Eights 1952

BUMPS CHARTS

STANDINGS Start Finish Pos College Pts Pts College 1 Magdalen 118 112 Merton 2 Merton 107 108 Magdalen 3 New College 107 105 New College 4 Trinity 89 100 Balliol 5 Balliol 88 86 Trinity 6 Christ Church 86 81 Christ Church 7 Pembroke 74 78 Worcester 8 Worcester 72 76 Brasenose 9 St John's 71 75 S.E.H. 10 S.E.H. 67 74 University 11 Brasenose 66 66 Lincoln 12 Lincoln 66 63 Pembroke 13 University 64 57 Jesus 14 Oriel 63 56 St Peter's 15 St Peter's 56 54 St John's 16 St Catherine's 49 53 St Catherine's 17 Exeter 49 52 Oriel 18 Jesus 47 43 Queen's 19 Keble 43 39 Keble 20 Queen's 35 38 Exeter 21 Corpus Christi 31 30 Corpus Christi 22 Wadham 30 29 Wadham 23 Hertford 21 25 Hertford

STATISTICS College All Crews [ ]=ranking Crews Bps Avg Queen's 3[13] 13[ 1] 4.33[ 1] Merton 3[13] 10[ 2] 3.33[ 2] University 4[ 3] 9[ 3] 2.25[ 4] Jesus 4[ 3] 7[ 4] 1.75[ 8] St Catherine's 3[13] 6[ 5] 2.00[ 5] S.E.H. 3[13] 6[ 5] 2.00[ 5] Worcester 3[13] 6[ 5] 2.00[ 5] Hertford 2[22] 5[ 8] 2.50[ 3] St Peter's 4[ 3] 3[ 9] 0.75[ 9] Brasenose 5[ 1] 1[10] 0.20[10] Christ Church 3[13] 0[11] 0.00[11] Balliol 4[ 3] 0[11] 0.00[11] New College 4[ 3] -1[13] -0.25[13] Lincoln 3[13] -1[13] -0.33[14] Trinity 4[ 3] -2[15] -0.50[15] Magdalen 4[ 3] -2[15] -0.50[15] Oriel 4[ 3] -3[17] -0.75[17] Keble 4[ 3] -4[18] -1.00[18] Corpus Christi 2[22] -6[19] -3.00[21] Pembroke 4[ 3] -9[20] -2.25[19] Wadham 3[13] -11[21] -3.67[22] St John's 5[ 1] -13[22] -2.60[20] Exeter 3[13] -14[23] -4.67[23]

Notes

• 6 days: Thu 22 – Wed 28 May 1952
• Division times: 1:30, 2:15, 3:00, 3:45, 4:30, 5:30, 6:30.
• Only 9 crews rather than 13 in Div VII so I assume no Rowing On races were held this year.
• The Times Mon 26 May contains a photo from the Saturday captioned

  Queen's II being pressed by Jesus II in Division IV of the Oxford University Summer Eights which were continued on Saturday. College barges provide a picturesque background to this picture taken by a staff photographer. There were 26 bumps during the day's racing.

• The Times Thu 22 May

  The Summer Eights will be begun at Oxford to-day and concluded on Wednesday. The order of starting is:— [...]

• The Daily Telegraph, Thu 22 May

  Merton College, with five Blues, should retain the Headship of the River they gained for the first time last year in the Oxford Summer Eights which begin to-day. Their greatest danger may come from Balliol, who have been impressive in training. The bumps will be rowed in the usual seven divisions, starting at 1.30 and ending with the First Division at 6.30.

• The Times Fri 23 May, from Our Special Correspondent

  The weather was ideal for the opening of the Oxford University Summer Eights yesterday and there was a very large attendance of the public both on the barges and on the tow path.

  In Division VII St. Peter's Hall [IV] made an over-bump and the number of bumps was 27. A disputed bump between St. Catherine's and Exeter in Division II is being settled by the committee. Oriel III and Jesus III had to re-row when Jesus made a bump [?]. Merton should have no difficulty in keeping at the head of the river. [Bumps Chart].

• The Daily Telegraph, Fri 23 May

  There were 27 bumps and one overbump in the first day of the Oxford summer eights yesterday. A disputed bump between Exeter and St. Catherine's in Division II will be settled by the committee. Bumps were made by: [...]

• The Times Sat 24 May

  Ther was an unusual incident in the second day of the Oxford University Summer Eights yesterday. This happened in Division VI and six boats were involved. Magdalen IV and Jesus III both made bumps and Oriel III rowed on to make a double overbump against Balliol IV. There was a protest and the five [sic] boats re-rowed after the 6.30 race [ie Div I] with exactly the same result but without, this time, a protest.

  There were 23 bumps, one overbump, and one double overbump. [Bumps Chart]

• The Daily Telegraph, Sat 24 May

  There were 25 bumps, an over-bump and a double over-bump on the second day of the Oxford Summer Eights yesterday. Bumps were made by: [...]

• The Times Mon 26 May, from Our Rowing Correspondent

  Balliol go Head

  The unexpected, though not perhaps the altogether unforeseen, happened at Oxford on Saturday, when Balliol bumped Merton near the O.U.B.C., abd thus went head for the first time since 1879.

  They were within feet along the Green Bank, though even then it looked as though Merton might have got away if they could have rallied; instead they became very ragged, and a determined effort gave Balliol their well-deserved reward. Balliol are an exceptionally strong crew and row with great determination and dash. They must now have an excellent chance of remaining Head, though in this year's Eights anything might happen. For, although they have not been very many bumps at the top of the river, the crews so far have been most unpredictable in their daily performances. Merton, for instance, were pressed if not threatened by Magdalen on the first night before Magdalen themselves succumbed to Balliol. On Friday Merton looked safe, while Magdalen closed up on Balliol; and on Saturday, while Balliol were catching Merton, Magdadlen went down to New College, who really looked more likely to lose places than to gain them. [Bumps Chart]

• The Daily Telegraph, Mon 26 May

  Balliol bump Merton

  It was in 1879 that Balliol were last head of the river in the Oxford summer eights. Rather unexpectedly bumping Merton on Saturday, they have a stiff task to keep the headship before the finals are over on Wednesday. Bumps were made by: [...]

• The Times Tue 27 May, from Our Special Correspondent

  Balliol not Pressed

  Except along the Green Bank, where Merton gained slightly, Balliol were in no danger of losing the headship of the river which they gained in the Oxford Summer Eights on Saturday. [Bumps Chart]

• The Daily Telegraph, Tue 27 May

  Balliol hold challenge

  Balliol, head of Division I, withstood the challenge of the deposed Merton crew in the Oxford summer eights yesterday and finished a length ahead. Bumps were made by: [...]

• The Times Wed 28 May, from Our Special Correspondent

  Balliol stay Head

  In the fifth day's racing in the Oxford University Summer eights, which conclude to-day, there were 25 bumps, bringing the total to 129 in addition to overbumps and a double overbump.

  A strong westerly wind which sprang up late in the afternoon handicapped the crews, particularly in Division I. Balliol easily maintained their position at the head of the river. In Division III the second boats of St. Peter's Hall and St. Catherine's have now bumped each other twice. There is to be a re-row to-day in Division IV between the third crews of Balliol, Brasenose, and St. Catherine's. In yesterday's race Brasenose bumped Balliol but this was followed by a protest. [Bumps Chart]

• The Daily Telegraph, Wed 28 May

  Balliol retain position

  Balliol, who secured the headship on Saturday, retained their position in the Oxford summer eights yesterday. Due to a disputed bump in Division IV there will be re-row to-day between Balliol, Brasenose and St. Catherine's [3rd VIIIs]. Bumps were made by: [...]

• The Times Thu 29 May, from Our Special Correspondent

  Balliol Head of the River

  The Oxford University Summer Eights were concluded yesterday, with Balliol head of the river, a position they secured on Saturday when they caught Merton.

  Earlier in the day the third crews of Balliol, Brasenose, and St. Catherine's re-rowed because of a disputed bump on Tuesday in Division IV and St. Catherine's bumped Brasenose. [Bumps Chart]

• The Daily Telegraph, Thu 29 May

  Balliol Head of River

  Balliol finished Head of the River when the Oxford summer eights were concluded yesterday, a position they have not held since 1879. Bumps were made by: [...]

• The Times Fri 30 May, from Our Rowing Correspondent.

  Eights Week Reviewed

  It was not only the fine weather during this year's racing but the improved standard of most of the crews which helped to revive memories of the glories of past Eights Weeks at Oxford. Certainly the crowds must have been the greatest since the war, though many might well have deplored the changes of fashion which have deprived the occasion of any pretence at smartness.

  There were many surprises in the first division, even though six days' racing produced only three bumps among the top seven crews, a fact which in itself was a timely reminded that four days would generally be quite sufficient. Those who saw Balliol only on the last night, when they were rowing over comfortably in the place of honour, might well have been misled into thinking them a better and more polished crew than they really were. But they earned their success last week when they bumped Magdalen and then Merton by virtue of sheer hard work and determination. Their boat club must have absorbed some of that genius for producing coordinated variety which has long been a feature of the college. For theirs was no crew of ready-made oarsmen, and must surely have been the first ever to go Head under the leadership of an Etonian, and assisted by one Yale and one Harvard man, and five others, none of whom came from a major rowing school. It was a great triumph for J. G. C. Blacker, who rowed in eights which won the Ladies' Plate for Eton and the Grand for Leander before gaining a Blue at Oxford in 1949, and who has been debarred from rowing again for the University, and therefore deprived of a place in this year's winning crew, on medical grounds. K. H. Keniston must be the first man to have rowed in crews that beat Yale, won the Grand for Harvard and the Boat Race for Oxford, and finally went Head at Oxford.

  Merton had been looked on as almost certain to retain the Headship, and it is possible that they would still, in fact, beat Balliol over the Henley distance. But, while one is at grips with Eights Week, one may deplore the shortness of the course and the methods it encourages, but one can seldom ignore them with impunity. Merton were long and reasonably well together, but they lacked the dash and drive which took them Head last year. New College must have been well pleased to finish third and on Merton's tail, for they looked more likely to go down. Magdalen started the year with a serious shortage of material, and, while they had not much pace, were probably doing well enough to finish fourth. The next three crews rowed through the week without change of position, and Trinity were possibly the most polished crew at Oxford, at least when paddling. But they had weaknesses which became very apparent when rowing.

  The Balliol crew was:— [as below]

• In other news ... [1952]

  May 18

  Ann Davison becomes the first woman to single-handedly sail the Atlantic Ocean.

  June 1

  The Roman Catholic Church bans the books of Andre Gide.

  June 1

  Navigation opens on the Volg-Don Canal, connecting the Caspian Sea basin with that of the Black Sea.

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