The astonishing row between Britain’s two best distance runners escalated on Friday night with a series of explosive claims and counter-claims. Mo Farah on Friday reignited the dispute with Andy Vernon when he revealed what sparked their Twitter row earlier this week, claiming the European silver medallist implied he should have won gold in Zurich last year because the Somalia-born Farah is not British. But Vernon, while admitting he had joked over a meal one night in Zurich that he should have been crowned ‘European champion’, responded by accusing Farah and his management team of employing ‘snide’ tactics to trash his reputation in a bid to repair the damage to their own. Mo Farah spoke out about his Twitter spat with Andy Vernon and said it was down to a comment made by his fellow distance runner that implied that he did not deserve gold at the European Championships in 2014 . Farah said: 'One comment he made, which I didn't really like, was to say that he should have won the gold' Farah is in Birmingham preparing for an indoor two-mile  record attempt at the Sainsbury's Indoor Grand Prix . Farah and Vernon, who finished one-two at the European Championships, clashed on Twitter . Farah was forced to issue a public apology on Friday - ahead of Saturday’s attempt to break the world indoor two-mile record in the Sainsbury’s British indoor grand prix - for the way he responded to a jibe from Vernon on Twitter on Tuesday night. In branding Vernon an ‘embarrassment’ who had not won anything ‘decent’, the double Olympic champion accepted he had offended the wider athletics community. ‘I’d like to apologise to the public,’ he said. Then Farah, having consulted with his representatives before his media appearance, decided to reveal that he and Vernon had ‘history’ dating back to the European Championships that saw Farah win gold in the 10,000 and 5,000 metres, when Vernon took a silver and bronze. ‘It happened in the European Championship in Zurich where he came second in the race I won,’ said Farah. ‘We were sitting down together and there were a number of staff and athletes there too. One comment he made, which I didn’t really like, was to say that he should have won the gold. ‘I was like, ‘‘what, the gold should have been given to you?’’ And I was like, ‘‘Because he was the only European guy?’’ You can’t say something like that. I was just kind of biting my tongue at the time.’ The implication is that Vernon was referring to the fact that he had been born in Somalia but then moved to the UK as a child. ‘I don’t know what he meant,’ he replied. ‘But at that point it hurt me. But I moved on. That was private. But to come out publicly and say something like that (the Twitter row); that’s why I reacted. I do apologise. I should never come out publicly and say some things. But we have to move on.’ A spokesperson for British Athletics said: ‘We will be talking to Andy about the comment he made and reminding him of his responsibilities as a British team member.’ But Vernon responded with anger on Friday night. ‘Look, I did make a joke about being European champion but in the context of the conversation - which was very light-hearted - I honestly didn’t think I’d caused offence,’ he insisted. ‘If I did, then I apologise but I really feel this has been taken out of context to shift the focus back on me and I now feel I’ve been really badly misrepresented.’ Earlier, the 29-year-old told BBC Radio Solent: ‘I am really disappointed with what he (Farah) said. It’s an outrageous misrepresentation of the chat we had at the Europeans. I don’t discard him as British - it’s complete lies. His management team have been very snide at making me out to being a bad guy here. ‘I’ve known Mo for 12 years. We weren’t best of friends but we were pals. I was delighted when we finished first and second in the 10,000m and I celebrated with him. When I heard he said something in the press conference (on Friday) I immediately tried to contact his management team to say I am sorry if anything I said did offend you, it wasn’t meant like that. But no one has got back to me. He is trying to brand me something that I am not. Farah celebrates his victory over Vernon for the Men's 10,000m European titles in Zurich in August 2014 . Vernon said that the field running with Farah in his bid for an indoor world record in Birmingham was a joke . The response ‘ComeBackWhenYouWinSomething Decent’ from Farah offended many in athletics . ‘There’s nothing more I’d like right now than a two-way press conference when we can discuss what happened, because what he said is not what I said. He has played the cheap shot. He has played the card. I don’t know what I can do.’ Farah had earlier responded over their midweek Twitter spat. Having seen a Tweet from Vernon suggesting that a weakened field for Saturday’s race amounted to a ‘joke’, Farah accepts he over-reacted. ‘I should never have reacted that way and I do apologise,’ he said. ‘When he comes out publicly and says something I’m going to try and defend myself. But someone like me should never really have done something like that. ‘It (criticism) is difficult but you know if it’s the normal public, you just have to deal with it and let your running do the talking. But with an athlete like him, one I’ve been on the podium with, it was difficult to bite my tongue. I couldn’t do it. My frustration just got the better of me, for sure. ‘I put my hand up. But Andy has a history of disrespecting athletes. He did it before, with Lynsey Sharp. You know, me and Andy. We’re not best friends, we’ll never be best friends. That’s just how it is.’ Vernon did not deny that he made the comments but said it was to carry on a joke around a table . Vernon apologised and while Farah did not reciprocate, he did concede that he had over-reacted . Farah says that he and Vernon will never be 'best friends' but he regrets the way he reacted on Twitter .
Andy Vernon and Mo Farah engaged in an argument on Twitter this week .
Vernon labelled the field against Farah last weekend in Birmingham 'a joke'
Farah called the runner who finished second to him in the European Championships 'an embarrassment'
Now Somali-born Farah claims Vernon said he didn't deserve to win gold at the European Championships ahead of him because Farah is not British .
Vernon did not deny Farah's claims when asked on the subject .
Many in the wider athletics community found Farah's comments arrogant .
The astonishing row between Britain’s two best distance runners escalated on Friday night with a series of explosive claims and counter-claims. Mo Farah on Friday reignited the dispute with Andy Vernon when he revealed what sparked their Twitter row earlier this week, claiming the European silver medallist implied he should have won gold in Zurich last year because the Somalia-born Farah is not British. But Vernon, while admitting he had joked over a meal one night in Zurich that he should have been crowned ‘European champion’, responded by accusing Farah and his management team of employing ‘snide’ tactics to trash his reputation in a bid to repair the damage to their own. Mo Farah spoke out about his Twitter spat with Andy Vernon and said it was down to a comment made by his fellow distance runner that implied that he did not deserve gold at the European Championships in 2014 . Farah said: 'One comment he made, which I didn't really like, was to say that he should have won the gold' Farah is in Birmingham preparing for an indoor two-mile  record attempt at the Sainsbury's Indoor Grand Prix . Farah and Vernon, who finished one-two at the European Championships, clashed on Twitter . Farah was forced to issue a public apology on Friday - ahead of Saturday’s attempt to break the world indoor two-mile record in the Sainsbury’s British indoor grand prix - for the way he responded to a jibe from Vernon on Twitter on Tuesday night. In branding Vernon an ‘embarrassment’ who had not won anything ‘decent’, the double Olympic champion accepted he had offended the wider athletics community. ‘I’d like to apologise to the public,’ he said. Then Farah, having consulted with his representatives before his media appearance, decided to reveal that he and Vernon had ‘history’ dating back to the European Championships that saw Farah win gold in the 10,000 and 5,000 metres, when Vernon took a silver and bronze. ‘It happened in the European Championship in Zurich where he came second in the race I won,’ said Farah. ‘We were sitting down together and there were a number of staff and athletes there too. One comment he made, which I didn’t really like, was to say that he should have won the gold. ‘I was like, ‘‘what, the gold should have been given to you?’’ And I was like, ‘‘Because he was the only European guy?’’ You can’t say something like that. I was just kind of biting my tongue at the time.’ The implication is that Vernon was referring to the fact that he had been born in Somalia but then moved to the UK as a child. ‘I don’t know what he meant,’ he replied. ‘But at that point it hurt me. But I moved on. That was private. But to come out publicly and say something like that (the Twitter row); that’s why I reacted. I do apologise. I should never come out publicly and say some things. But we have to move on.’ A spokesperson for British Athletics said: ‘We will be talking to Andy about the comment he made and reminding him of his responsibilities as a British team member.’ But Vernon responded with anger on Friday night. ‘Look, I did make a joke about being European champion but in the context of the conversation - which was very light-hearted - I honestly didn’t think I’d caused offence,’ he insisted. ‘If I did, then I apologise but I really feel this has been taken out of context to shift the focus back on me and I now feel I’ve been really badly misrepresented.’ Earlier, the 29-year-old told BBC Radio Solent: ‘I am really disappointed with what he (Farah) said. It’s an outrageous misrepresentation of the chat we had at the Europeans. I don’t discard him as British - it’s complete lies. His management team have been very snide at making me out to being a bad guy here. ‘I’ve known Mo for 12 years. We weren’t best of friends but we were pals. I was delighted when we finished first and second in the 10,000m and I celebrated with him. When I heard he said something in the press conference (on Friday) I immediately tried to contact his management team to say I am sorry if anything I said did offend you, it wasn’t meant like that. But no one has got back to me. He is trying to brand me something that I am not. Farah celebrates his victory over Vernon for the Men's 10,000m European titles in Zurich in August 2014 . Vernon said that the field running with Farah in his bid for an indoor world record in Birmingham was a joke . The response ‘ComeBackWhenYouWinSomething Decent’ from Farah offended many in athletics . ‘There’s nothing more I’d like right now than a two-way press conference when we can discuss what happened, because what he said is not what I said. He has played the cheap shot. He has played the card. I don’t know what I can do.’ Farah had earlier responded over their midweek Twitter spat. Having seen a Tweet from Vernon suggesting that a weakened field for Saturday’s race amounted to a ‘joke’, Farah accepts he over-reacted. ‘I should never have reacted that way and I do apologise,’ he said. ‘When he comes out publicly and says something I’m going to try and defend myself. But someone like me should never really have done something like that. ‘It (criticism) is difficult but you know if it’s the normal public, you just have to deal with it and let your running do the talking. But with an athlete like him, one I’ve been on the podium with, it was difficult to bite my tongue. I couldn’t do it. My frustration just got the better of me, for sure. ‘I put my hand up. But Andy has a history of disrespecting athletes. He did it before, with Lynsey Sharp. You know, me and Andy. We’re not best friends, we’ll never be best friends. That’s just how it is.’ Vernon did not deny that he made the comments but said it was to carry on a joke around a table . Vernon apologised and while Farah did not reciprocate, he did concede that he had over-reacted . Farah says that he and Vernon will never be 'best friends' but he regrets the way he reacted on Twitter .
series of explosive claims and counter-claims. Mo Twitter row earlier this week, claiming the won gold in Zurich last year because the Somalia-born Farah is not British. But Vernon, distance runner that implied that he did not deserve gold at the European Championships in have won the gold' Farah is in Birmingham Vernon, who finished one-two at the European Championships, clashed on Twitter . Farah was branding Vernon an ‘embarrassment’ who had not champion accepted he had offended the wider athletics community. ‘I’d like to apologise to Championships that saw Farah win gold in the amounted to a ‘joke’, Farah accepts he not deny that he made the comments but said it