Foxes Flashback - John Whiteside

John Whiteside (born on 11^th June, 1861) was Leicestershire’s first regular wicket keeper when they joined the county championship in 1895. Before then he had played a few games for his native Lancashire, and from 1890 he was one of the professionals employed by the MCC to bowl at the members at Lord’s, something he continued to do until 1920. He was very popular with the members and was fortunate to be given the Whitsun Bank holiday game against Sussex as a benefit.

He was a fearless wicket keeper, standing up to all bowlers, including Arthur Woodcock who bowled quite fast. He was clearly not phased by spin bowling either, for in 1901 he stumped the first four Essex batsmen off the bowling of Fred Geeson in a match at Aylestone Road.

He was noted for being a comedian and chatting a lot, humour no doubt originating through being brought up in his grandfather’s pub. He generally did not take batting seriously. He had a simple technique, stop the straight ones and have a wild swing at the rest. He could bat stubbornly when the need arose though, such as in 1896 when he contributed just 5 runs to a last wicket partnership of 47 that brought an unexpected victory over Warwickshire. A career batting average of 6 indicates he was very much a specialist wicket keeper, whose 410 victims put him 7^th on the Leicestershire list. In 1901, he stumped 27 batsman, mainly off Fred Geeson’s leg breaks.

He retired from first class cricket in 1906, and thereafter spent more time at Lord’s, umpiring matches when required. He umpired in championship matches in 1919, 1921 and 1922.

In 1903 he joined Dick Pougher in a business venture, an athletic goods business called ‘Whiteside & Pougher’ based at 13 Aylestone Road, Leicester. He seems to have lived with his wife and four children ‘above the shop’ maybe using the proceeds of his benefit the previous year to set up the business and provide a home for his family.

Later on, he was employed as a dressing room attendant at Aylestone Road, so his was a life spent revolving around cricket and cricketers.

Richard Holdridge - Club Historian