Back in the 1990s the only thing anyone knew about roller derby was that Sam’s mum from Clarissa Explains It All played it – and that’s why he was round at her house all the time with his curtains and his chronic allergy to doors and regular entrances to rooms. Then a few years ago Drew Barrymore threw Whip It into cinemas and before you could say ‘booty block’, roller derby was cropping up in the most unlikely places. A game of attrition, aggression and usually oestrogen (though the Manchester Roller Derby team is unisex), roller derby is played at break-neck speed. Formed in 2010, the MRD is the city’s biggest roller derby club – and this Saturday it’s heading to the George H Carnall in Urmston for two epic battles between two of its teams, The Furies (pictured) and The Checkerbroards, and Rainy City Rollergirls’ Bet Lynch Mob and Birmingham Blitz Dames respectively. With players like Gogo Chanel, Kate Push and Pina-Collida, they put the pun in punishment for a game that takes no prisoners and has, quite rightly, been described as ‘rugby on roller skates’.
Sat 25 Jan, George H Carnall, Kingsway Park. Urmston, M41 7FJ, Tel: 0161 7492555, 2.15pm doors for 3pm first whistle, £6.50 adv, £8.50 on the door, manchesterrollerderby.com
Photo: Evan Smith
- Words:
- John Stansfield
- Published on:
- Thu 23 Jan 2014
