The Victorian Cricket Ground Hotel, used for and by cricketers of Leicestershire County Cricket Club.
During the 1870s the ground came to be first in use by the county club, including a game against the Australians in 1878. Prior to this, games were played at its headquarters at the Wharf Street ground, until its closure circa 1860.
The Cricket Ground originally had a day licence for when games were played but on the 27th of September 1879, an application to the Borough Brewster Sessions was made to extend it to seven days.
First licensee was John Dove Harris, William Bent, William Scotney 1896 followed. William Burton 1897, Francis Jelly 1901, Frank Everitt 1905, Arthur Dick Pougher 1909,(deceased) Arthur Dick Pougher Cricketer died 1906, .
Pougher one of Leicestershire’s most famous cricketers played 1885-1901, played for England against S A, once took 5 wickets for none playing for MCC against the Australians, in all he scored 4,555 runs and took 535 wickets, later became an umpire.
Ethel Pougher was the listed as licensee until c1935 when George Moreton followed by William King were installed.
A licence also existed at the ground refreshment rooms for spectators on Aylestone Road from 1900 until 1939, when the military authorities requisitioned it for the war effort. After the war the licence was not renewed.
Complicated application for a full licence, Leicester Chronicle September 1900.
Frederick Charles Toone became the first licensee of the Refreshment Rooms. Thomas Burdett 1903, Samuel Robson 1908, Sidney Charles Richard 1910. Walter Spriggs 1911, William Goode 1912, Harry Davis 1919. Robert McDonald 1923, and Sidney Charles Packer completed the licensees of the Refreshment Rooms that were soon to be closed due to the War. The Owners of the Refreshment Rooms were listed as The Mayor & Alderman of the City of Leicester.
This was not to last much longer as Everards, in their wisdom, decided to demolish the old building for a newer look pub, the Cricketers, in 1974.
Joe Regan has a list of licensees from 1974 Norman Kenny licensee, c1978 Russell Kenny, c1980 Neil Latham, c1981 Leslie Woodland, c1983 Graham Robinson, c1987 William Pollard, c1990 Barry Shorthouse? 1991 Stephen Plucinski, c1992 Kevin Bevin, 1993 Kevin Samuels, c1995 Paul Wood, c1996 John Hughes.
The Cricketers over the years was the victim of unwanted publicity.
On the 7th of July 2019, saw a pitched battle with baseball bats, damaging parts of the pub. Police cordoned it off after ten people were taken to hospital after a suspected chemical attack. Five people were arrested.
2023 Photo by Eddy Hall, below photo by Mick Savage (facebook)
2024 Cricketers by John Finch
The Cricketers is still very much open for business as of writing.