Former Bury Town Football Club groundsman marking 80th birthday with celebratory lap

Most of us would be chuffed with walking or running the same 2.5mile route every day for the last five years, but for one former Bury Town Football Club groundsman it is a stroll in the park.

Charlie Knight, 79, of Parkway, Bury St Edmunds, used to mark the pitch at the town’s football club and one day started running around the pitch.

He has run or walked every day since, but has branched out from going round the football club’s pitch and follows the same 2.5mile route each time around Bury.

And so to mark his 80th birthday on June 11, Charlie decided it would be fitting to journey along the same route he takes every day.

He will be taking off from Bury Fire Station at 9am with the former Bury Town Football Club captain Olly Hughes and his brother Sam.

Charlie, who brands himself a ‘sports man’ having played snooker and tennis earlier on in life, said it would be ‘marvellous’ if as many people as possible made the trip down to support him.

“As I got near to 80 I thought, I have got to do it on my 80th birthday,” he said.

“But it would be nice to celebrate it with a crowd.”

Charlie said after stopping to mark the pitches down at Bury Town Football Club, he just ‘had to have something else to replace it’ and besides gardening, running every day was one thing to do.

His wife was also diagnosed with Alzheimers eight years ago and he is her main carer.

Alongside keeping him busy, Charlie said running every day was a ‘release valve’ from the pressures of the day-to-day caring for his wife.

“Some days it’s harder than others and some days it’s easier,” he said.

“You get your little twinges on your knees but you ignore those.

He added: “If I stopped at my age I would go downhill. I can’t sit there and watch tele all day.”

Charlie’s family will also be there on June 11 to cheer him on. He said he was sure they were ‘proud’ of him for organising the event.

Charlie’s route will take him down Parkway from the station, along Spring Lane and through Tayfen Meadow, left up Beeton’s Way past West Suffolk Council’s offices, left by Newmarket Road and past West Suffolk College, then back left down Parkway to the fire station.