TWO rival football team supporters will put aside their differences and run side by side to help a leukaemia charity.

Burnley Football Club fan Jason Taylor and Blackburn Rovers fan Martyn Hunter are preparing to run a 26 mile marathon on the same side.

The long standing friends have always agreed to disagree where football clubs are concerned but have joined forces to complete the London marathon next month.

But they have said they will be supporting their teams and both will be wearing their team home kits on April 22.

Jason will be sporting claret and blue and Martyn will wear Blackburn Rovers traditional blue and white.

Jason, 26, of Oakfield Road, Ewood, and Martyn, 25, of Fernhurst Farm, Ewood, are aiming to raise £3,000 for the Anthony Nolan Trust.

The Anthony Nolan Trust national charity was set up in 1974 and provides bone marrow donors for leukaemia sufferers across the country.

They signed up to run the marathon last November and train three to four times a week.

Jason Taylor, a former area manager for the charity, said: "Martyn ran the marathon last year, he really enjoyed it and persuaded me to sign up this time.

"I will be running in my team colours and Martyn will be flying the flag for Blackburn. "We're training hard but we haven't run up to 20 miles yet.

"We will have to wait and see which of us makes it across the finish line first.

"I worked for the Anthony Nolan Trust about six months ago and they, like all charities I guess, need as much support and funds as possible.

"It is the only bone marrow donor source in the Uk and it costs around £80 per person to get donors onto the register.

"If we raise £3,000 we can get about 37 donors on to the register and that will help save many lives." You can sponsor Jason or Martyn by visiting either: www.justgiving.com/longsidelad or ww.w.justgiving.com/martynhunter1982.