In the first Annual Mob Match in 1886 Blackheath won  with 60 points to SLH's 120. This time, in 2009, South London were easily the strongest on their home turf at Coulsdon scoring 921 to Blackheath's 1570 in a 34 to score match.
    Major, has won about 40 Mob Matches in recent years and his winning streek was only broken once and that was by his clubmate Jason Simpson.
    In the race the first five out of the 95 starters on Farthing Down, over the 7 1/2 mile course, were 1 Major (43.38 who is also a great back up man for his 'Very strong' National winning team Newham & Essex Beagles); 2 Jason Simpson (44.15. At 42 was the first vet over 40 and ran 67.47 in the Reading half last year), James Buchanan a 'Guest' from Croydon Harriers (45.51 who only has been running for two years); 4 Pawel Bal (46.09. He apparently had success in the Banstead Time Trial in the morning); 4 Alex Bruce-LIttlewood (48.15. He had won the Blackheath v Orion Mob Match and, was 40th in the 'Under 20' Inter-Counties Juniors' .His father Stuart LIttlewood is a well known veteran runner.The seventh person to finish was Barry Attwell (49.21) who hopes to be a contender in both the British and European Masters 'M55' 1500's in the Summer and, will be remembered for once being the Southern Open 3000 Track Champion and later a British Masters M40 Cross-country Champion)
    In the race itself, after a mile covered,  Major and Simpson led the field by 50 metres, as they went down into Happy Valley. Buchanan and Pawell were running together in third place.
    Simpson remarked " I have had a hip problem since November so, I had to let Stuart go by the time we came out of the valley."
    As they went down into the valley for the final time Major,who has had a good last 12 months, after two Winters of injury problems, looked smooth leading by 80 metres from Simpson
Recently Major had one of his best races, coming second to Ben Whitby in the Surrey League.

 xman photo 2008