NO.122
Wykehamist
Olympic
Champion for
96 years and
the first to win
a medal at two
separate
Olympics. His
crew was
described by
no less than
Sir Steve
Redgrave as
the ‘best IV
we’ve (GB)
produced’.
George has now won gold for GB at U16,
U18, U23, World Championships and
Olympics and has won a world or
Olympic title every year since 2013.
Toby Backhouse (B, 82-87) reports: ‘I
shared my part in Wykehamical sporting
glory by rowing in the Veterans’ Boat
Race at the end of April 2016, fortunately
rowed over only half the normal course,
to reduce the need for on board
defibrillators. I had lost in my freshman
year at Cambridge in 1989 and after 27
years I was talked into a comeback, and
our victory was sweet, even if it was a side
show to the main event. Oxford veterans
had stacked their boat with a slew of exOlympians and American fitness
freaks. An exception to this dark-blue
trickery was the inclusion of young
Richard Manners (Coll, 86-91): it’s a
shame to have to beat a fellow Icenae, but
it was worth it in pursuit of a light-blue
win. Average age for each crew was above
42, and minimum age above 35: young
George Nash will simply have to wait his
turn. Essential viewing of our epic race
at www.youtube.com/watch?v=ncczw02thc&feature=youtu.be’
T H E T R U S T Y S E RVA N T
Old Wykehamist Sporting
Societies
OWCC
Rupert Morton (B, 96-01) reports: On a
glorious July day, 37 OWs competed in the
inaugural T20 competition: a slightly
more vintage OWCC team took on IZ,
with a more youthful OWCC side playing
the OW Football Club. The former match
was a see-saw affair, with Al Maclay (Coll,
86-91) and Caspar Ridley (K, 80-85)
exerting great control in the opening overs
and restricting IZ to a slow run rate; in the
middle overs IZ staged a comeback with
some attacking stroke play, before Tim
Moore (Coll, 93-98) came on to peg them
back. A late rally got IZ to 133 for 8. Of
special note was a brilliant one-handed
pick up and run out by Bill Holland (F, 7983). In reply, Tim Moore and Charlie
Mccall (F, 91-96) led the charge, but the
OWCC were always up against it in the
face of some accurate bowling. With 17
needed off the last over, OWCC were
knocked out, 14 runs short.
On Meads an aggressive 66 by John
Wilson (E, 01-06) set the OWFC off to a
great start and they finished on 162. The
OWCC were always up against it, and
even Jonny Pringle’s (C, 98-03) towering
sixes - one easily clearing the straight
Meads wall off Tim Lewis (F, 03-08) –
couldn’t keep up with the rate, with the
OWCC finishing on 156.
18
In the final, the OWFC bowled first and,
after an initial salvo from IZ, were able to
peg them back with some tight bowling
from Tom Guest (C, 97-02), Will Morse
(K, 01-06) and Will Rowley (C, 07-12).
Phil Nevin’s (I, 95-00) leg spin (not seen
since the 90s) made a surprise return for a
tidy return of 4 overs, 4 wickets for 14
and, with the OWFC keenly scampering
around in the field, the target was
restricted to 131. IZ started well in the
field, pinning the OWFC batsmen down.
Even with excellent knocks from Tim
Lewis and Pete Fuller (Coll, 04-09) down
the order, the OWFC eventually ended
up short on 114 all out.
It was a great day and ended on a
delightful note with all the players
repairing to the Queen, where Stuart
Churchill arrived to receive a lovely
photo book of all Soccer and Lords XIs
from 1974 onwards with letters of
appreciation from OWs of all societies.
Many thanks must go to Tim Moore,
George Close-Brooks (F, 90-95) and his
wife Sarah for organising and producing
the book (which required hours of
labour). All in all, it was a fantastic day
and one that the OWCC will be looking
to repeat in the future.
OW Fives
On Friday 3rd June and under the aegis of
dons Jamie McManus, James Hodgins and
Giles Munn, 20 OWs and current pupils