12th February 2005	BIRMINGHAM CROSS COUNTRY LEAGUE - NORTHAMPTON
	4th team on the day and 1st Division survival for another year was the reward for a great example of team packing and commitment. 2nd to Tipton amongst club teams in the final fixture, this race removed the aberration of Senneleys Park where injuries claimed the heart of the team. The consistently smallest team in the Division proved yet again the strongest team from Staffordshire.  Tom Gayle led the way again to his best ever return in this league. He was hotly pursued by a slower starting Matt Jones (for a change) - with Andy Prophett achieving his best result in 4 years in his last run for the club. Andy is now joining rivals Cheltenham (he has lived there for years!) and no-one has competed with more loyalty or commitment for their club - more than 30 consecutive Div 1 fixtures! This reversed his placing at Coventry with Andy Mawdsley who charged through on the last lap.  Gavin Walters improved to a top 50 place for the first time after a race long battle with Pete Benyon who is now beginning to regain the form of two years ago. Over the first three laps it was great for me to watch (from 30 yards behind) Andy Mawdsley, Gavin and Pete fight it out and work as a team at the same time.  For the first time in perhaps 4 or 5 years I was out of the count - slain by a hamstring injury that restricted my usual effort and finally nearly brought me to a halt 400m from the end in my final Birmingham League fixture.  We must not forget the efforts of Richard Barrington and Adrian Thiemicke either - collecting the numbers and doing more running and shouting us on than any other team supporters did - and they both would have run (and kept us up!) if they had needed to. I guess this could be Stoke AC's last individual team effort if the proposed amalgamation with Staffs Moorlands goes ahead and this race definitely marks the end of an era with Andy leaving and my retirement - If a combined team shows half the commitment of this team the other teams in Division 1 had better watch out next season! John Danahay Photos: (Thanks Adrian) Tom in the pack John and Pete stride out Proph keeps Simeon in his sights Gavin looks determined John starting to run out of gas Pete attacks the hill Matt in full flow Proph and is it Matt or Gavin? Andy M slices through the field A team effort! Link to full results courtesy of Dave Macnamee
	23. Tom Gayle 25. Matt Jones 35. Andy Prophett 37. Andy Mawdsley 50. Gavin Walters 52. Pete Benyon 54. John Danahay Team 1. Tipton 2. Birmingham Uni 3. Loughborough Uni 4. Stoke 5. Staffs Moorlands 13. Birchfield Overall Teams 1. Tipton 2. Birmingham Uni 3. Loughborough Uni 4. OWLS 5. Cheltenham 6. Coventry 7. Staffs Moorlands 8. Stoke AC 9. Kidderminster & Stourport 10. Telford 11. Rugby & Northampton 12. Birchfield 13. Cannock & Stafford	34.34 34.45 35.13 35.17 35.58 36.01 36.12 91 119 148 222 247 Did not finish a team! 372 436 513 894 950 1107 1261 1431 1495 1634 1741 Relegated 853 Relegated 1773 Relegated