Former Sussex 400 metre hurdles champion Howard Moscrop created British League history on his return to Sussex for a Division Four match.

Twenty-five years after winning his first British League race he was again victorious as he notched up his 65th appearance in league competition.

Moscrop, who for the past few years has been teaching in Swindon and manages the Swindon team, was appearing for his third club at the Crawley event.

"My home town is still Brighton," said Howard. "Most of my family still live in the area and I take every opportunity to return to Sussex to race."

It was for the Brighton and Hove club in their Division Four match at Withdean in 1976 the then 18-year-old won the 110 metres hurdles in 16 seconds, exactly the same time that he recorded at Crawley on Saturday when finishing fourth in the high hurdles.

Moscrop had already won the 400 metre hurdles in 56.1sec which was faster than the winner had recorded at Withdean all those years ago.

Not surprising you may think but the 1976 match, on a windy afternoon and on the then cinder track at Brighton, produced many performances that would have won Saturday's events at Crawley.

Like at Crawley last Saturday, Brighton and Hove won the 1976 match handsomely and produced several winners whose perform-ances were better than those at Crawley.

Simon Morley, whose daughter Hannah is a promising young middle distance runner, won the 880 metres in 1min. 53.3sec, two seconds faster than Saturday's winner. Andy Neves won the 200 metres in 22.3sec and Bob Bishop the 400 metres in 49.3sec while Bill Mullet set a new Division Four steeplechase record of 8min. 55.1sec.

Mike Winch won both shot putt and discus events with 16.68 metres and 54.18 metres while Mike Gratton, who was later to move to Kent and become one of the few British winners of the London Marathon, was squeezed into second place in the 1,500 metres in 3min. 56.7sec nearly six seconds faster than Gavin Thompson needed to clock to win Saturday's 1,500 metres for Crawley.

How the current Brighton and Hove team manager would love to have athletes of this calibre to pull them out of trouble now.

The winning span of Moscrop's career is thought to be the longest in the history of the British League and his victory on Saturday was his 26th A victory in the league and is a record for a track athlete.

Mike Winch notched up nearly 40 A victories for Brighton and Hove and later the Blackheath Harriers in the field events.

Moscrop also won six B string 110 metre hurdles races when he was the second string to Tony Finnemore in the Brighton and Hove team in his 65 appearances in British League.

Of these he made 45 appearances for Brighton and Hove before they slipped out of the British League and a further 19 for Crawley.

Saturday's win was his first for the Swindon team as they were making their debut in British League athletics.

Now 43 and the reigning European veterans 400 metre champion and record holder Moscrop is hoping to continue racing for a couple more years.

Moscrop said: "I try to avoid the high hurdles when I can as these tend to make my joints play up the next day but I can still cope with the 400 metres hurdles.

"I will be going to Brisbane at the end of June to defend my Over-40 title in the World Veterans Championship but at 43 I am in the middle of the age group and may well find that those new to the age group are a little nippier and more flexible than me.

"In two years time, however, I will be at the bottom end of the Over-45 group and I would like to keep racing until then."

On Saturday and Sunday the Sussex Track and Field Championships are being held at Crawley and this mammoth weekend features 15 hours of athletics over the two days.

Events start at 11am both days and will finish about 6pm. Next Saturday the second round of the Southern Women's League is on the calendar for all four Sussex teams in Division Two with Crawley away to Plymouth.