Brian Mawer stroked Oxford in the Boat Race of 1956. After this year's race, The Times included a picture of the Oxford bowman, framed between the legs of one of the 'Tabs', whose oar had been ripped from his hands in the notorious clash of blades. The accompanying Headline was The Man who Lost the Boat Race

This broadside from BSM was not published by the newspaper, but we do so here.

From: Brian Mawer 
Subject: Signs of the Times
Date: Wed, 31 Mar 2004 11:58:28 GMT
To: letters@thetimes.co.uk

The Editor,
The Times,
1 Pennington Street,
London E98 1TA

From Mr Brian Mawer
Sir,
I support wholeheartedly your correspondent (letter March 30th) Mrs Pauline Brooks' assertion that the caption to your page 1 picture of the aftermath of one of the most anticlimactic Oxbridge Boat Races of all time, is grossly unfair. It was crystal clear that the Oxford bowman was in no way to be blamed for the accident (which wasn't 'catching a crab' in any case). It was a miracle in the circumstances that the race was able to proceed at all and that both crews didn't come to grief: he did remarkably well to right himself and his disengaged equipment, and join in with Oxford's brave, if perhaps unhappy and unconvincing, pursuit of Cambridge all the way to Mortlake. He should be congratulated. When a mishap, whatever the causes, overtakes a rowing crew, it is always, in any rower's book, the CREW and coaches which share any blame that may be due. As your second correspondent on Monday, Mr Raymond Lipton, points out: (the unexpected defeat) "... is sad for the Oxford crew. But the crew is nine men, not eight." And certainly not one man.
Both crews and their coaches must take the blame for spoiling the much heralded 150th Boat Race: a waste of time for all of us spectators last Sunday evening; likewise the culmination of months of dedicated training by the teams, even that which nominally won, was brought to nought.
Many of us rowers will not have been disappointed merely, but will now be ashamed to admit to having been a part of such an event, albeit on other occasions. This was an accident (some would say, result of deliberate fouling) that has threatened several times over the years to reduce the race to farce: it was no individual's fault but the fault of all those who push out the boat of expense beyond reasonable bounds into the inflated ambition of "win at all costs". It was this over-blown ethos which was to blame not only for costing one or other crew the race, but for costing dear the reputation and regard in which the event itself has been held heretofore in this country and throughout the world. The race was a non-event and its happenings may well prove to have destroyed public esteem and interest in the event in the future. A British if not International Institution lies severely tarnished. By heralding your report of the race with such a despicable and misinformed headline, so does that of 'The Times'.
Yours, etc.,
BRIAN MAWER

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