After 927 continuous years, The University of Oxford has announced that Trinity Term 2023 will be its last term ever. “We think it’s time,” said Vice Chancellor Irene Tracey. “It’s important to know when one has overstayed one’s welcome, and so we will be packing up this operation once and for all after the end of exams.”
Classes have been convened in the area that is now University of Oxford since around the year 1096. Over hundreds of years the University grew into one of the most prestigious on Earth. “But nothing lasts forever,” said Tracey.
According to sources, the costs of keeping Oxford running had gone well over budget. While several donors offered to bail out Oxford, the University instead has decided to sell itself to a venture capital firm that intends to liquidate the University in order to pursue more profitable, efficient education enterprises.
Oxford has confirmed, however, that several spin-off universities are in the works now. The plans for these sub-franchises will be unveiled over the next several months, but rumor has it that Magdalen College and the Blavatnik School of Government may become their own brands within the next ten years. It is yet to be seen whether any of these spin-offs will be as successful as the classic Oxford tribute University, the University Cambridge.
Messages of sadness came from all corners of the world after Oxford made the announcement, with many world leaders current and former expressing their disappointment. “We’ll be sad to see it end, best night I ever had was at Oxford” said former PM David Cameron. “I am devastated but it is difficult to remain reliable and faithful for so long and never falter,” said Bill Clinton, a one-time Rhodes Scholar. “Thems the brakes,” said Boris Johnson.
Minor spoilers ahead: you’ll know more than if you just watched a trailer, but not enough to spoil the film massively.
Super Mario Galaxy 2 was my favourite game growing up. Not that I played much – I was the Player 2 star, Luma, meaning my abilities were limited to lazily grabbing the occasional bonus coin while Player 1 flailed about as Mario.
The cynics of the cinema might suggest Nintendo are out to grab a few bonus coins themselves with The Super Mario Bros. Movie, over 800 million at the current count. They might be right about the profit, but they’re wrong about the movie.
Usually you get a plot synopsis here, but what’s the point? Mario ends up in the Mushroom Kingdom, Bowser’s coming and he’s got Luigi. If you get lost at any point, Peach or Toad will drop in a bit of expositionary dialogue to boost you along. Let the fun begin.
The animation is bold and beautiful. Perhaps it doesn’t have the panache of Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse or Puss in Boots: The Last Wish, but Nintendo has aimed high when it comes to colour, creativity and delivering a good “camera” angle instead of animating everything like a Mario game level.
Credit to the filmmakers for the casting. I was worried Chris Pratt as Mario was going to sound like me trying to order Fettuccine Alfredo at my local Italian, but him and Charlie Day make you forget all that nonsense you read online within the first few minutes. Charlie Day as Luigi is, if anything, underused, and the brotherly relationship is one of a couple of neat character angles Matthew Fogel serves up to you like a homemade lasagne.
You can see why the critics aren’t fans: the plot looks suspiciously like various bits of Mario IP stitched together with a few “yahoos!”; Seth Rogen’s Donkey Kong section in the middle doesn’t reward you half much as a halfway flag in a Mario level; the screenwriters have tried so hard to power-up Anya Taylor-Joy’s Princess Peach, she’s sadly ended up as a heroine so flat it’s as if she’s been ground-pounded, and only serves to remind us how Bowser is definitely very, very evil. Sure, the soundtrack is like having every Mario tune from the last 40 years stuffed in your ears, but what else were you buying the ticket for?
Jack Black is an obvious score as Bowser, once you get over the initial fact it sounds as if Po from Kung Fu Panda has gone through a very concerning moral and physical transformation. The marriage angle on the character uses Jack Black’s skills to the maximum and elevates his relationships with others to more than just evil Bowser.
I can’t decide about the pacing. On the one hand, the movie dashes along like Rainbow Mario and delivers an hour and a half of psychedelic but carefully-trimmed fun. There are points though, particularly with the Mario and Luigi relationship, Peach’s backstory, or Po’s Evil Twin – sorry, Bowser – just jamming out on his piano, where you want a little more. Oh well, it’ll be a franchise at this rate.
Does Mario one-up other video game-movie competitors such as Sonic? Absolutely. It’s sitting on a far richer world and has better characters, so even when there’s no good reason for a Bullet Bill to appear, I don’t mind that much. Mario doesn’t have to compromise with the real world and live-action characters like Sonic: it delivers a white-gloved punch of animated joy.
If you know your Goombas from your Koopas and your Kameks from your karts, this movie will make you feel like you’re sitting back at whichever Nintendo console you first met that little, moustached man. If you’re a film aficionado who thinks a Mini Mushroom is what they’re searching you at airports for, then maybe not. Looking for deep and meaningful cinema? Wait for Barbie in July instead. But for the person looking for a way to switch off, grab your Luigi and cry “Mamma Mia!”: Super Mario, as it always has been, is the way to let’s-a-go.
Ostensibly centred around the affair of the married Haider with the transgender Biba, Joyland brims with moments of queerness. Director Saim Sadiq presents us with what seems to be a typical Pakistani family, which reveals itself to be the site of transgressive acts of desire and gender expression.
The husband-wife dyad of Haider (Ali Junejo) and Mumtaz (Rasti Farooq) is played out in unconventional terms. The opening scene follows Haider, shrouded in a bedsheet, as he runs through the familial house playing with his young nieces. We then discover his casual and sporadic employment, that it is Mumtaz who plays the breadwinner while Haider supports his sister-in-law, Nucchi, in the running of the multigenerational household. The marriage is unconventional: sexless, yet platonic. It is only when Haider finds employment, restoring the normative marital structure, that things fall apart. Mumtaz is forced by the patriarch, Rana, (Salman Peerzada) to leave her job, and it is at Haider’s place of work, an erotic dance theatre, that his affair with Biba (Alina Khan) blossoms.
Yet, even in this restoration of surface-level patriarchal order, queerness persists. The domestic quasi-confinement of Mumtaz and Nucchi (Sarwat Gilani) becomes a space for female homosocial relationships akin to that in Deepa Mehta’s Fire (1996). A scene in which the pair visit a carnival together becomes a focal point of female intimacy, with Sadiq and Maggie Briggs’ masterful script interposing the women’s closeness with Nucchi’s cries for mercy as they are propelled forward and backward on a pirate ship ride.
Joyland has had a fraught journey to the silver screen. Despite a strong debut at Cannes last year, where the film was met with a standing ovation and awarded a Queer Palm, Joyland was marred by controversy in Pakistan. Perhaps unsurprisingly in a country with a troubled record on LGBTQ+ rights, the film was banned at first by censors in the state of Punjab. However, after appeals from figures across the country, including Malala Yousafzai, a recut version of the film was finally released in Pakistan.
Despite this turn of events, the film is profoundly Pakistani. The only definitively queer character is Biba, a ‘khawaja sira’, a term translated variously as ‘transgender’, ‘intersex’, or ‘third gender’. By centring a character from a community whose identity resists English definition, Sadiq presents an imaginative reality entirely divorced from Western constructions of gender, resisting the common claim that queer identities are outside impositions. Biba’s work as a ‘mujra’ dancer, a lasting vestige of Mughal courtly culture, loads the character with subcontinental ideals of femininity.
A sort of tragi-comedy, Joyland intersperses wry commentary on Desi family values and discrimination with moments of pure joy, and not-so-pure humour. Along the string of powerful, yet pearlescent scenes, come moments of unrestrained sadness: the rebuking of an old woman in search of new love, the emasculation of Haider as he fails to complete ‘qurbani’ (ritual sacrifice) on Bakr Eid, and the jealous yearning of Nucchi to, at last, bear a son.
The final shot sees the camera panning outwards from Haider’s still body as he wades in the waters of Karachi. Haider has escaped the inland chaos of Lahore and finds himself fulfilling a dream deferred: to see the sea. By the time the credits roll, he is almost invisible, for Joyland far outflanks him, and Mumtaz, and Biba for that matter.
Omnipresent and consistent is only the veil of patriarchy which obscures the genuine expression of each character – like the shrouded figure of Haider in the opening scene, like the loose-cut salwaar behind which Mumtaz hides, like the cardboard cut-out of Biba (in the film’s poster) which is precariously draped.
In Joyland, queerness becomes banal, and patriarchy is revealed to be futile. It is a must-watch.
‘This is a song about my horrible, horrible taste in men!’ Maisie Peters exclaims before launching into a thumping performance of Not Another Rockstar. Yet Peters’ show is about so much more than that. The Good Witch, embarking upon her first headlining tour, has brewed up a concoction of heartbreak and hope, insecurity and exuberance – infinitely earnest and unapologetically blonde, Peters has the audience under her spell. But we’re getting ahead of ourselves – let’s start at the beginning.
Peters began her career in 2016 aged 15, gaining traction in indie-pop circles before being signed to Atlantic Records in 2018 and subsequently releasing two EPs, as well as providing the soundtrack to the Apple TV original series Trying. In 2021, Peters left the label and signed with Ed Sheeran’s Gingerbread Man Records, releasing her first full-length album You Signed Up for This and joining Sheeran’s worldwide tour as an opening act. As someone who watched her very first YouTube videos in 2017 – fresh-faced and sub-a hundred likes – Peters’ success feels oddly near-and-dear. Her songs have been my soundtrack to new love and heartbreak, late-night singalongs and lazy summer days – so when she announced a tour date in Oxford, I pounced.
And – very unfortunately – failed to get tickets (despite increasingly frantic Ticketmaster antics during a lecture). Cherwell was my saviour and my lifeline – I was able to nab a guest spot to the concert in exchange for canvassing fans queueing to enter the venue. The line wound twice around the O2, with a palpable air of excitement (and a considerable amount of blonde box dye). The most common answer to asking fans what song they were most excited for was – unsurprisingly – Blonde, with a smattering of Psycho, Cate’s Brother, and the occasional deep-cut favourites Elvis Song and Glowing Review. Walking into the packed venue, I wasn’t sure who the opening act would be – only to find out (through increasingly anticipatory mutters in the crowd) that it was Cate Canning. Maisie Peters’ best friend, wrote-Cate’s-Brother-after-her-brother Cate Canning. Her appearance was greeted by an exuberant crowd, and when Peters finally appeared – confident, platinum blonde, wielding an acoustic guitar – the crowd went psycho (see what I did there?)
The set started off with Body Better, which Peters describes as ‘one of the most honest songs (she’s) ever released, and definitely the most personal.’ Despite it being a recently released single (one of what Peters has nicknamed the ‘Trauma Trio’), the audience chanted along to every word. Her introspective lyricism about ‘the ugly things you think to yourself in the aftermath (of a breakup)’ is juxtaposed by Peters’ signature brand of upbeat, infinitely catchy dance-pop, driven by a thumping bassline and punchy synths. Peters then effortlessly transitions into I’m Trying (Not Friends), a fast-paced, lyrically dynamic song about not being able to stay friends with an ex. The crowd (including me, of course) screams along to the chorus: ‘well I might be bitter and twisted and broken and petty and lying/but at least I’m trying.’ Peters commands the stage, larger than life (and her 5’2 frame) – at least she’s trying, and I can categorically state that she’s succeeded.
Her selection of songs included most of You Signed Up for This. Elvis Song, introduced by Peters as ‘a song I don’t perform often’, but included on the setlist as a ‘love song – and final goodbye – to You Signed Up for This’, garnered a particularly enthusiastic response. The lines ‘you were always on my mind/I was yours and you were mine’ felt particularly poignant in light of the fact that Peters wrote her upcoming album The Good Witch as catharsis for a failed relationship. Throughout the set, Peters’ vocals danced effortlessly between buoyant and uniquely vulnerable, cutting through the introspection of Brooklyn and Villain as well as the made-for-radio Psycho. Canning made a surprise appearance for a joint rendition of Cate’s Brother (albeit with modified lyrics – I’m not sure Cate feels quite the same way about her brother). The audience, whilst initially taken aback by the changed lyrics, recovered quickly, and chanted along to the fan favourite – Peters’ chemistry with Canning, owed to a decade-long friendship and (in her words) ‘separation anxiety’, is clear to see.
Showcasing her signature emotional honesty (and how similar she is to her listening demographic), Peters included a mashup of her most personal songs in the middle of the set, consisting of Glowing Review, Volcano, Good Enough, Favourite Ex, and a cover of Taylor Swift’s Dear John. Her performance felt like an interlude – a final goodbye to acoustic covers on YouTube and indie-pop laments, and a hello to an era that she describes as ‘much more sonically varied than anything I’ve done before.’
True to that promise, Peters follows the medley with Not Another Rockstar, a driving, pop-punk track. She emerges from smoke machines and spotlights with a cocksure strut and supreme ease, snarling along to ‘the law pulls up and you won’t get in the car/and I’m like, “oh, goddamn, not another rockstar”’. The high-energy track is infused with quick-witted vocals and an unapologetic liberation from players and narcissists – the rose-tinted glasses are unequivocally and undeniably off for good. The red flags are revealed for exactly what they are. Themes of self-love and self-respect are central to her closing tracks, Lost the Breakup and Blonde – the realisation that ‘oh shit, you lost the breakup’ and ‘remember how you screwed up when I was a brunette/I don’t think you knew just what you done’ is evident and screamed along to by the crowd.
Peters has emerged from the shadows of ‘Ed Sheeran’s opening act’ to become a fully-fledged pop star in her own right. It takes a powerful vulnerability – and a unique talent – to straddle the boundaries between teenage heartbreak and personal growth. These themes are frequently denigrated by the disdainful, ‘ugh-more-of-that-girly-girl-shit’ factions of the music scene. Especially with her upcoming release of The Good Witch, Peters is so much more than that. A talented lyrical storyteller with a knack for writing undeniable earworms, Peters’ repertoire is jam-packed with arena ready singalongs. Wickedly witty, rip-roaring pop-punk and heart-rendingly sensitive ballads alike, Peters has undeniably come into her own. With the crowd singing along (and, undoubtedly, relating to) every one of her lyrics, her show was a triumphant success, and (I imagine) both therapeutic and exhilarating for Peters herself.
‘You asked what I tell my friends/said “it’s a glowing review”’ – Peters has certainly been prophetic. Next on my list – to fuck your life up as a blonde.
Television has become an endless stream of reality TV, drama and sport. These categories make up the top ten television programmes viewed in 2019, according to the Broadcasters Audience Research Board. There is now a dwindling array of documentaries, particularly history documentaries. Whilst there are still a few historians (some of whom are our tutors) on our screens, the number of historical documentaries on TV has dropped to just a third of its 2007 figure, according to research by the Content Club.
Why does this matter? Have consumers simply lost interest in history documentaries?
The importance of having history documentaries on our television screens is manifold: they promote the advancement of knowledge, increase equality and progression to higher education, spread public awareness in the preservation of our heritage, and are funders of archaeology in the UK. Without history documentaries, we are on the precipice of losing these benefits.
The Channel 4 series Time Team ran for 20 years and was one of the UK’s largest independent funders of archaeology. Such was Time Team’s importance that its presenter, Tony Robinson, in a Channel 4 interview, stated that the archaeologists involved with the programme had published more papers on the Time Team excavations than all British university archaeology departments over the same period. The BBC’s television documentary series, ‘Meet The Ancestors’, which ran between 1998-2004, even had a dedicated archaeology department which funded, or partially funded, digs involved in the series. Since government funding for university archaeology departments has been cut by 50% in 2021 as part of their prioritised teaching strategy, there is an even greater need for TV companies to fund and promote archaeological activities.
These documentaries also form a key role in promoting public awareness and the preservation of heritage sites. This was most keenly seen in the case of Stonehenge. Numerous TV documentaries have recorded and documented this well-loved UNESCO World Heritage Site. When plans to build a four-lane road tunnel close to the site were discovered, it was public outrage and organising that prevented the plans from going ahead. If allowed to go ahead, it would have caused irreversible damage to the sensitive archaeological area surrounding the site, which is rich in Neolithic and Bronze Age history.
Image Credit: Monte Bernorio Institute of Ancient Studies of the Cantabric
The educational impact of the decline of the history documentary
The phasing out of history documentaries has a serious effect on education and amounts to a declaration of war on equality and diversity.
While we all know the importance of the outreach work Oxford conducts to make the City of Dreaming Spires accessible, enthusiasm for pursuing higher education in history and a passion for it, and reaching diverse communities, is being phased out by the lack of documentaries on television. History documentaries provide a wealth of knowledge for the viewer into all different types of history, be it classical antiquity, medieval Britain or global history. They allow children from a range of socio-economic backgrounds to learn in the absence of books and foster a passion for history, opening paths to further education and University.
When I contacted the art historian, author, and TV presenter (as well as Oxford tutor) Dr Janina Ramirez, she noted the importance of documentaries in educating and inspiring a love of history, “It is essential that factual television continues to be commissioned, since for many it is the place where people find a passion for history they never knew they had. Television has a duty to educate, inform, and entertain.”
It is the most vulnerable in society that will suffer from a lack of access to good quality educational documentaries. Indeed, 20% of the UK population is functionally illiterate, meaning that they have poor literacy skills and find it difficult to read information from unfamiliar sources or topics. However, almost 95% of UK households in 2019 owned a television licence. Thus, many functionally illiterate people educate themselves on history from television as opposed to books. These individuals, who may have struggled with school or have learning disabilities, are being stripped of the ability to learn independently about history without the need to access books.
Such television politics has stripped viewers who had very little access to history education in the first place, of the opportunity to learn more about history and explore that which has been left behind.
I decided to study Classical Archaeology and Ancient History because of the documentaries I watched as a child. I am not the only one: another CAAH student said that they were inspired to pick their subject by watching the serious history documentaries of David Starkey on the monarchy of Henry VIII and Elizabeth I.
The British military historian, novelist and broadcaster Saul David, when asked to comment, noted the increasing trend in the decline of documentaries on television and their educational importance, “When I started in broadcasting more than 20 years ago, Britain made the best history documentaries in the world. They provided a vital educational resource and made the subject accessible to all. Now, thanks to the demise of strands such as BBC’s Timewatch and Channel 4’s Secret History, quality programmes are few and far between; most TV history is underfunded, repetitive in subject and simplistic in tone.”
The current decline in history documentaries paired with the cost-of-living crisis will only exacerbate the issues outlined above. It will become harder for families to access history sites both locally, nationally and abroad. Indeed, currently, it can cost a family more than £60 to visit Stonehenge. Privately owned heritage sites can cost considerably more to visit. Holidays to archaeologically or historically significant sites have become impossible for many. It is now more than ever that documentaries must fill in the educational gaps which have widened into a gulf by the economic crisis.
Speaking with another second year History student at Oxford, they raised an important point, “Documentaries are an essential resource for historical education, specifically for visual and auditory learners. They can be vital in dispelling historical myths, some of which can be used to underline contemporary political ideologies (e.g., Holocaust denial).”
Image Credit: Sarah Jobling
The growth of history documentary subscription services
Out of this abyss, there are a number of innovative approaches to making history more accessible, namely through subscription services, such as Time Team Patreon, History Hit by Dan Snow and the Content Club. The Content Club was founded by ex-BBC documentary makers and historians, who are disheartened that much less money is given to the commissioning of history programs, which has led to a decline in quantity and quality. Their ethos is to fill this gap in television, and they aim to fund ten high-quality documentaries a year. This approach is radically different from the traditional funding model, where broadcasters, who are currently reluctant to put forward the funding for history television programmes, commission the documentaries.
The Content Club is a project that is crowd funded by membership and brings together fans, historians, and producers to collaborate on the documentaries that they make.I interviewed one of the founding members, the television producer and director Sarah Jobling. Jobling explained, “We want to give people the quality history programming we all used to make for the BBC”. Their first film ‘Rome’s Forgotten War’ was originally pitched to traditional broadcasters; although production companies were very excited about it, the broadcasters shut them down and “invariably what we were told is television is just not making Ancient History anymore, and that people aren’t interested… and we don’t believe that”. Sarah went on to say, “We know there is an appetite for history because of the popularity of history podcasts.”
Their first film project, ‘Rome’s Forgotten War,’ which will be filmed between April and December of this year, explores the Cantabrian War fought between Rome and Spain from 29-19 BC. This fierce war raged against Celtic tribes living in the Iberian Peninsula of Spain during the reign of the first ‘Emperor’ Augustus, and on the defeat of the tribes in battle, all of Spain came under Roman control. Augustus took part in this 10-year war directly, sending eight legions of soldiers and a fleet of ships into the battle. When he returned to Rome, the Senate commissioned the Ara Pacis in 13BC to commemorate his return. The idea for a project on the Cantabrian War was seized upon during the production of another history series of the type that is on mainstream television today, which had less depth and jumped from topic to topic. Sarah Jobling stated that “I immediately thought this deserves more than 5 minutes of the show”.
The archaeological excavations currently being undertaken to reconstruct the wars have so far revealed fascinating insights into an area which isn’t widely known about; “this was a story that needed to be told”. The discoveries made on one of the archaeological sites suggests that it has the largest collection of spent arrowheads in the Roman world ever discovered. These arrowheads lend to the idea of the intensity and brutality of the war, which are currently being reconstructed piece by piece. The site is frozen in history; it is a record of the lives of these people, each day that passed in the battle, each life that was lost and the final war they fought.
Arrowheads remain lodged in some of the remains of the walls. Sarah told me with such enthusiasm and passion that the stories of individual battles can be seen through this archaeological excavation. It is possible to see where the Romans camped and attempted their first approach, the direction of the artillery barrages and where they burst through gates, you can see down to the final moments of the battle where there was “hand to hand fighting in the streets of the Iron Age fort”. This detail beautifully exemplifies the importance of documentaries working on archaeological sites; these stories may have been discovered and pieced together by the archaeologists, but the events which took place 2,000 years ago have been brought to life in the hands of the TV producers. Saul David added that the “Content Club will reverse the trend [of poorer quality programmes], open the mysteries of TV production to the members, and give power back to the creatives. Sarah’s first film Rome’s Forgotten War will help return nuanced, ground-breaking history to our TV screens.”
At the very heart of documentaries lies the fact that it allows the viewer to feel involved and connected with history in a meaningful way without actually seeing the object, place or experiencing the events. It is most exciting that this new approach innovatively allows the viewer to become engaged in the production process for the history documentary, allowing student and amateur enthusiasts alike to sit in on production meetings, review scripts, and vote on production elements, along with hearing daily reports from the location.
Sarah Jobling stated, “We want it to operate as an ideas incubator; a really exciting place where students could get involved”. Not only can young people have a say in the content that reaches our screens, but they can help in its creation, giving insight into the filming industry and helping others pursue an interest in History.
These opportunities allow students and academics alike to gain experience and forge links into previously very insular career pathways; each part of the production process is laid open and can even be influenced by your own thoughts and views. As Sarah Jobling told me, “Opening up the production process gives students invaluable career insights […] acquire hard skill tips like interviewing and applied research skills from the best practitioners [and] get a head start on that first step into TV. For academics and postgrads looking to pitch ideas and forge a career path, it offers a clear understanding of what ideas producers are looking for and how to shape your research and present your work so TV producers will grasp its value quickly.”
The current state of historical television documentaries has deteriorated; it is harmful to equality and higher education, but there is a glimmer of hope in the form of streaming services. Hopefully, one day, with the rise in popularity of these streaming services, historical documentaries will once again grace our screens, and mainstream broadcasters will acknowledge their merit and demand.
Monday’s football Varsity at Oxford City’s Raw Charging stadium provided mixed results. The Cambridge women emerged comfortable victors, whilst the Oxford Men’s Blues won for the third year running. For the first time in three years, Oxford did not get the double win.
After a disappointing cancellation of the Football Varsity scheduled for March 19th in London at Leyton Orient, all teams had to refocus for a Football Varsity Round 2 on the 1st of May 2023. A thank you must also go to OUAFC Club President, Ore Jacobi, and CUAFC Men’s and Women’s Presidents, Ben Adam and Neve Mayes, for their swift rescheduling of the match.
As defending Champions, the men’s Oxford Blues were clear favourites for this match. Despite missing some of their best players due to injury or absence, including last year’s Blues Captain, Luke Smith, the Oxford Blues men’s team had a strong start. After the 5 pm kick-off, the first half was evenly matched with both Cambridge and Oxford building some impressive offensive play. Cambridge fans called for a penalty in the early stages of the first half but the referee decided against this
The Oxford goalkeeper, Harry Way, put on a stellar performance and made countless fantastic saves across the match. He was impenetrable in goal and kept a clean sheet.
The score at halftime was 0-0. However, Oxford had the momentum going into the break. They built promising attacks and remained physical in the midfield, with Oxford Blues Men’s Captain, Finlay Ryan-Phillips, bringing plenty of hard-tackling play. This allowed Oxford’s midfielders to wrestle back control of the match leading up to halftime.
After the halftime break, Oxford came out strong with star England National University team left winger, Alfie Cicale booting the opening goal proving his talent and flair up front. It was fitting that he scored the opener.
Fidan Suljik scored for Oxford again from a through ball and elevated the score to 2-0. From then on, the Oxford men held strong. Cambridge continued to fight for the match, building some promising attacks in the last 20 minutes of the second half. Ultimately though, their shots were off target and they could not beat the Oxford defence or keeper Harry Way.
Indeed, it was Oxford’s centre-back, Noah Hudson, who was named player of the match. He provided both impenetrable defense and creative play-making. His through balls from deep in defence out to the wings were particularly effective in opening up the game for Oxford and allowing them to transition quickly from defensive to offensive play.
Oxford’s home crowd were fortunate to experience a triumphant victory. It was a display of fantastic football, physicality and an exciting, high-intensity match. The Oxford Blues Men’s team put on a great performance and won their match comfortably. Their winning mentality was evident. It was a real team effort.
Cambridge Blues provided ceaseless pressure and great build-up play. They switched the ball through the middle to find gaps in Oxford’s defense, but were ultimately unable to convert chances. Nonetheless, they should be congratulated for their efforts.
For the third year running, the Oxford Blues Men’s Football team claimed a Varsity victory. They were worthy winners and were presented with the trophy by Oxford University Vice Chancellor, Professor Irene Tracey, CBE, FMedSci.
Seeing the men confidently triumph over Cambridge was fantastic for both players and fans. Although the women’s result was disappointing, it was great to end the day on a high. Next year, OUAFC will fight for the double, see you then!
Cambridge women emerged as comfortable victors with a definitive performance against Oxford. For the first time in three years, Oxford did not get the double win.
Monday’s football Varsity at Oxford City’s Raw Charging stadium provided mixed results. The Cambridge women emerged comfortable victors, whilst the Oxford Men’s Blues won for the third year running. For the first time in three years, Oxford did not get the double win.
After a disappointing cancellation of the Football Varsity scheduled for March 19th in London at Leyton Orient, all teams had to refocus for a Football Varsity Round 2 on the 1st of May 2023. A thank you must also go to OUAFC Club President, Ore Jacobi, and CUAFC Men’s and Women’s Presidents, Ben Adam and Neve Mayes, for their swift rescheduling of the match.
With the women’s game first to kick off at 2pm, Oxford had the home crowd advantage with its supporters determined to see the team play despite it being term time. The game got off to a shaky start as both teams attempted to find their feet. Cambridge managed to keep the ball in their attacking half for the first 10 minutes until Oxford wrestled back control and built some promising attacks.
However, an injury to Cambridge’s centre back, Arden Dierker Viik, around the 25th minute saw play take a 15 minute break. She had broken her collarbone and had to be stretchered off the pitch. We wish her all the best with her recovery and thank the doctors in the crowd as well as the medics from the Oxford team who came over to help.
After the break in momentum, it was Cambridge who capitalised, scoring a goal as a result of sloppy defence from Oxford who failed to clear the ball out of their 18 yard box. Cambridge’s second goal came in stoppage time, just before the half time whistle, from a great piece of play down the right wing. Cambridge striker and Club President, Neve Mayes, tapped the low cross into the goal between the legs of Oxford keeper, Iona Ffrench-Adam.
After halftime, Oxford conceded 2 more goals off the boot of Neve Mayes. The Cambridge striker put in a fantastic performance, scoring a hattrick and named Player of the Match. The Cambridge midfield were also very impressive, especially with captain Frances Steele’s reliable distribution from centre defensive midfield.
Oxford made multiple substitutes in the second half after conceding. They brought on more attacking players and switched to a 3-5-2 formation in an attempt to get some more momentum moving forward. However, Oxford’s right winger couldn’t convert a 1 on 1 with the keeper. Their lack of shots on target meant they couldn’t score any consolation goals. Oxford were fortunate to avoid conceding further. To this, thanks must go to goalkeeper Iona Ffrench-Adam, who made some excellent saves despite playing with a broken finger and duly named Oxford’s Player of the Match by her teammates.
OUAFC President, Ore Jacobi, and Women’s Vice President, Ashley Chee, earnt their first blues, as great sight to see when they came on as substitutes in the final part of the second half – a fantastic and very well-deserved reward for all the hard work they put in this season to run the club.
The Oxford Blues were ultimately outplayed by Cambridge’s structured and effective build-up play. Congratulations must go to Cambridge for their clinical performance, their first Varsity win in 3 years.
Despite a doubtlessly disappointing Varsity result for Oxford, this doesn’t represent the season that the Women’s Blues have had. Led by captain Jess Cullen, the Blues have built up from a new and young squad into a gelled team over the course of the season. Despite most of the team never having played together before, they came second in their BUCS league and made the Cup Semi-Final. This Varsity loss does not and should not come to define what has, overall, been a successful season.
Unfortunately, despite a valiant effort from the Oxford Blues, the Cambridge Women played some excellent football and were clinical in front of goal. The final score of 4-0 probably didn’t reflect the good passages of play that Oxford were able to construct, but ultimately they couldn’t convert their chances.
Nevertheless, a thank you must also go to OUAFC Club President, Ore Jacobi, and CUAFC Men’s and Women’s Presidents, Ben Adam and Neve Mayes, for allowing the fixture to ahead, rescheduling the Football Varsity Round for this day.
Although the women’s result was disappointing, it was great to end the day on a high. They will undoubtedly also be determined to do better next year and get the varsity win once more. See you next year!
Three Magdalen College deer escaped from the college’s deer park last week, due to a malfunctioning gate. Whilst two of them have since returned to the college, one is still missing.
So far, the college has closed off certain paths, including the gates at Bat Willow, Hollywell Ford, and Addison’s Bridge, in hopes the deer will return. Magdalen told Cherwell: “we are doing everything we can to encourage [the deer to return to college], including leaving treats out in the evening.
The college added, “thankfully, this is a very rare event. We make every effort to ensure our beloved herd is kept safe at all times.”
Magdalen has been home to a herd of deer since the 1700s. Currently, 60 deer reside on the college grounds.
The still-missing deer was last spotted on Merton grounds, near St Catherine’s College. One Magdalen student told Cherwell that the whole situation “really puts a dampener on our ongoing peace process with Catz, as they are clearly blaring propaganda to our otherwise well-adjusted deer and getting them to defect.”
