Newcastle United Fans to Pay Tribute to Rowing Hero at Putney Bridge

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Toon Army will throw wreath into Thames in memory of 1845 champion Harry Clasper

Newcastle United fans travelling to Craven Cottage for the opening match of the new season against Fulham FC on Friday August 5 are set to pay tribute to a Geordie rowing hero by throwing a wreath into the Thames at Putney Bridge.

Harry Clasper led a family team of Tynesiders to win the Rowing Championship of the World on the Thames in the mid-nineteenth century, with the race starting from the site of today's Putney Bridge.

The event organisers are expecting a significant proportion of the 5,000 Geordie fans attending the match to gather on the banks of the Thames for the tribute.

In 1845 Clasper took his four-oared boat, the Lord Ravensworth, to the Thames Regatta. The crew were all Claspers, consisting of Harry at stroke, brothers William and Robert with uncle Ned, and brother Richard as cox. They went on to win the Champion Fours, beating two other crews, including one from London and were given the title of four-oared "World Champions" and re

Harry Clasper

During the next 15 years, Clasper, with a variety of other crewmembers, won the Champion Fours at the Thames Regatta six further times. His crewmembers included his eldest son, John Hawks Clasper and Robert Chambers, later to be World Sculling Champion. His last victory was in 1859, when he was 47 years old.

Harry Clasper's son, John Hawks Clasper went on to build boats. His workshop, on the banks of the Thames in Putney, is now the Westminster School boathouse, which still bears his name, JH Clasper.

The Newcastle supporters will throw a wreath onto the Thames in memory of the man some believe to be the greatest sportsman ever to come out of the North East and the father of modern rowing, or "aquatics" as it was termed in the Victorian era.

Newcastle fan Steve Cook, who initiated the tribute, said: "Rowing was the sport of the working class before the advent of football and every river-based city had its champions.

"In excess of 100,000 people would cram the riverside and bridges to cheer on their heroes."

Harry "Hadaway" Clasper was a hero not just in his native North East but nationally and internationally. In addition to coxing teams to the world titles he trained and inspired future world champions and invented the rowing boats seen today in the Olympics and Oxbridge boat race.

Steve added: "When Harry and his brothers first won the world title in 1845 they were victorious over the 'unbeatable' Thamesmen. It caused a sensation nationally!"

The Blaydon Races, the song sung by Newcastle United fans, was written for Harry in 1862 and premiered at his testimonial at Balmbras in Newcastle's famous Bigg Market.

When Harry died in 1870, aged 58, more than 130,000 people crammed the streets of Newcastle and Gateshead to pay tribute.

Hadaway Harry, a play by North East playwright Ed Waugh, about the life and times of Harry Clasper successfully toured the rivers Tyne and Wear last summer.

 

August 4, 2016