Eights 1976

MEN'S BUMPS WOMEN'S BUMPS

STANDINGS Start Finish Pos College Pts Pts College 1 Christ Church 236 226 Christ Church 2 Oriel 209 218 Oriel 3 S.E.H. 193 191 Keble 4 Balliol 184 187 University 5 Keble 182 186 S.E.H. 6 University 175 178 Balliol 7 Wadham 144 143 Wadham 8 New College 137 131 New College 9 Magdalen 132 130 Lincoln 10 St John's 131 130 Magdalen 11 Pembroke 123 126 Merton 12 Lincoln 123 126 St John's 13 Merton 123 119 Pembroke 14 Queen's 119 118 Exeter 15 Worcester 110 112 Queen's 16 Exeter 109 106 Worcester 17 Jesus 107 93 Brasenose 18 Brasenose 100 93 Jesus 19 St Peter's 84 88 St Peter's 20 Corpus Christi 82 86 Corpus Christi 21 St Catherine's 78 81 St Catherine's 22 Trinity 72 78 Trinity 23 Hertford 71 68 Hertford 24 Osler House 45 47 Osler House 25 Wolfson 35 41 Wolfson 26 Mansfield 22 24 Mansfield 27 L.M.H. 13 12 L.M.H. 28 St Hugh's 11 9 St Hugh's 29 Regent's Park 5 6 Regent's Park 30 Linacre 4 4 Linacre 31 St Hilda's 3 4 Somerville 32 Somerville 2 2 St Hilda's

STATISTICS College All Crews Men's Crews Women's Crews [ ]=ranking Crews Bps Avg Crews Bps Avg Crews Bps Avg Oriel 7[ 1] 15[ 1] 2.14[ 4] 7[ 1] 15[ 1] 2.14[ 4] Exeter 5[ 9] 12[ 2] 2.40[ 3] 5[ 8] 12[ 2] 2.40[ 3] Wolfson 4[15] 10[ 3] 2.50[ 2] 3[22] 10[ 3] 3.33[ 1] 1[ 3] 0[ 5] 0.00[ 5] St Peter's 4[15] 7[ 4] 1.75[ 7] 4[12] 7[ 4] 1.75[ 6] New College 4[15] 7[ 4] 1.75[ 7] 4[12] 7[ 4] 1.75[ 6] St Catherine's 5[ 9] 7[ 4] 1.40[ 9] 4[12] 7[ 4] 1.75[ 6] 1[ 3] 0[ 5] 0.00[ 5] Merton 5[ 9] 5[ 7] 1.00[10] 5[ 8] 5[ 7] 1.00[ 9] Osler House 2[26] 4[ 8] 2.00[ 5] 2[26] 4[ 8] 2.00[ 5] Corpus Christi 4[15] 4[ 8] 1.00[10] 4[12] 4[ 8] 1.00[ 9] Regent's Park 1[29] 3[10] 3.00[ 1] 1[27] 3[10] 3.00[ 2] Somerville 1[29] 2[11] 2.00[ 5] 1[ 3] 2[ 1] 2.00[ 1] Linacre 1[29] 1[12] 1.00[10] 1[27] 1[11] 1.00[ 9] St Hugh's 2[26] 1[12] 0.50[13] 2[ 1] 1[ 3] 0.50[ 3] L.M.H. 2[26] 1[12] 0.50[13] 2[ 1] 1[ 3] 0.50[ 3] Mansfield 3[23] 1[12] 0.33[15] 3[22] 1[11] 0.33[12] S.E.H. 7[ 1] 0[16] 0.00[16] 7[ 1] 0[13] 0.00[13] Balliol 6[ 6] -1[17] -0.17[17] 6[ 5] -1[14] -0.17[14] Pembroke 5[ 9] -1[17] -0.20[18] 5[ 8] -1[14] -0.20[15] Worcester 4[15] -1[17] -0.25[19] 4[12] -1[14] -0.25[16] Magdalen 3[23] -1[17] -0.33[20] 3[22] -1[14] -0.33[17] St Hilda's 1[29] -1[17] -1.00[24] 1[ 3] -1[ 7] -1.00[ 7] University 7[ 1] -3[22] -0.43[21] 7[ 1] -3[19] -0.43[18] Brasenose 5[ 9] -4[23] -0.80[23] 4[12] -2[18] -0.50[19] 1[ 3] -2[ 9] -2.00[ 9] Lincoln 4[15] -4[23] -1.00[24] 4[12] -4[20] -1.00[21] Keble 7[ 1] -5[25] -0.71[22] 7[ 1] -5[21] -0.71[20] Queen's 4[15] -5[25] -1.25[26] 4[12] -5[21] -1.25[22] Trinity 3[23] -6[27] -2.00[30] 3[22] -6[23] -2.00[25] St John's 4[15] -8[28] -2.00[30] 4[12] -8[24] -2.00[25] Wadham 6[ 6] -9[29] -1.50[27] 5[ 8] -11[28] -2.20[27] 1[ 3] 2[ 1] 2.00[ 1] Christ Church 6[ 6] -10[30] -1.67[29] 6[ 5] -10[27] -1.67[24] Jesus 5[ 9] -10[30] -2.00[30] 4[12] -9[25] -2.25[28] 1[ 3] -1[ 7] -1.00[ 7] Hertford 7[ 1] -11[32] -1.57[28] 6[ 5] -9[25] -1.50[23] 1[ 3] -2[ 9] -2.00[ 9]

Notes

• Wed 26 – Sat 29 May 1976
• The first year with a women's division (which raced at 3:25, between Men's Divisions 6 and 5)
• Division times: 12:25, 1:00, 1:35, 2:20, 2:45, 3:25(W), 4:10, 4:45, 5:20, 5:55, 6:30
• First appearance in Eights of crews from L.M.H. and Somerville
• No bumps at all were made in the Women's Division on Friday.

• The Daily Telegraph Wed 26 May, by Desmond Hill

  House's reign in danger

  Though Oriel, with their three Blues, are a popular tip to end Christ Church's three-year reign in today's Oxford Summer Eights, it should be a close-run thing. The House, stroked by Andy Baird, never surrender meekly, writes Desmond Hill

  Keble, also with three Blues, are separated from those two by Balliol, but their supporting cast hardly looks strong enough for them to reach the top.

  An eccentrically-rigged University, starting sixth, should catch Magdalen and anyone else pushed down from above.

  An enormous entry, which excludes a further 38 VIII's who failed to qualify, means a 12.25 start and a later-than-usual finish. The mid-afternoon will be enlivened by a 12-boat Women's Division, in which six unisex [?] colleges are represented. [Starting Order]

• The Times was not printed on Wed 26 May due to industrial action.

• The Times Thu 27 May, by Jim Railton

  Oriel catch leaders 100yds from finish

  Oriel went head of the river on the first day of the Oxford Summer Eights yesterday dethroning the head crew, Christ Church, some 100 metres before the finish. Keble too predictably moved up to third position at the expense of Balliol but left their claim for advancement extremely late. Other bumps in an exciting first division with many near misses were University College over Magdalen and Lincoln on Merton.

  Oriel's only threat to retain the headship seemingly lies with Keble, whose performance yesterday was disappointing. Keble might even find Christ Church hard to catch today to give them their chance for an attack on the head crew by Friday. University College will be expected to move up to fourth position today with Balliol toppling further.

  The opening day of the Oxford races started with some chaos. In the first race of the day — division 10 — University VII were bumped by Worcester IV with the result that both crews interlocked and slewed broadside across the river halting the pursuing procession. The led to a rerow later last night. In the next division so many crews arrived ['late'?] at the start that the race was postponed until 8.0 this morning. The women had a division to themselves for the first time.

• The Daily Telegraph Thu 27 May, by Desmond Hill

  Oriel lead but Keble in hunt

  Exactly opposite their victims' boathouse, Oriel robbed Christ Church of the headship when the Oxford Summer Eights started yesterday. But as, behind them, Keble caught Balliol, Oriel cannot be absolutely sure of the title.

  After last year's dearth of bumps, the racing was highly exciting. Balliol took Keble up to the Barges but University caught Magdalen in the Gut. There was under half a length, but no contact, between St John's and the Hall, Wadham and New College and earlier, New College and Worcester.

  Jesus were fined for obstruction after being caught by Christ Church II on the Green Bank, where Exeter also caught B N C. Apart from Trinity, who had scored earlier, the other Second Division boats threaded their way past these four.

  Major spectacular

  In Division III, Hertford turned their first bump for several years into a major spectacular. They hit Queen's II with such force that they themselves sank and their victims shattered their bows on the bank and filled to the gunwale.

  A bump between the top two Division X boats not only caused an impenetrable barrage and a re-row, but delayed Division IX so badly that they re-row at 8 a.m. this morning. [List of bumps]

• The Times Fri 28 May, by Jim Railton

  Keble leave it late to make their gain

  Keble lifted themselves into second place in yesterday's Oxford Summer Eights to give them now two bites at dethroning Oriel, who went head crew on the first day. Today's competition promises at least some exciting racing at the top of Division I.

  Yesterday Keble left it again desperately late to make their gain. Christ Church seemed secure in second place until the Keble stroke and Blue Wiggins unleashed a fierce finishing sprint to catch the House some 50 metres from home. Other first division gains yesterday were made by University College and Lincoln at the expense of Balliol and Worcester.

• The Daily Telegraph Fri 28 May, by Desmond Hill

  Keble still in with chance

  Just as it seemed certain yesterday that the deposed Christ Church would hold their second place in the Oxford Summer Eights, Keble two lengths behind them at Long Bridges came with an irresistible rush to catch them 50 yards from home.

  On the Green Bank there was the full starting distance between Oriel, Christ Church and Keble, so, theoretically at least, Keble have a chance of going Head tomorrow. University, who caught Balliol below the Black Post [?] could now embarrass a demoralised House.

  In the second division Jesus and B N C continued their descents, while Exeter and Trinity maintained 100 per cent records upwards.

  More obstruction

  Obstruction appears to be the order of the week. St Edmund Hall II made no attempt to get clear when bumped in Division III. This cost them a fine, but it seemed hard on Hertford, whose bump on Keble II was summarily disallowed without option of a re-row.

  There was an unprecedented triple over-bump in Division VII scored by New College III, who had already bumped the sandwich boat to gain eight places on the day [actually this was a double-overbump, and six places were gained]. It must be said that Trinity III contributed by their supreme indifference to the possibility of danger astern.

  There is a new leader of the Women's Division, for Wadham followed their Wednesday success by catching Lady Margaret Hall yesterday. [Results]

• The Times Sat 29 May

  Keble's threat to Oriel fails to materialize

  Keble's threat to Oriel at the Head of Oxford University summer eights did not amount to much on the third day on the Isis. Oriel finished ahead, doubling their starting distance.

  Lincoln registered the only bump in division one.

  The women's division, being held at Oxford for the first time this year, rowed over with Wadham firmly set to get their names in the record books as the first women winners.

• The Daily Telegraph Sat 29 May, by Desmond Hill

  Keble fail to maintain challenge

  Oriel stamped their unquestioned authority on the Oxford Summer Eights yesterday by rowing over quite unchallenged by Keble's Blues. Indeed, Keble were for some time hard hunted by Christ Church, whom they had caught on Thursday, and were never wholly secure.

  Trouble had been forecast for Christ Church at the hands of University, but the House were so intent on their pursuit of Keble that they opened up a three-length gap from their pursuers, who had Magdalen only half a length astern on the Green Bank.

  The sole First Division bump was an early one on New College by Lincoln, whose three successes have placed them firmly back in Division I with the prospect of adding to their tally today. [Results]

• The Daily Telegraph Mon 31 May, by Desmond Hill

  Eights give Oriel fine treble

  Oriel, who had already won the Fours and the Torpids, completed a notable treble by walking away with the Oxford Summer Eights on Saturday. They had opened a two-length gap on Keble as they passed the O U B C.

  Christ Church again closed on Keble, and must be ruefully wondering how they allowed themselves to be caught on Thursday. There were no First Division bumps, though Wadham's escape, foiling Lincoln's maximum, was thanks entirely to their cox, Miss N. Lawson, 21 that day.

  Trinity made short work of Jesus College to earn their oars in the Second Division, a feat repeated by the first two Wolfson boats. This graduate college has yet to surrender a bump since its first appearance in 1970 [Wolfson's first appearance was actually in 1969 and 1970 was the year they'd last been bumped]

  An enormous crowd watched the racing, the standard of which was higher than for many years. However, examinations prevent any of the leading boats from appearing unchanged at Henley. Winning Crew [as below]. [Results] [Finishing Order].

  The Times Mon 31 May contains just the complete bumps chart with no further reporting.

  In other news ... [1976]

  Thu 27 May

  Outgoing UK prime minister Harold Wilson's controversial Resignation Honours list is published.

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