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Vincent's Club
Vincents1.jpg
The front door of Vincent's Club
Formation 1863 (1863)
Location
  • 1A King Edward Street
Membership
Oxford Blues (predominantly)
President
Dan Bundred

Vincent's Club, popularly known as Vinnie's, is a private members' club in Oxford. The club's membership consists predominantly, but not exclusively, of sporting blues of the University of Oxford.

History

Vincent's Club was founded in 1863 by oarsman Walter Bradford Woodgate of Brasenose College, Oxford, who became the first president of the club. Dissatisfied with the permissive admission policies and lack of refreshments at the Oxford Union, Woodgate established his own club and stated that it "should consist of the picked hundred of the University, selected for all-round qualities; social, physical and intellectual qualities being duly considered."

Vincent's Club quickly gained considerable prestige, which it enjoys to this day. J.S.G. Pemberton regarded it as "the premier Social Club of the University", while in 1894 The Isis could describe Vincent's as "a sacred Temple ... to those whom, by virtue of themselves, their athletic powers, and their social and general good-fellowship, a grateful University delighteth to honour", with membership considered to be "the diploma which the University of Undergraduates grants in due season to her most successful and deserving sons".

Roger Bannister, president of the club in 1950, celebrated at Vincent's after running the world's first sub-four-minute mile at the Iffley Road track in 1954. The Beatles visited the club in 1964.

Membership

From the club's foundation, influenced by Woodgate's own sporting interests, the membership has been dominated by sportspeople. However, there has never been a sporting qualification for membership and membership does not accompany a Blue. The club was originally limited to only 100 resident members, but as the university has expanded, so too has the club.

Members must be enrolled at the University of Oxford at the time of their election, but remain members for life. The club's constitution was amended to enable the admission of women as members on 9 March 2016.

Clubhouse

The club was originally located in the old reading rooms which J. H. Vincent, a printer, had previously kept at 90 High Street. Between 1894 and 1931, the club occupied premises at 6-7 High Street.

Since 1931, the club has been located at 1A King Edward Street, in upstairs premises above Shepherd & Woodward on the High Street in central Oxford. Completely refurbished in 2014, the club's facilities include a bar, lounge area, dining room, conference room, kitchen and administrative offices.

Club regalia

Vincent’s members are entitled to wear the club tie, which is dark blue with a white crown motif, or a silver crown lapel pin.  The club tie, adopted in 1926, is particularly renowned and was regarded by J.C. Masterman as "a sort of passport all over the English-speaking world".

Notable members

Royalty:

Politics & Law:

Military:

Academic:

Religion:

  • Walter Carey, international rugby player and Bishop of Bloemfontein
  • Edward Carr Glyn, Bishop of Peterborough
  • Hartwell de la Garde Grissell, papal chamberlain and founder of the Oxford University Newman Society
  • William Heard, cardinal
  • Cosmo Lang, Archbishop of Canterbury
  • Nicholas Stacey, priest and social activist
  • Andrew Wingfield Digby, sports chaplain

Business:

  • Etienne de Villiers, investor and business executive
  • Sir Rod Eddington, business executive
  • Ivan Gazidis, former CEO of Arsenal F.C. and AC Milan
  • Jason Gissing, founder of Ocado
  • Sir Christopher Hogg, business executive
  • Raj Kumar Pitamber, director of Mahindra & Mahindra
  • Jim Rogers, investor and financial commentator
  • Julian Ogilvie Thompson, chairman of De Beers and Anglo American
  • Lord Charles Williams, business executive and life peer

Arts:

Sportspeople:

  • A. G. G. Asher, Scottish rugby and cricket international
  • Jimmy Allan, Scottish cricket international
  • David McLaren Bain, Scotland rugby captain
  • Sir Roger Bannister, first to run the sub-4-minute mile, neurologist and Master of Pembroke College, Oxford
  • Stuart Barnes, England rugby international and commentator
  • Tommy Bedford, South Africa rugby captain
  • Robin Benson, FA Cup winner, merchant banker and art collector
  • Bernard Bosanquet, international cricketer and inventor of the googly
  • Marshall Brooks, England rugby international and world record holder for the high jump
  • Charles Burnell, Olympic Gold 1908
  • Richard Burnell, Olympic Gold 1948
  • Donald Carr, England cricket international and cricket administrator
  • Herbert Hayton Castens, captained South Africa at both rugby and cricket
  • Christopher Chataway, athlete and politician
  • Troy Coker, Australian rugby international and winner of the 1991 Rugby World Cup
  • Oliver Cook, world champion rower
  • Jerry Cornes, Olympic Silver 1932
  • Colin Cowdrey, England cricket international
  • Phillip Crowe, Australian rugby international
  • Phil de Glanville, England rugby captain
  • Barnabé Delarze, Swiss Olympic rower
  • Peter Dixon, England rugby international
  • Sandy Duncan, Olympic administrator
  • Hugh "Jumbo" Edwards, two Olympic Golds 1932 and Royal Air Force group captain
  • Mark Evans, Olympic Gold 1984
  • Mike Evans, Olympic Gold 1984
  • Jonathan Fellows-Smith, South African cricket international
  • R. E. Foster, England cricket and football captain
  • C. B. Fry, England cricket and football international, world record holder for the long jump
  • Angus Groom, Olympic Silver 2020
  • Simon Halliday, England rugby international
  • David Hemery, Olympic Gold 1968
  • Bob Hiller, England rugby international
  • Ewart Horsfall, Olympic Gold 1912, winner of the Military Cross and Distinguished Flying Cross
  • Malcolm Howard, Olympic Gold 2008
  • Douglas Jardine, England cricket captain
  • Manon Johnes, Wales women's rugby international
  • Derek Johnson, Olympic Silver 1956
  • Abdul Kardar, first Pakistan cricket captain
  • F. S. Kelly, Olympic Gold 1908, musician and composer
  • Alister Kirby, Olympic Gold 1912
  • David Kirk, All Blacks captain and winner of the 1987 Rugby World Cup
  • Ronald Lagden, England rugby international
  • Chris Laidlaw, All Blacks international and politician
  • H. D. G. Leveson Gower, England cricket captain
  • Constantine Louloudis, Olympic Gold 2016
  • Jack Lovelock, Olympic Gold 1936
  • Donald MacDonald, Scottish rugby international
  • Dugald MacDonald, Springboks rugby international
  • Hugo MacNeill, Irish rugby international
  • Phil Macpherson, Scottish rugby international
  • Selwyn Maister, Olympic Gold 1976
  • Nick Mallett, South African rugby international and coach
  • Craig Masback, American middle distance runner, commentator and business executive
  • Alan Melville, South African cricket international
  • Adrian Metcalfe, Olympic Silver 1964 and commentator
  • Brendan Mullin, Irish rugby international
  • Patrick Munro, Scottish rugby international and politician
  • Thomas Nelson, Scottish rugby international
  • Charles Nepean, FA Cup winner
  • Guy Nickalls, Olympic Gold 1908
  • Prince Alexander Obolensky, England rugby international
  • Anton Oliver, All Blacks international
  • Tiger Pataudi, India cricket captain
  • Tony Pawson, cricketer, football and leading fly fisherman
  • Malcolm Phillips, England rugby international and President of the Rugby Football Union
  • Sir Matthew Pinsent, Olympic Golds 1992, 1996, 2000, 2004
  • William Rawson, England football international and FA Cup winner
  • Pete Reed, Olympic Golds 2008, 2012, 2016 and Royal Navy officer
  • Joe Roff, Australian rugby international and 1991 Rugby World Cup winner
  • Alan Rotherham, England rugby captain and member of the IRB Hall of Fame
  • Bevil Rudd, Olympic Gold 1920 and winner of the Military Cross
  • Richard Sharp, England rugby captain
  • G. O. Smith, England football captain
  • Brian Smith, Australia and Ireland rugby international
  • M. J. K. Smith, England cricket captain and rugby international
  • Peter Stagg, Scotland and Zambia rugby international
  • Nigel Starmer-Smith, England rugby international
  • Davis Tarwater, Olympic Gold 2012
  • Cyril Tolley, British amateur golf champion
  • Daniel Topolski, rowing world champion, coach and commentator
  • Victor Ubogu, England rugby international
  • Pieter van der Bijl, South African cricket international
  • Clive van Ryneveld, South Africa cricket and England rugby international
  • Harry Vassall, England rugby international
  • Walpole Vidal, England football international, played in the first ever international football match and FA Cup winner
  • Michael Walford, Olympic Silver 1948
  • Frank Willan, rower and co-founder of the Royal Yachting Association
  • John Young, England rugby international

Other:

See also

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