Bitter and Twisted 10 years on
The trial eights for the 2002 boat race season were named Bitter and Twisted. In part, a reaction to the result of the controversial 2001 race. Ten years on, rather than reuniting at the boat race, the squad reunited for trial eights. Bitter had the same line up as 10 years ago; twisted had a few supper subs in to replace Luke Mcgee and Ben Burch (the President that year) amongst others.
Bitter, on Surrey were feeling pretty confident. As Dan Perkins once said, you can’t be arrogant after the race, then it’s just fact.
After much debate (on the start line) it was decided that the race would be to the black buoy or to clear water, whichever came later. Bitter being pretty confident that clear water would be theirs before the black buoy. And the pub beckoned.
It was three quarters of a length to twisted off the start. Both crews having a clean start and bitter being simply slower! However things were level by the black buoy and from there the slogging match began. A little like two overweight fighters slugging at each other in the ring, these two unfit and pretty overweight crews slugged it out down the course. Neither able to muster a killer punch. Each only able to string together 10 good stroked before getting overwhelmed by the effort. Finally at Harrods Depository, Bitter started to move ahead. Ahead, but not far enough ahead to grab the all important clear water. At Hammersmith bridge Bitter had maybe two thirds and thought that was a good enough effort to claim victory... ... as you can imagine, twisted disagreed.
The perfect controversial result to fuel the arguments in the pub that afternoon and evening.
Hats off to the 2002 squad for being there in force 10 years on and proving the extraordinary team spirit from that year lives on.
Matt Smith (Stroke, Bitter, December 2001 and December 2011)
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