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Offline Snoopy

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Boat Race
« on: March 30, 2009, 12:11:36 PM »
No ~ not rhyming slang for face but the annual rowing race twixt Oxford and Cambridge down some three and a half miles of the Thames.

What has happened to this?

When I was a lad, every radio (OK Wireless) in the country was tuned to it. Every evening paper carried banner headlines telling us who had won. Even in the later TV days it was the big event ~ no-one went out until the race was over, vicars postponed services, people crowded the Thames bank side to watch and those young "olympians" (note the small 'o') who rowed in the race were heroes for a week or more.

Yesterday Oxford won for the fourth time in five years ~ not a mention of it anywhere here or in the other place. I had to explain it to my children.

Has it all become too commercial? Too "non-amateur" or just too old fashioned. You'd have thought after the exploits of Sir Steve Redgrave and his cohort that the country would be rowing mad ~ that and yachting are the only things we ever win but the GB Public seems to have turned it's back on the whole thing.

Are we never again to hear the sort of "Coleman Balls" that this once great institution was rightly famed for.
Harry Carpenter at the Oxford-Cambridge boat race 1977- "Ah! isn't that nice. The wife of the Cambridge president kissing the cox of the Oxford crew."
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Offline Grumpmeister

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Re: Boat Race
« Reply #1 on: March 30, 2009, 12:52:03 PM »
No, it is coming back to TV if I've heard correctly but essentially its the school sports day held on water.  They could at least add things to the water in to make it more interesting to watch, mines, torpedos, sharks etc.
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Offline Nick

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Re: Boat Race
« Reply #2 on: March 30, 2009, 01:22:24 PM »
I had to miss it.  cloud9:

I used to row on that stretch and in fact rowed (once only and never again) in the Head of the River which covers the same course in the opposite direction. I nearly died  evil:

Always used to go to my boat club to weatch the race ont eh telly in the bar and then dwon to watch the actual finish.

Mrs Nick and I used to have big parties at the boat club where they finish. Fab: beach, bonfire, BBQ, fireworks.

Happy days
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Offline Snoopy

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Re: Boat Race
« Reply #3 on: March 30, 2009, 01:31:32 PM »
Quote from: Nick on March 30, 2009, 01:22:24 PM
I had to miss it.  cloud9:

I used to row on that stretch and in fact rowed (once only and never again) in the Head of the River which covers the same course in the opposite direction. I nearly died  evil:

Always used to go to my boat club to weatch the race ont eh telly in the bar and then dwon to watch the actual finish.

Mrs Nick and I used to have big parties at the boat club where they finish. Fab: beach, bonfire, BBQ, fireworks.

Happy days

That's what I mean ~ USED TO. Why has the popularity of the race dropped soooooooooooo far as to be almost off the radar nowadays?
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Offline Nick

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Re: Boat Race
« Reply #4 on: March 30, 2009, 01:53:17 PM »
No MONEY involved?
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Offline Snoopy

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Re: Boat Race
« Reply #5 on: March 30, 2009, 01:56:37 PM »
Used to be a lot of tow path betting as I recall and I'm sure Ladbrookes and co still take bets on the outcome. Can't get odds on a place tho'  lol:


I wonder if it has all got too "professional"
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Offline Nick

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Re: Boat Race
« Reply #6 on: March 30, 2009, 02:08:06 PM »
It's clear that the guys who row get into Oxbridge on beef and not brains. They are all effing enormous, and often American. In my day it was just a nice social event. ANd it's still televised. And bets are made. Wossa problem?
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Offline Snoopy

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Re: Boat Race
« Reply #7 on: March 30, 2009, 02:28:50 PM »
Errrrrr ~ I didn't say it wasn't on the TV, somebody else suggested that. I know it was shown. I am simply saying that it is not the social event that it used to be. The country no longer eagerly awaits the race, few give a toss for the result. I wondered why.
Probably the fact that the teams are now so obviously brought in for the event and half or more would not merit a place at either university were it not for their rowing prowess has much to do with its loss of popularity.

Was there not some controversy a few years back about non students being in one or both crews?

I only posed the question to see if anyone had an explanation or even felt the same as I do about it.
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Offline Nick

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Re: Boat Race
« Reply #8 on: March 26, 2011, 01:46:53 PM »
Hey! It's today!!

The boat club where they finish is where Mrs Nick and I had our wedding party with a mahoosive bonfire
« Last Edit: March 26, 2011, 03:53:55 PM by Nick »
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Offline Nick

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Re: Boat Race
« Reply #9 on: March 26, 2011, 04:10:55 PM »
I have a fiver on this with The Boy  eveilgrin:
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Offline Nick

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Re: Boat Race
« Reply #10 on: March 26, 2011, 04:11:34 PM »
Pity it is the fiver I lent him for the bet  noooo:
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Offline Nick

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Re: Boat Race
« Reply #11 on: March 26, 2011, 04:13:18 PM »
Get on with it!!  Banghead

Lots of men in Lycra. I imagine Tipsy is glued to the screen. The pervert  noooo:



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Offline Nick

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Re: Boat Race
« Reply #12 on: March 26, 2011, 04:14:15 PM »
Liz Box?  eeek:

I bet she is
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Offline Nick

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Re: Boat Race
« Reply #13 on: March 26, 2011, 04:16:50 PM »
Ages of getting in with that rug muncher Balding feigning excitementt. It's like the fooking X factor. Get in the fooking boats you mongs
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Offline Nick

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Re: Boat Race
« Reply #14 on: March 26, 2011, 04:18:00 PM »
I can see the VP is in a frenzy about this  ::)
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