Ostensibly the 1867 race was a closely fought race, but this was, in fact, a well contrived result resulting from some good tactics exercised by Frederick Marsden, the Oxford stroke, who had started his university career at St. John’s College Cambridge and moved subsequently to Merton Oxford.

This was a good Oxford crew with Frank Willan as President in the 7 seat and James, one of the great Tinne rowing family in his first year at Oxford, rowing 5. At Cambridge William Griffiths had three old Blues in residence but no outstanding oarsmen.

By the time that the crews got to Putney, George Morrison, the brilliant Oxford coach had developed a crew that was capable of a superb course at speed and their performance was clearly superior to that of their rivals who had been coached by the Rev. William Maule, who had no similar coaching pedigree. It looked as though this would be an easy Dark Blue victory, but Willan was far from well and had to withdraw from the Oxford boat on the day before the race due to a severe boil.

He re-took his seat for the Race but firm instructions were given to Marsden to row as slow a stroke as possible over the whole course, an order which he followed to the letter.

As was unfortunately all too common in those days, the start was delayed by interference by the steamers and by the time that the boats were off the flood tide was almost spent and the water very slack. Oxford won the toss for the fourth time in succession and, as was the custom in those days, chose Middlesex despite the brisk wind from the south-west.

Oxford went off at 34 with Cambridge no less than four strokes higher and this difference in rate was one of the features throughout almost the whole race. However while Oxford were drawing a long telling stroke, Cambridge were rushing theirs badly, with the result that the Dark Blues very rapidly gained a lead.

Marsden then sat back and acting directly to instructions kept that lead as the race progressed, still maintaining their calm steady stroke which would put no pressure on Willan. It was not until they were passing Mortlake Brewery, when the Light Blues had drawn up to within about six feet of level pegging, that Marsden put in a push at 38 and took Oxford away again to win by the officially recorded distance of half a length in 22minutes 39 seconds.

This was a good tactical win which must have given the watching crowds a very false sense of the equality of the crews. This is conformed by the Monday morning newspaper reports which speaks about ‘right away to the finish it was the closest and most gamely contested eight-oared race on record’.

Indeed the ‘rowing correspondent describes a mild contretemps with a barge which Cambridge had in the last reach and ascribes the Oxford half-length win to the Cambridge course change necessitated by this. It was not only the general public that was fooled.