“Historic” West Yorkshire pub relaunches as sports bar following six-figure refresh

One of Bradford’s “most historic and beloved” pubs returned as an “ultra-modern” sports bar on Saturday December 3 just in time for England’s World Cup clash against Senegal.

Ye Old Crown on Ivegate closed its doors at the end of October to undergo a £300k refurbishment, which involved knocking through to the former Brickbox venue and office next door.

The result is a larger and more contemporary 200-capacity space designed to be a “sports lovers’ paradise”. Renamed The Crown in a nod to the pub’s storied heritage, the sports bar features no less than 15 large LED TVs as well as a 4m x 2m ‘King’ size screen, showing national and international sports matches and events.

The bar is set to be the “place to be” in town for competitive socialising bringing interactive darts games and a pool hall boasting three competition standard pool tables to the area once refurbishment is complete.

The Crown’s fully stocked bar includes a mixture of both local ales and craft beers, as well as several international lagers. The bar is complemented by a six-tap beer wall, arriving in early 2023 that allows customers to beat the queues and pour their own pints.

Patrons are able to indulge in a selection of sports fan favourites including burgers, pizza, wings, dirty fries and much more. Vegetarian and Vegan options are also available. The Crown sits alongside some “great company”, as Ivegate is home to many of Bradford’s nightlife spots, including City Vaults, Wine Lodge and The Dubliner.

Speaking of the relaunch, general manager Andrew Ingham said: “Given the amount of history and fond memories Bradford locals have with Ye Old Crown, we wanted to make sure its reinvention as a sports bar did not disappoint.

“We’re confident customers both old and new will love The Crown, as we truly believe it’s going to be the very best place to enjoy sport in Bradford and cheer on England in the World Cup. Interactive darts is also something we’re extremely proud to bring to The Crown and the self-pour beer wall is another feature that makes our offering unique.

“Ivegate is undoubtedly one of the city’s liveliest areas and we’re thrilled to be sitting alongside some of the best bars and pubs in Bradford. We can’t wait to welcome our first guests - watch our socials for news on the launch date.”


By Matthew Neville – Correspondent, Bdaily

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