Olympians on the River Nene, Mark Tyler placed on the tansfer list, a British record 29 defeats in a row for ice hockey side, Cantwell’s Crusade is launched, Manchester City lucky to beat Posh

In February, 1997 the Great Britain Rowing trials were held on the River Nene in Peterborough.
Olympic gold medal winners Steve Redgrave and Matthew Pinsent in action on the River Nene.Olympic gold medal winners Steve Redgrave and Matthew Pinsent in action on the River Nene.
Olympic gold medal winners Steve Redgrave and Matthew Pinsent in action on the River Nene.

Among those taking part were Olympic stars Steve Redgrave and Matthew Pinsent, the winners of a gold medal at Atlanta in 1996. They predictably won their division in the coxless pairs event even though they hadn’t competed since Atlanta. Peterborough City oarsman Mark Hammond also excelled by finishing second in the heavyweight division of the single sculls. Trevor Scales of City finished down the field in a lightweight sculls race.

OTHER LOCAL SPORTING HIGHLIGHTS IN YEARS GONE BY...

February 15-February 21, 1977

Mark Tyler.Mark Tyler.
Mark Tyler.

RUGBY UNION: Borough Colts beat Cambridge 15-7 six months after a 72-0 defeat at the hands of the same opponents. Gary Rice scored a try and a penalty for Borough with Tim Magill kicking two penalties and a conversion.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

BOXING: Lennie Gloster won an Eastern Counties welterweight title with a win over fellow Focus fighter Jim Clark.

FOOTBALL: Locals Tim Gale (Whittlesey), Andy Botley (Jack Hunt), Nigel Evans (Deacons), Craig Murphy (Deacon’s) and Andrew Stubbs (St Paul’s) played for Cambs Boys in a 2-2 draw at Suffolk.

HOCKEY: Unbeaten Peterborough Town waved goodbye to their East League promotion hopes by drawing 2-2 at home to Pelicans. Tony Hanson and Paul Barber had fired Town into a 2-0 lead.

POSH: Coach John Barnwell refused to sign a new contract offered by the club as rumours of financial problems at London Road circulated.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

BOWLS: The Peterborough & District team retained the Peterborough Association Lerague title. Team: Archie Parker, Arthur Russell, Jim Walters, George Ingham, Roy Mackay, Frank Wilson, Syd Reedshaw, Vic Goodwin, Pat Terrell, Paul Plant, Ron Plant, Ted Efford, Frank Gilby, Basil Smith and Frank Hurd.

February 15-21, 1981

POSH: Peter Morris’s men suffered FA Cup heartbreak as they went down 1-0 in their fifth round tie at home to Manchester City. Defender Tommy Booth scored the only goal of the game. “They must be the luckiest side in the competion,” moaned manager Morris after his side missed several first-half chances.

HOCKEY: Jimmy Wheeler scored the equaliser as Peterborough Town drew 1-1 at Wisbech.

SQUASH: Bretton Ladies moved closer to another county title with a 5-0 win over Portugal Place. Their winners were Carolyn Norman, Jackie Willmott, Bella Clarke, Sharon Leonard and Jennie Foster.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

FOOTBALL: Chris Morris, the son of Posh boss Peter, scored twice as Longthorpe clinched the Under 14 Colts League with a 5-0 win over South Park.

HOCKEY: Young Melanie Southern scored twice on her debut as City Ladies beat Bedford 6-1. Schoolgirl Fiona Hartley bagged a hat-trick for City seconds in a 4-1 win over Bedford.

VOLLEYBALL: Star men for Peterborough League leaders Perkins in a win over Bretton were Gordon Steele, and Iqbal Mitha.

February 15-21, 1987

POSH: Manager Noel Cantwell launched ‘Cantwell’s Crusade’ a fund which would be used solely to buy players for the club. The hope was for £100,000 of donations.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

CRICKET: Schoolteacher Paul Bowes starred with an unbeaten 46 as Old Deaconians won the Hunts & Peterborough Indoor Cricket Final against Waresley. Dave McQuillen (30) and Colin Slater (24) also scored well.

ICE HOCKEY: Peterborough Pirates came back from 8-3 down to beat Medway Bears 10-8 in a Heineken League match. Todd Bidner scored four for the city side.

HOCKEY: Martin Collcott gave away a penalty flick and Chris Marriott scored from one as Peterborough Town drew 1-1 with Bury St Edmunds the East Premier Division.

RUGBY UNION: Borough beat London New Zealand 14-3. Danny Kitching and Mark Dickenson scored the Borough tries.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

ATHLETICS: Mandy McLees and Kate Every won races at the Fred Slater Memorial cross country event for Nene Valley Harriers.

BOWLS: City bowlers Catherine Anton and Mandy Brundle were called up to the England u25 side to face Scotland in an international in Coventry.

February 15-21, 1997

POSH: Barry Fry’s team kept alive their hopes of avoiding relegation from Division Two with a shock 3-1 home win over promotion-chasing Bristol City. Roger Willis scored twice and Ricky Otto added a late penalty.

ICE HOCKEY: Peterborough Pirates became the worst team in British ice hockey history when suffering a 29th straight defeat, 9-1 at Guildford Flames.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

ATHLETICS: Peterborough AC members won titles at the AAA Indoor Junior Championships in Birmingham. Richard Smith won the under 15 pole vault title and Simon Bannister won the Under 17 high jump title.

DARTS: Bob Bointon completed a 10 dart leg of 180 in the Friday Singles League. Bointon was third in the table behind Dennis Harbour and Ian Kent.

POSH: The club placed Danny Carter, Neil Le Bihan, Tony Spearing, Tom Meredith, David Morrison, Mark Tyler and Michael Basham on the transfer list.

RUGBY UNION: A late error from scrum-half Rich Martin condemned Borough to a 25-19 defeat to Ashbourne in a Courage League relegation battle. Martin saw a last-gasp pass intercepted and run in for a try.