Sometimes just when the finishing line is in sight you have your toughest time and that was the case for Francis Benali yesterday as he ran with Matthew Le Tissier.

The one thing that has been glossed over as Francis Benali made his way from Newcastle towards Southampton via the other 21 Premier League clubs is just how painful Franny's knee problem actually has been, the truth is that probably he should never have started the run and postponed the challenge till his knee had recovered, but backing down from a challenge was never in his DNA as a player and certainly isn't now.

Having decided to start he has had to have constant physio to enable him to continue but he has soldiered through some painful moments and is now within two last days of running to reach St Mary's.

However his darkest moment came this week when running with Matthew Le Tissier, when his knee suddenly started experiencing intense pain, and he turned to his ex team mate and confessed he thought he could go no further. speaking to the Daily Echo Franny said.

“When times have been tough I’ve dug deep and been mentally strong.

“There was a thought that popped into my head, because my knee went from being fine to being quite literally very painful and became hard to take a single step.

“I was with Matt, we weren’t near the support vehicles and it was really really painful.

“At that point the thought did pop into my head that I was not going to be able to complete the day.

“And, bless him, Matt could see the discomfort I was in and turned around to me and said ‘well I’ll carry you mate’, which might not have been too difficult considering the weight I’ve lost.

“But it just goes to show what our friendship is and I think he did mean it, it wasn’t just a flippant comment.

Im certain that Le Tiss would have done so too, people talked of the team spirit we had last season, but those old enough to remember the days when the likes of Franny, Le Tiss, Jason Dodd, Jeff Kenna, Alan Shearer and a host of other youngsters came into the side will tell you that the team spirit last year was nothing approaching that, that the team of 1988-92 had.

All of those players gave great service to the club and even those like Shearer did not run off the moment a big club waved a cheque at them, but gave good service to Saints first, that bond of friendship continues and is emphasised by Le Tissier's gesture and thereis no doubt he meant it.

Francis Benali will arrive at St Mary's at half time against Newcastle, if you havent donated, now is the time to do so to spur him on over the last miles by doing so on line or by text, reading the totals going up will give him that last burst of energy needed to get himself home.

Find out more about the run itself as well as how to donate at

Benali's Big Run

To make a text donation from your mobile phone please text “BIGR55 followed by the amount you would like to donate EG £1, £3, £5, £10” To text number 70070. For example if you wanted to donate £10. Text BIGR55 £10 to 70070

Photo: Action Images

ericofarabia added 14:23 - Sep 12 Tsk!! ........ 21 other grounds. Still stuck in the 80's Nick? ;-) You are right about the days when Franny was playing, despite the crap going on around them, the team spirit, or The Spirit of Southampton as it got branded was superb.
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