Revd Malcolm (Malc) Allen on "The role of a Chaplain to a professional football club"
The
role of a Chaplain to a professional football club
FOOTBALL!
– As I am not a football fan, when I was asked by David Long if I would
“do” the write up of the talk given by the Revd Malcolm Allen, Chaplain at
Cheltenham Town Football Club, I thought he was quite mad, sorry David! However,
here goes!
We
were genuinely pleased when the Revd Malcolm Allen (Malc) accepted the
invitation to come and talk to us on Monday 4th October on his
chaplaincy roll at Cheltenham Town Football Club.
Malc’s
passion for the “beautiful” game shone through.
He explained his background and his delight at being asked to join the
chaplaincy team at “the Robins”. He
said what a privilege it was to be able to mix with the players, management team
and support staff. He is currently
team rector at Bishops Cleeve and when he is not doing his pastoral duties there
he spends Thursdays at the football ground and is also there on match days.
He gave us an insight into the opportunities he has to be with the
players and management team and of the times when he has the opportunity to talk
and pray with anyone at the club when occasions arise, and the joy he feels when
his offer to pray with them is accepted. He
said he feels for the players when they are being given a hard time by the
supporters because he knows how hard they train and how desperate they are to
win each match.
He
asked us to pray for the footballers generally as some can become addicted to
gambling and other forms of vice due to the large amount of money they can earn
and of the amount of free time they have when they are on their own, and away
from the support of their families and friends.
A
very big thank you to Malc for a very entertaining evening, I am still no closer
to becoming a football fan but
having said that it is very good that there are the football chaplains across
the country to be there to give spiritual support when things are going well and
not so well – I hope the England team have a chaplain!
Mary
Beckford