King's College London and UCL Rivalry - Other Intercollegiate Rivalries Within The University of London

Other Intercollegiate Rivalries Within The University of London

Within the University of London student rivalry was not confined to King's and UCL, but spilled over into contests with Imperial, Queen Mary Colleges and the London School of Economics.

One well-planned and successful rag against the LSE during the 1920s involved the King's Liberal Party Society organising an impostor to play the part of David Lloyd George, complete with morning coat and limousine, who proceeded to address the LSE Students' Union in an appropriately overdramatic performance. A riot ensued when the angry audience realised they had been duped and the actor sent flying before rescue by a strategically placed King's rowing heavy.

Following the Second World War, King's was involved in numerous kidnapping and ransoming of rival mascots, including Queen Mary's leopard and the LSE Beaver.

In 1935 a failed attempt was made by student of Queen Mary to capture Reggie the Lion - "A further attempt to obtain a mascot was made in 1935 and deserved a better result. One Wednesday afternoon, a well organized party assembled by devious routes in King’s College and at zero hour took up their appointed posts. The porters were confined to their lodge and all entrances and exits were guarded. But Reggie the lion was chained in steel to the wall, and the porters had telephoned the for police aid! A hasty retreat was made with no casualties."

A triumph for Queen Mary students came in 1923 during a football cup final between Queen Mary and University College. "The match was to be played on the Arsenal Football Club ground at Highbury, and the rag-committee had obtained an option on a fleet of Donkeys and carts on which it was proposed to drive down to the ground. Unknown to this committee a few research chemists thought of something better. They prepared a special paint, that would not easily wash off, and in the early hours of the morning, dodging the police on their beats they set to work on the imposing frontage of University College. Next morning, London was startled to find the place resplendent in the College colours, light blue and gold! An irate telephone call from Sir Gregory Foster to the Principal exposed the infamous deed. The cup-final match was promptly placed ‘out of bounds,’ but after many violent student demonstrations this ban was lifted just before lunch and the College supporters flocked down to Highbury under promise to abstain from ragging. University College won the match 5-4, and at the end called for three cheers for the ‘College of Decorators’. The Union Society had to pay the bill of £50 for the removal of the paint. But we think it well worth it."