History

The Two Cities Boat Race has a rich history. A history that has provided some great sporting contests, some tense drama and perhaps more importantly for most, some great days out in the sunshine by the water.

Rowing in Manchester

The Boat Race was founded in 1972, but rowing and racing in the area has a long and at times chequered history. The first ever appearance of boats on the waters of Greater Manchester is not recorded, but a Regatta was inaugurated on 12th September 1842, with a straight course on the River Irwell from the Throstle Nest Weir (now absorbed by Pomona Docks) to Regent Road Bridge.

Racing continued in Manchester with events such as Agecroft Regatta and Warburton Regatta proving extremely popular. At the turn of the century, the sport was very prevalent in the area with many local clubs such as Nemesis, Prince of Wales, Minerva, Didsbury and Agecroft all competing regularly.

However, the state of the river continued to decline and by the Second World War only Agecroft and Broughton survived. Today, Agecroft, a dominant force in UK rowing, are the only surviving club continuing the tradition of rowing on the Irwell.

It was Agecroft's captain, Roger Vaughan, who first suggested staging a Manchester - Salford University Boat Race in the early 1970s to promote rowing at the two universities and showcase the sport in general.

The first Boat Race

The inaugural race took place on Saturday 26th February 1972 when more than 400 people gathered on the city centre bridges to see the river Irwell in Manchester city centre used for Boat Racing for the first time since 1883. In order to lengthen the race, organisers decided to use the system employed by their nineteenth century predecessors, staging the race in two sections, starting and finishing at Albert Street. Races were held over the same course in 1973 and 1974, with the addition of two races to the programme - a Ladies IV and a Singles Scull. However, in 1975 organisational difficulties in using the river resulted in the event being transferred upstream and it became part of the annual Agecroft Regatta.

Rising Profile

The Boat Race continued as part of the Agecroft Regatta until 1986 but the event was not reaching its full potential and so a move back to the city centre was agreed. An increase in the number of races and the arrival of major sponsorship gave the event a much needed boost and the event started to gain more and more media exposure. However, none of these changes did as much for the Boat Race as the almighty upset which occurred in the 1988 race. The University of Salford, who had never previously won the event, defeated a strong University of Manchester crew in the mens VIII race.

©Len Grant

Move to the Quays

In the early nineties, as a result of sponsorship with Boddingtons Brewery, the event was moved away from its traditional Irwell home to Salford Quays and the distances were shortened to create a series of sprints deemed to be more exciting for spectators. The Quays have certainly seen some keenly contested races, notably in 1999; whilst winning by half a length, Salford had the misfortune of a rower falling off his seat and thus losing the contest. The year 2000 saw the biggest Boat Race ever as 7000 people filled the banks of the Quays to see Salford pip Manchester 4-3 after a nail biting contest that came down to the last race.

Troubled Times

Things were looking good for the Boat Race at the turn of the millennium. Closely contested races, attended by thousands of students and university staff made it one of the highlights of the sporting and social calendar at both institutions. However, history has a habit of dealing cruel blows especially when things are looking up. After the event in 2000, the area usually used by spectators was turned into a building site as part of the continuing development of the Quays. As a result, the traditional May event was cancelled. The racing was later scheduled for the end of June but the damage was done - rumours of 'no Boat Race' and poor advertising meant that the race of 2001 was contested before an insignificant audience, perhaps fittingly in the pouring rain! It proved to be the lowest point in the event's history.

Back on Track

After a decade at the Quays, the Boat Race took a change of direction when in 2002 it was decided for its thirtieth anniversary, to move back to its home in the centre of Manchester on the river Irwell. The Mark Addy Pub hosted the event in 2002 and 2003 and the number of spectators increased creating a fantastic atmosphere. In 2003 Shock Radio provided race commentary and entertainment giving the event a boost and supporters from Manchester and Salford witnessed some extremely close racing. Manchester ran out 5- 2 champions on the day, but two of their five victories were controversially close; the Men's Fresher VIII race was a dead heat needing a re-row and an hour later, Salford were piped at the finish line by just one foot, after leading the race all the way.

Back to the Quays

In 2004 the event was back at the Quays in a bid to guarantee the long term future of the event. 2004's event was a success in that for the first time in many years the event was able to utilise the stunning setting of the main dock. However, it was not a successful day for Salford, who lost the event 6 - 1. Last years event again saw Salford defeated but close the gap to finish a respectable 5 - 2.