The Appleby Arrows

The Appleby Arrows are a professional Quidditch team from the north of England, founded in 1612. They are one of the thirteen teams that compete in the British and Irish Quidditch League. The team is renowned for its pale blue Quidditch Robes featuring a silver arrow, its long and successful history in the league, and the once-notorious tradition of its supporters firing arrows from their wands to celebrate goals.

The Appleby Arrows were founded in 1612 and have a celebrated history. They have won the British and Irish Quidditch League Cup a total of sixteen times. Perhaps their most famous match occurred in 1932 against the Vratsa Vultures of Bulgaria. This contest became legendary for its duration, lasting sixteen days under conditions of heavy fog and rain. The match was also notable for the aggressive behaviour of the fans, including the reported cursing of the Vultures' Seeker. In the 1990s, the team remained prominent enough to compete at an international level. Ludo Bagman, Head of the Department of Magical Games and Sports, mentioned having watched them play the Vratsa Vultures in Bulgaria in the year prior to the 1994 Quidditch World Cup.

The team's official uniform consists of pale blue Quidditch Robes, emblazoned with a single silver arrow on the chest. The “personality” or culture of the club is marked by a passionate and historically aggressive identity. For centuries, it was a tradition for the team's supporters to magically shoot silver arrows into the air from their wands every time their Chasers scored a goal. This practice was outlawed by the Department of Magical Games and Sports in 1894 after one such arrow pierced the nose of referee Nugent Potts. The team's tenacity is also a key trait, exemplified by their endurance during the sixteen-day match against the Vratsa Vultures.

As a professional Quidditch team with sixteen league titles, the Appleby Arrows are shown to possess a high degree of skill, teamwork, and magical flying ability. Their consistent success in the British and Irish Quidditch League points to a long-standing tradition of excellence. Their ability to compete against top-tier international teams like the Vratsa Vultures further establishes them as one of the premier teams in the wizarding world. Their players would possess exceptional stamina, agility on a broom, and strategic prowess.

• Team Robes: The Arrows own and wear their signature pale blue Quidditch Robes with a silver arrow emblem.
• Home Pitch: As a professional team, they presumably have a home Quidditch Pitch located somewhere in northern England.
• Brooms: The players would be equipped with professional-grade brooms for competing in the league.

The Appleby Arrows have a famous and long-standing rivalry with the Wimbourne Wasps, another team in the British and Irish Quidditch League. Their history also includes a fierce, competitive relationship with the Vratsa Vultures, highlighted by their legendary 1932 match and their continued international fixtures into the 1990s. The team operates under the regulations of the Department of Magical Games and Sports, which has intervened in the past to curb the behaviour of its supporters.

• Appleby: The name most likely refers to the real market town of Appleby-in-Westmorland, located in Cumbria, Northern England. This real-world location fits the team's established origin.
• Arrows: The name reflects the team's silver arrow emblem and, more significantly, the historical tradition of its fans firing magical arrows to celebrate goals. The name suggests speed, accuracy, and a direct, attacking style.

• The vast majority of information known about the Appleby Arrows comes from the supplementary book Quidditch Through the Ages.
• The team is a playable team in the Quidditch World Cup video game. (video game)
• The Appleby Arrows are not mentioned or depicted in the film adaptations of the novels. (film)