Mudeford Cricket Club applies to BCP Council’s licensing sub-committee for certificate to sell alcohol

CRICKET club chiefs hope an alcohol licence will boost finances as it continues to grow.

Mudeford Cricket Club is applying to BCP Council’s licensing sub-committee for a club premises certificate so it can sell alcohol from its Ledbury Road clubhouse.

Club secretary David Vines said players and spectators would be served only after matches, helping the club make money as it plans a £20,000 refit of its artificial grass pitch.

“This club has been going for almost 200 years,” Mr Vines told the A&T, “and most of the matches we play away are at club houses where you can get a drink, either alcoholic or non-alcoholic, afterwards.

“It’s the very sociable side of cricket, but we don’t have that facility, to be able to embrace the good spirit and friendly nature of the game.”

The application has prompted six letters of objection, with some saying they were concerned about “the level of disruption and noise” that would be caused in a “lovely, quiet neighbourhood”.

Another objector called the application “ridiculous” claiming it will create difficulties parking at the nearby car park. Other objectors asked why the application was necessary when there is a pub nearby.

Mr Vines added: “I want to be clear that we’re not going to become a pub. We’re applying for a licence that lets us operate seven days a week, but we will only be serving drinks on match days after the matches are over.”

He said that with the growth of the club’s youth and women’s sections, there could be a change or increase in the number of match days for the club and that having a seven day licence will “help future-proof” the application.

He continued: “In terms of club finances, we need to replace our artificial grass turf now and that will cost around £20,000.

“So the income from being able to sell drinks on match days will help the club, especially at a time when we’re having trouble attracting sponsorship cash in the way we used to.”

The certificate would permit the sale of alcohol from 6pm to 9.30pm, Mondays to Fridays, from 2pm to 10pm on Saturdays, and from 2pm to 9pm on Sundays, from 1st April to 30th September.

BCP Council’s licensing sub-committee will discuss the application on Wednesday 30th April.