Eights 1957

BUMPS CHARTS

STANDINGS Start Finish Pos College Pts Pts College 1 Balliol 123 112 Balliol 2 Queen's 105 110 Queen's 3 Magdalen 105 107 Christ Church 4 Christ Church 101 105 Magdalen 5 Merton 97 101 Merton 6 S.E.H. 85 95 S.E.H. 7 Oriel 83 84 Lincoln 8 New College 81 80 Jesus 9 Brasenose 78 74 Oriel 10 Trinity 77 72 New College 11 Lincoln 73 69 Trinity 12 University 71 69 Brasenose 13 Jesus 69 62 Hertford 14 St Peter's 67 60 University 15 Pembroke 56 59 St Peter's 16 Worcester 53 58 Worcester 17 Wadham 52 57 Pembroke 18 Hertford 51 48 Wadham 19 St Catherine's 45 48 St John's 20 Exeter 44 47 Exeter 21 Keble 42 43 St Catherine's 22 St John's 38 37 Keble 23 Corpus Christi 36 36 Corpus Christi

STATISTICS College All Crews [ ]=ranking Crews Bps Avg Lincoln 4[ 5] 10[ 1] 2.50[ 2] Corpus Christi 3[13] 8[ 2] 2.67[ 1] Wadham 4[ 5] 7[ 3] 1.75[ 3] Hertford 3[13] 5[ 4] 1.67[ 4] Worcester 3[13] 4[ 5] 1.33[ 5] Merton 3[13] 4[ 5] 1.33[ 5] St John's 5[ 2] 4[ 5] 0.80[ 7] S.E.H. 5[ 2] 3[ 8] 0.60[ 8] Jesus 4[ 5] 2[ 9] 0.50[ 9] Christ Church 4[ 5] 1[10] 0.25[10] Balliol 5[ 2] 1[10] 0.20[11] Magdalen 4[ 5] -1[12] -0.25[12] Exeter 3[13] -1[12] -0.33[13] St Catherine's 3[13] -1[12] -0.33[13] Queen's 3[13] -1[12] -0.33[13] St Peter's 6[ 1] -3[16] -0.50[16] Trinity 3[13] -3[16] -1.00[17] Pembroke 4[ 5] -4[18] -1.00[17] Brasenose 3[13] -4[18] -1.33[20] Oriel 4[ 5] -5[20] -1.25[19] New College 2[23] -5[20] -2.50[21] Keble 3[13] -8[22] -2.67[22] University 4[ 5] -13[23] -3.25[23]

Notes

• Wed 29 May – Sat 1 June 1957
• The Times Mon, 3 June has a photo taken from the towpath in front of the old OUBC (now Univ) boathouse, looking downstream, captioned:

  Queen's, who finished Head of the River, being pursued by Merton, with Christ Church third, during the First Division race at the conclusion of Eights Week at Oxford on Saturday.

• The Times Wed 29 May, from Our Rowing Correspondent

  Summer Eights Prospects — Improved standard expected

  It is generally expected that the result of the Boat Race will be reflected in the crews in Eights and Mays, but there is, happily, little sign on the Isis of the disaster which Oxford suffered in the Boat Race two months ago. Had they won, of course, there is little doubt that we should have had an outbreak of "new look" Connibear [sic] crews. Certainly there are one or two undistinguished crews which are caricaturing the Americans, but no more than were trying to emulate Lady Margaret a year or two ago. And even in such isolated cases, something may well be gained, for at least it means that eight men are making a determined effort to achieve something together.

  It would be rash, before the racing, to say that the Oxford crews are better than last year. But there does seem to be confirmation of an impression gained over the past two summers, that more intelligent and constructive coaching has been going on at Oxford than anywhere else in the country. Unfortunately little evidence of this is seen beyond the confines of the Isis, because of the chronically weak numerical state of the college boat clubs.

  Continual wastage

  Far too many men seem to be unable to row for more than two years, and this continual wastage of the more experienced material, coupled with the incompatible dates of the Oxford examinations and Henley Royal Regatta, make it almost impossible to produce first-class crews. But if there are no potential Grand crews, it is still true that the overall standard of the first two divisions continues to rise. Incidentally, an innovation which must have helped this year is the introduction of a rule that crews below the third division must be off the river by 4.30pm. This means that the more seriously inclined have a far better chance of an uninterrupted outing.

  To forecast the results of the racing which starts to-day would be hard indeed, when even those who have been regularly on the towing path seem disinclined to commit themselves. There is an expectation that Queen's will displace Balliol, which is justified by the superficial sight of both crews. There also seems to be a suspicion, if not an expectation, that either Merton or Christ Church will, or could, catch Queen's. Undoubtedly Christ Church are the crew which has the men this year, including two Blues and several trial caps. But if Queen's once reach the place of honour, they may prove hard to catch. If they finish head it will be for the first time since 1837.

  Tough division

  Lower in the first division there could be a landslide, but it is difficult to say who would reap the benefit, since so much depends on the first day's racing. Jesus and Lincoln are fancied, but could be robbed, respectively, by St. Edmund Hall and University. In the second division, Hertford, Worcester, and Pembroke all should — yet all cannot, since they are neighbours — make bumps. Here there must be heartburnings, with Wadham and St. Peter's bent on making difficult the way ahead, and St. Catherine's and Exeter, and perhaps Corpus, ready, and probably able, to pick off any stragglers. By and large this must be as tough a second division as there has been for many years. The order of start is:— [...]

• The Daily Telegraph Wed 29 May, by A Special Correspondent

  Oxford loyal to Barnard

  Loyalty of Oxford rowing men to P. F. Barnard, who inexplicably blacked out in this year's University Boat Race, should be remembered.

  Not only did the crew refuse to consider rowing at Henley without him, but Christ Church insisted on his rowing for the college in the summer eights beginning at Oxford to-day.

  The reason for this is the undoubted fact that all who have had similar collapses in the Boat Race have come back afterwards to do great things.

  In other respects, too, Christ Church have an interesting crew. At stroke and seven are David and John Edwards, sons of "Jumbo", who resigned as Oxford coach after a difference of opinion with R. H. Carnegie.

  Also in the crew are the sons of Felix Badcock, the Thames and Olympic oarsman, and R. Rathbone, a blue of 30 years ago.

• The Times Thu 30 May, from Our Oxford Correspondent

  Queen's go Ahead at Oxford — Balliol bumped at second attempt

  The weather was overcast and an uncomfortable cross-wind from the Oxford bank for the first day of Eights Week when, in the seven divisions, there were 24 bumps and two overbumps.

  As was generally expected, Queen's went head of the river. They were always coming up on Balliol though they first missed their bump at the top of Green Bank. However, they overlapped again almost at once and then made no mistake about it, catching Balliol just above the University boathouse.

  There was an unusual incident in this division when, coming out of the Gut, bow in the Jesus boat caught a crab and was catapulted into the river. Jesus quickly recovered from this and, rowing on with only seven men, just managed to escape a bump by Oriel. [Bumps Chart]

• The Daily Telegraph Thu 30 May

  Queen's go Head of the River

  Queen's moved to the head of the river on the first day of the Oxford Summer Eights yesterday catching Balliol as the crews approached the barges.

  But the real excitement occurred lower down in the division. Bow of the Jesus boat caught a crab and was thrown into the water after his blade had struck the oar of a boat involved in a bump.

  With seven oarsmen Jesus battled gamely and successfully to hold off Oriel, the only other bumps in Division I being by St. Edmund Hall over Brasenose and Lincoln over University. [List of bumps].

• The Times Fri 31 May, from Our Oxford Correspondent

  Queen's Still at the Head — Danger looming from Merton

  Sunshine and little wind made pleasanter conditions for the second day of Summer Eights at Oxford when 26 bumps were made. Queen's rowed over comfortably at the head of the river, but their way was made easy because Merton caught Balliol coming out of the Gut.

  That Merton made their bump so early must be a little disturbing to Queen's, who may be pushed to hold their place to-day and to-morrow. St. John's, by bumping Oriel II in the second division, climbed out of their ignominious place among the second boats and joined their own kind. [Bumps Chart]

• The Daily Telegraph Fri 31 May

  Merton move up to second place

  A further change in the head of the river position in the Oxford University Boat Club Summer Eights seems likely. Yesterday, the second day, Merton moved into second place, when they caught Balliol as the crews entered the Gut. Balliol lost the headship when bumped by Queen's further along the course on Wednesday.

  But if Queen's are able to retain their newly won position they will have the distinction of providing the top crews for both Torpids and Eights.

  During the day there were 26 bumps as follows: [...]

• The Times Sat 1 June

  Merton not quite fast enough

  The big interest of the third day of Eights Week at Oxford was whether Queen's would retain their place at the head of the river. Merton are probably the fastest boat on the river but they were not quite fast enough to make up the distance for a bump.

  They gained fast between the Concrete Bridge and The Gut and at the top of the Green Bank were no more than half a length behind. But it was significant that Queen's were rowing 32 to Merton's 36 and were always longer in the water. Over the second half of the course there was never much chance that Merton would get any closer. With the moral advantage of yesterday, Queen's should not be hard put to it to hold their position to-day.

  There was an interesting bump in Division IV when Christ Church III caught St. Edmund Hall III. St. Edmund Hall first put on a third boat in 1948 and this is the first time it has ever been bumped. [not actually true: St. Edmund Hall III.were bumped twice in 1950]. [Bumps Chart]

• The Daily Telegraph Sat 1 June, by A Special Correspondent

  Merton challenge resisted

  Merton made a determined by unsuccessful attempt to dethrone Queen's from their position at the head of the river in the Oxford summer eights yesterday. Twice they were within half a length.

  Merton gained slightly at the start and moved up steadily along the green bank but the stronger Queen's crew, rowing with power and precision, held them at bay.

  Balliol went down again, this time to Christ Church, and St. Edmund Hall, Lincoln and Hertford continued their upward climb in the top division.

  When St. Edmund Hall's third crew was caught by Christ Church III in division 4 it was the first time the boat had been bumped since its formation in 1948 [see comment above]. [List of bumps].

• The Times Mon 3 June, from Our Rowing Correspondent

  Queen's Finish Head — well deserved place of honour

  As a social occasion, Eights Week left little to be desired. Brilliant weather attracted a huge crowd on Saturday, the oarsmen provided plenty of excitement, and even the diehards seemed to be softening towards the prospect of a river frontage free of iron railings, from which it may actually be possible to obtain a good view of the rowing — at the expense of the diminishing vista of college barges.

  The more serious students of rowing may perhaps have felt a mixture of admiration and frustration; admiration that so much has been done in the last few years, with so little material, and frustration at the sure knowledge of what the sequel will be. For there was no question either that this was the highest standard achieved in Eights for several years or that the majority of the first eights were really trying to row in an intelligent and efficient manner — quite unlike the present general trend of rowing in this country. Yet, almost inevitably, it seems, these crews will now be broken up or reconstituted, and such as go on to Henley will do so with half their members commuting between the Examination Schools and the boat tents. Looking further ahead, it can be expected that, of this summer's first eight men who are still in residence next year, up to 25 per cent. will have given up rowing.

  Both crews rough

  Queen's, without the services of K. A. Mason, the University stroke, nevertheless finished Head of the River for the first time in 120 years, and fully deserved the place of honour, even if they were not quite as fast as Merton. Both crews were rough, and both worked tremendously hard, and demonstrated the advantages of doing so with their blades fully covered. Merton had the greater starting pace, but could never do more than threaten Queen's.

  Christ Church were frankly disappointing, for they seemed to have the makings of the best crew on the river. They were reputedly fast in practice, but in the races their bladework was washy, and they lacked a properly coupled leg-drive. Magdalen, with an obviously weak crew, must have been rightly delighted to catch Balliol on Saturday. Balliol, after putting up a tremendous resistance to Queen's on the opening night, perhaps lost heart, for they got slower as the week progressed.

  Head of the River [Crew as below]. [Bumps Chart].

• The Daily Telegraph Mon 3 June, by A Special Correspondent

  Higher standard in Eights Week at Oxford

  One of the best eights weeks at Oxford since the war ended on Saturday in brilliant sunshine which brought to the towpath the largest crowd for many years.

  For the first time since 1837 Queen's finished at the head of the river, having won the headship from Balliol when the races opened on Wednesday.

  Queen's now have the double, for earlier in the year in the torpids they won the headship, again from Balliol.

  Their crew was [as below, same as listed in The Times].

  There was a noticeable improvement in the standard of rowing, particularly in the upper divisions.

  Moved up each day

  Hertford and St. John's were the only first eights to move up every day. Other crews to equal this performance were St. John's II, Christ Church III, Trinity III, St. Peter's Hall III, Worcester III, Oriel IV, Corpus III, and Lincoln IV.

  Although Merton twice failed to win the headship from Queen's they shared with Lincoln the distinction of completing four days' racing without any of their crews being bumped.

  There was a total of 111 bumps and two over-bumps. Order of finish: [...]. [List of Saturday's bumps]

• In other news ... [1957]

  Thu May 30

  Real Madrid beats Fiorentina 20 at Santiago Bernabeu Stadium, Madrid, to win the 1956-57 European Cup (football).

  Sat June 1

  Three-year-old thoroughbred Gallant Man wins the Peter Pan Stakes, at Belmont Park.

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