Rowing club veterans reuniting on the water after 40 years
A ROWING club in Burton is reuniting at the weekend for a ‘fun row’ for the first time in more than 40 years.
The old members of the Burton Leander Rowing Club were in the “Junior Eight” from 1976 to 1978 and are now in their sixties and will get together tomorrow.
The group of once “novice schoolkids” from Burton Grammar School was assembled by the late David Neale. In the couple of years they rowed as a team of eight, the men chased down the best of the private school crews, including Radley, Eton and Latymer Upper – of which some went on to represent Great Britain in 1980.
Now the former team want to meet up for old times’ sake and take to the water for fun. It will be a tribute to former members who have since died and a chance to show younger generations what a fun sport rowing can be.
Stuart Betts, formerly Stuart Cheese, 62, from Burton, was part of the Burton Leander Rowing Club Junior Eight. He said: “We all went our separate ways with little or no contact between us but following a chance conversation between me and another crew member we are all back in touch and with a reunion planned this Sunday.
“Our coach David Neale and one crew member Ian Johnston have passed away and this meeting is in part a tribute to their efforts and companionship during a time when rowing in Burton was very much on the decline. We used to all be inseparable. Rowing is a fantastic sport that allows people to travel around the country, make friends for life and get fit at the same time.
“We’re hoping that Sunday might inspire more young people into the sport and clubs such as Burton Leander Rowing Club or Trent Rowing Club both in Burton. We’re all around the 60 years mark but one thing that rowing does do, is keep that positive feeling irrespective of age. We had some astonishing wins against crews older than us and from more ‘wealthy’ rowing clubs. We made some great memories along the way and four members of the eight rowed at a national level.”
The team finished fourth at the Great Britain Nationals regatta in 1977 – just 1.57 seconds away from gold.
Burton Leander Rowing Club and Trent Rowing Club are offering a ‘taster’ visit to anyone interested in the sport.