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An extract from the Centenary handbook for the University of Manchester Athletic Union published in July 1985.
Boat
A senior coxed-fours race, College v. Laboratory, over 1 mile was instituted on the river Irwell below Quay street in 1862, with coxed-pairs and single-scull (3/4 mile) and junior coxed pairs (1 mile) added to become briefly a big social occasion in the College, with all classes cancelled and the Principle leading the entire staff and students, plus spouses, parents, siblings, and Manchester establishment to promenade the river bank in Pomona gardens. But boats were hard to obtain; few college members rowed, and even they were abysmally embarrassing; the course was too short; fouls, deliberate and inadvertent, were frequent; above all, for such a gracious and public College occasion, the water stank. Despite the Jack ward Cup (1870), once the accompanying athletics events moved elsewhere in 1871, the social occasion went with them, and the regatta promptly acknowledge its death-throes. But there was a race at Agecroft on 9th May, 1874, portent of things to come. In 1894 Owens Oarsmen (if any) were invited to use Nemesis R.C. (by Albert Bridge) at special rates, and some students did emerge to take up the offer. A Boat club, operating through Nemesis, was founded and affiliated to the A.U. on 25th October 1907, despite bitter opposition from the Hockey Club who claimed it would be a financial mill-stone around the A.U.’s neck. The A.U. gave the club £5 towards a new boat. The club folded in 1909. The present club was founded in 1932 with facilities via Agecroft R.C., whose generosity has never wavered since, despite some inevitable family squabbles. The club affiliated to the A.U. in June 1932, with full membership on 16th November, 1933. There were abstentions in the A.U. vote to accept the club, and there has never been doubt where they came from. In 1935, when Agecroft erected a new boathouse, the University bought the old one in Irwell street off Salford Corporation. The Club had to be bought boats by the A.U. as it no longer had use of Agecroft’s: the Hockey Club eloquently sat silent as the A.U. Committee faced up to this. In December 1940 the boathouse was destroyed by the Luftwaffe (although persistent rumours points a stick somewhere nearer to home). The Club and its three surviving boats were at once offered a new base by Agecroft. Plans for a new house next door to Agecroft were shelved in 1949, the development of the Wythenshawe grounds requiring all available funds in hard times. But, by 1950, the Club was already thinking of a move to the Bridgewater Canal, and once it began rowing in eights in 1958 the need for a longer course made this a firm decision, (The Club’s Irwell course at the time ran from the Mill wall above Jubilee Bridge to 20 yards past the Agecroft boathouse). The Women’s Club was established in November 1960. On 12th October, 1963 the new boathouse on the canal, off Dane Road, Sale, was opened, and is held on perpetual lease from U.M.I.S.T. The Club first participated at Henley Royal Regatta in 1966. In 1972 an annual race v. Salford University was instituted; thus far, Manchester 14, Salford 0. The Club has expanded greatly in both numbers and achievements in recent years, with the elite crews winning national respect and beginners’ crews exploiting the sport’s generous provision for “novice” competitions. Handsome support from the A.U., W.A.U. and U.M.A.U. has provided top-quality craft for all events, most notably the international-standard “R.S. Lloyd” (1982) and “R.G. Mitchell” (1985) eights, the latter rowing-out at £6,500. The Club has an all-year season of regattas, head-races etc. – including Henley, Putney, and Holme Pierrepont – for all crews from novice to elite. It has the following training schedule (for those who can stand the pain – and let us admit it, those who can’t): Mondays, 5:00p.m., run from McDougall Centre; Tuesdays, circuit training, 12:15p.m. K Floor Gym, U.M.I.S.T. (the legendary swimming-pool concept where they forgot water is quite heavy); Wednesdays, coaching session, 1:30p.m. Boathouse, Dane Rd., Sale; Thursdays, circuit training, 5:00p.m., McDougall Centre: Saturdays, coaching session 10:00a.m. (yes that time does exist on a Saturday), Boathouse, Dane Rd., Sale.
Club Officers: President – Penny Letts, Hon. Sec. – Kate Hitchcock, Hon. Treas. – Dave Hook.
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