Kwalleballen 2002

Sunday 14 April 2002 was the great moment. After a year of absence because of foot-and-mouth disease there was Kwalleballen again in Dommelen near Valkenswaard. Ton and I were in time with several cameras. A big marquee, a castle with air, several tapping, toilets, rest rooms and showers were available. To be absolutely sure we had some chances of clothes with us. As always does the whole day the sun was shining and the temperature was rather high when dry and clean. 24 normal teams, some youth and half a dozen female teams are there for the most important event of the year. Some bulb and corn fields are exploited for the game. So they spare some money for plough the fields.

It is some kind of rugby with a sandbag and ponds as goal. Because of residues of straw it is advisable to wear long trousers. Most of the teams played completely clothed. With a muck cart they spread some water over the fields to get the right substance. In the beginning it wasn't much. But later on in finales the mud was with at least five centimeters quiet nice. It is wise to stay in balance and to avoid the ponds, when you want to celebrate the party in the same clothes.

Some tactic and technique is important. Somebody lying down in the mud have to give up the sandbag. When everybody is fighting on the ground in the mud the sandbag becomes free. Both teams have some key figure in the background to pick up the sandbag. When everybody is lying and struggling in the mud it isn't sensible to pull on the sandbag with everybody. In no time the bag tears in two. So the smart ones pick up some dangerous opponent and take him out of the match by holding him down in the mud at the crucial moments. It happens all the time that in a fight near the ponds the fight continued in the pond. A lot of players become completely submerged, while dunking the sandbag in the pond. I tried to registry the transformation during the first matches from nice clothed dry and clean guys into a mud pillar as good as possible...

In the big group of players of Lichtenvoorde several wear very nice clothes. Two of them can be seen all over the page. Both guys were there before, but that time their clothes were completely demolish during the day. One of them wear this year a off white trouser. I notice him near the playground. I couldn't believe he should participate. After some minutes he entered the field as reserve player. While the other guy in dark grey trouser was soaked immediately, it toke some time to make the guy in white complete unrecognizable. I have the precise moment he lost his balance and (probably deliberate) ended with the bottom in the creamy mud.

After the first head I searched for a group with little reserve players. At that moment I didn't manage to play, but some guys were fooling around a pond. I boy that badly want to participate was hesitating. So I pushed him in the water. The result was, that they attacked me all together and I ended fully clothed with Nikes, grey jumper, shirt, brand new tshirt and light grey trousers in the pond. After some gliding and jumping through the mud and the pond I resigned. The boy in white clothes of Lichtenvoorde looks like very inviting. So I changed in bright white clothes too. There were already some girls returning from there mud play, want to cuddle me.

On the playgrounds the people find my clothing provocative as well and offered me a nice bath. After some moments I met a group with shortness of players. They offered me a place in their team. We had to play against one of the five teams of Lichtenvoorde. Enthusiastic they start to trash me. In the beginning I survived their most villain attacks. But got already some smoothly spots on my bright white clothes. At one moment I become reckless, entered a struggle and ended stretched out in the mud. Ton tries to registry the whole event. To the end of the game I ended with a couple of others in the pond together with the sandbag. I was completely trashed, soaked and demolished afterwards. But the drill of a mud bath in bright white clothes is the effort and exhausting more then worth.

I changed for the third time. At one moment one of the participants of a match splashed me deliberately with mud. I decided that a revenge was eminent. I attacked the boy, but he was already rather dirty and had a lot of friends with them. They took me with them in the mud and the pond covering me with mud in full. So I changed for the last time that day. The finale was eminent. I took a tight kaki trouser, new jumper, shirt and tshirt. After the finale I go in the field to congratulate the winners. They were completely exhausted. The referee were throw in a pond and nothing happens anymore until the nice boy in dark grey trouser offered to fight with me. The way it ended can be watched down the page Water play.

2003