The All-Star Eight 1986

© The Regatta Magazine

The headline reads "Regatta selects an All-Star Eight".

The headline is from a 1986 copy of Oarsmen's Own, the sheet of the defunct International Rowers & Scullers Club. An anonymous writer printed a list of 34 medal winners from the previous 10 years and picked a Big Eight from them.

The final line-up?

Stroke:
John Roberts ('will try and do a bit of winter training for a change'),

7:
John Yallop ('long in the water, high scorer on the ergo'),

6:
Steve Redgrave ('one of the two outstanding oarsmen of the decade'),

5:
Hugh Matheson ('his link with Crooks in the 74 and 76 eights provided the attack and power which the rest could feed off'),

4:
Tim Crooks ('one of the two outstanding oarsmen of the decade'),

3:
Andy Holmes ('one of the hard men of British rowing - you try hod carrying and training at the same time'),

2:
Martin Cross ('his staying power would give him the edge'),

Bow:
Jim Clark ('big ergo capacity' but with Adam Clift threatening to displace him),

Cox:
Pat Sweeney ('crew contains more of his men than Moynihan's).