I was due to go up to Jesus to read PPE in 1966 but missed my first term, being in hospital with a detached retina. I had been keen on rugby at school and subsequently but was now advised not to play.
In my second year, someone had the idea of challenging the College XV with a scratch squad of College members. The challenge was issued under the satirical name of Jesus College All-Stars. I volunteered to play fly half while Tim Musson (who had been College scrum half but since becoming a graduate student and retired), agreed to make a come-back. The rest of the team were people who had played rugby but for one reason or another had not taken it up in College, some preferring football.
We borrowed a set of shirts from Oriel College and the game took place at the College ground in East Oxford. I do not remember the score other than that it was not shameful. The College XV won, but the All Stars gave them a fright and scored a memorable try finished by our blind-side wing forward A.C.D.Arnold. The success of the fixture meant the All Stars went on to challenge the College football and cricket teams. On each occasion the college won but new stars were ‘discovered’. John Cooper, who played for the cricketing All Stars, went on to play for both College and the University Authentics. The All Stars teams were fluid, drawing on people who fancied themselves at the sport in question, though one or two wannabees like me managed to sneak into each team.
The fixtures were repeated during my time at Oxford, and I was astonished to see in a recent Jesus News that the All Stars were still in existence some 55 years later. We had no idea that a bit of fun, with an excuse for post-match conviviality, would become a college tradition.
The stars of the second All Stars game in 1969. On the back row from the left: Tim Slater Friend of Tim’s (I think he was a lecturer at the then Oxford Polytechnic) A fourth year linguist, who had returned from a year abroad Friend of Tim’s David Lewis Peter Cole ANO Richard Griffiths ANO Geoff Thomas Stuart Aitken Chris Hicks Middle row: Mike Joynson Tudor Thomas David Steel Peter May John Ryan Neil Horne Gerry Holtham Gareth Rees Emyr Daniel Ian Ross Front row: David Griffiths Tim Musson John Nash David Lewis Bill Harris ANO (he did PPE in the year before me) ANO John Peters (I think – he was a Celtic Studies postgrad) Geraint Howells (I think) ANO (he wasn’t a captain during my time, as far as I remember).
This photograph was taken before the second All Stars game in 1969. One giveaway is that Emyr Daniel, second from the right in the second row is wearing an All Stars shirt, In the inaugural game, he played full back for the College. The College Captain in this second game was the fair-haired chap in the middle of the second row, Neil Horne. I am sitting immediately on his left. On his right is the College’s then Head Porter John Ryan, a highly popular and convivial character. He probably still holds the record for the oldest person to play (as hooker) for the All Stars. Sitting on the floor directly in front of Neil is Dave Arnold, the first All Stars try scorer in the inaugural match. Tim Musson is second from left in the front row.
While most of these faces are familiar, after 54 years I have forgotten more than half the names. The College was still quite Welsh in those days; at least eight of the players were from Wales. A number of these players are now deceased, including Emyr Daniel and two of the college team: Tim Slater standing on the extreme left in the back row and Tudor Thomas second from the left in the second row.
I cannot recall the score of this game either; the College won but it was competitive.