LAST Sunday's London Marathon was more like a Nationwide First Division Forum for Bury Times deputy sports editor Phil Thorp.

For Phil spent most of the early stages of the event discussing life at the top and bottom of the division with competitors sporting their respective club colours.

"After about four miles I found myself running next to a cocky devil in a Sunderland shirt," explained Phil.

"He spotted the Bury FC crest on my shorts and began to give me some stick!

"Apparently he'd been at Gigg a week last Tuesday when they clinched promotion but said, unlike his mates, he didn't allow himself to celebrate with a few after-match drinks as he was saving himself for the race.

"So I pointed out to him that I'd done my training on best bitter and pork scratchings then burnt him off!" A few miles further, approaching the Cutty Sark, our intrepid trundler was shoulder to shoulder with someone in the unmistakeable claret and amber of Bradford City.

"This fellow was a little more humble," added Phil.

"He was pig sick after the Bantams 3-2 home defeat to local rivals Huddersfield the previous day and, according to him, hadn't slept much the night before as his friend who'd been at the game woke him at his hotel to give him a match report.

"After telling me how wonderful life was at Valley Parade he casually mentioned that he didn't think the Shakers had much of a chance of staying up - so I showed him a clean pair of heels as well!"

All this aggravation did wonders for 40-year-old Phil's performance because he knocked 12 minutes off his time last year recording a personal best 3 hours 41 minutes 47 seconds and finishing 6,634th out of the estimated 31,500 starters.

He ran to raise sponsor money for Leukaemia Research and anyone wishing to make a donation can still send cheques or postal orders (payable to Leukaemia Research) to the Sports Desk, Bury Times Ltd, PO Box 1, Market Street, Bury, Lancs BL9 0PF.

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.