of themselves and local premises and has warned motorists to avoid the village centre.

He said: "As there are no organisers, it is difficult to prepare, but we expect it to be a good day and remind people who do not want to take part to avoid the village centre in the afternoon."

l See tomorrow's paper for a full report on the action.