On This Day - First home FC match

First FC Match at Grace Road

Five counties were made ‘first class’ in 1894, though curiously they did not take part in the county championship until the following year. They were there ‘on merit’ for they had been playing the top counties (ie Yorkshire, Notts and Surrey) in three day, non first class matches for several years, as well as similar length games between themselves.

Thursday 17^th May

The match started in dull, chilly weather. Leicestershire were at full strength, Yorkshire (who had beaten Lancashire over the preceding, Whit Bank Holiday weekend) were four short, those not playing including Lord Hawke and Sir Stanley Jackson.

Between three and four thousand people attended on the first day.