A WORKINGTON father who told his daughter he would 'be getting that ball' before the Uppies and Downies match on Good Friday achieved his lifelong dream, with a win for the Uppies after the ball quite literally landed at his feet.

40-year-old Sellafield worker John Irving from Stainburn in Workington hailed the ball on Good Friday, March 29 in a game that only lasted around 90 minutes before the Uppies took the win.

Speaking of how he got the ball on the night, John said: "It was on the black path and I was about four or five yards from the scrum. Then the ball just come rolling towards me and landed at my feet.

"I just picked it up and put it up my top and I was stood with a lad I used to play rugby with and he said: 'Just go John'.

"So I just started walking off and another couple of lads who were stood with me said: 'We're going up, eh'. I just said, 'yeah come on'... and we just started walking.

"We got to the bridge by the cricket club and wicker (a downie) just appeared out the bushes from no where, so someone grabbed hold of him and we just legged it up to the castle."

John has been attending the games for as long as he can remember, and said he has participated in most games since he was old enough to take part.

When asked what it meant to hail the ball on the night, John said: "It was going mental, everybody was cheering and chanting: 'You'll never take the Curwen'!

"It was just unbelievable. When we went in the legion I got a phone and rang my wife... she brought my kids down and they were all loving it."

"I actually said to my daughter, 'I'm going to get that ball tonight', and she was like 'Oh yeah, alright dad, you always say that!'

"But it just fell for me on the night.

"I've been going down there since I was a kid and I have been playing the game since I was old enough really. I have missed very very few games. It has always just been a part of my family (to participate). It's hard to explain there is no feeling like it (hailing the ball) it is just mental."

And he isn't stopping there. John says he will be back in the scrum for the second game tonight, April 2, to see what he hopes will be another win for the Uppies, as well as Saturday, April 6, when the final match takes place.