M.G.S. Fives

M.G.S. Fives (also known as Muggers fives or Oldham fives) is a sport created and played at The Manchester Grammar School, dating back to the early 17th century. The game is unique to the school, and has never been played by any other institution. Despite the name, the game bears little resemblance to Fives. It is believed to be one of the oldest school sports on record, and is probably one of just a few medieval sports still played in North West England.

Origins

The origins of the game are somewhat mysterious, with the officially history appearing to be a melange of fact and folklore. The traditional date for the invention of the sport is 1610, with the rules being codified in 1857 with the formation of the club. The sport was banned for a century, and largely forgotten, after an unfortunate incident in 1904, which resulted in the blinding of a player. It was rediscovered by a group of boys researching the early 20th century history of the school and has subsequently been resurrected.

Development

Like many public school games, Muggers fives has its roots in medieval handball games, and is played indoors. The equipment and court used have evolved over time, with Club folklore suggesting that originally a gloved hand was used instead of a bat (the allegedly bat being introduced in 1731, to be replaced by a book in 1835). It is supposed that the bladder of a guinea fowl was originally used as a ball (a cork ball was later introduced and a rubber one is used in the re-introduced game). The rules used today are roughly the same as those recorded by first Fives President Samuel Farrington Spawforth, in 1857.

Court

Originally, the game was played in a classroom and so the official court mirrors many of the features of such a room. Courts are enclosed, measuring around 20 feet by 10 feet, with a 20 foot ceiling. At one end there is a window (known as a fenestra), which plays a role in the game similar to the stumps in cricket and is divided by wooden slats into a grid, with the bottom two rows being known as superior and inferior due to their role in the game. In the middle of the room, measuring 15 by 5 feet is a table (or mensa) which forms the bulk of the playing area. On the wall opposite the fenestra two smaller windows (poculae) are found 18 feet off the grown, measuring 4 by 1 feet. Beneath the fenestra is a metal grill.

The Game

The fundamentals of the games are rather simple, although the full rules are quite complex. The batsman (or cavator) stands in front of the fenestra, and the bowler (iaculator) delivers the bowl towards him, bouncing it any number of times on the mensa. The bowler must not throw the ball with palm facing forward, and the ball should be released at a pace judged reasonable by those playing. The batsman then hits the ball, trying to avoid being “out”. Rather bizarrely, the game has no scoring system, and thus it differs from almost all other school sports as there are no winners or losers. This believed to be because the game was originally intended to instill gentlemanly conduct and the value of sportsmanship on its players. Even today, vulgar or unsportsmanlike behavior is not tolerated, as it seen as going against not only an intrinsic element of the sport but also one of the founding principles of the Manchester Grammar School, which was originally established to promote "Godliness and Good Manners".

Being Out

The batsman’s turn at the fenestra comes to an end when he is judged to be “out”, and he is replaced by the player responsible for getting him out. The main ways to be “out” are as follows (given the names of their cricket equivalents when applicable, for clarity's sake):

Bowled - when the ball hits the inferior (lower) section of the fenestra, either with or without the batsman touching it. The batsman is allowed any number of hits to prevent this.

Behind - when the ball hits the superior row of the fenestra after the batsman as hit it. Again he is allowed any number of strikes to prevent this.

Caught - the ball can be caught with both hands provided it has not hit any surface after the bat. It can be caught one handed after any number of bounces off the walls or mensa, provided it has not hit the floor. If the ball strikes a player, it cannot be caught by another.

Stumped - when the ball hits any of the books/pamphlets that can be positioned by the bowler on the mensa, and bounces back, it can be caught and thrown towards the fenestra, if it strikes either the superior or inferior levels the batsman is out.

Direct Hit - unlike most sports, spectators are allowed into the playing area, however hitting on “on the full” with the ball results in instant dismissal.

Wedged - if the ball becomes wedged in the grill beneath the fenestra, then the batsman is out.

Club Organization

Since its inception the club has operated without the Masters’ involvement. The game is limited to 15 players in the uppermost year of the school, chosen by the previous year’s team. A Committee is made up of 5 of these, elected by the others, who then elect a President. The entire club meet on the day before the commencement of the Michelmas Term, in order to perform The Ceremony of the Five. In this ceremony the players take the club oath, before feasting upon guinea-fowl, a reference to the origins of the game. After singing the School song “When August Sons” a Master of the Owl is selected, who acts as Vice-President for the year.

As well as playing the game this committee is responsible for the maintenance and any changes made to the rules, as well as caring for the game’s history, in particular the Liber Ludi Ulularum which records the development of the game from 1857 onwards. This book was lost after the banning of the game, but subsequently rediscovered in the school archive, leading to the revival of the sport.

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