Players from the surrounding villages came forward, a fixture list was prepared, together with a playable wicket in the traditional field of Mr Wait, and the first season began in 1948.

Opposite photo is of Litchborough Football Club having just won the South Northants Cup.

As the five villages prepared to leave the Red Lion on that cold November evening in 1947, they saw three youngsters – Bryan Tarry, Terry Buxton and Rodney Hutchings – playing cricket on the village green on a wicket they had cleared in the early winter snow.

After the men viewed the scene for a few minutes from the steps of the Red Lion, they returned to the warmth of the public bar and agreed unanimously that if those three young lads were keen enough to play cricket in four inches of snow, then a cricket club must be formed.

And so, Mr C.E. Ivens became Litchborough C.C. first president, Jack Grey became chairman and umpire, and Ron Buxton became Hon secretary and treasurer and Jack Hutchings captain.

WW2 bought a halt to all regular sporting activities, but as life returned to normal in the late 1940’s, a meeting was called in the Red Lion Public House to try to establish a new sports club in the village.

Disappointingly, only five men attended the meeting.