John Boyers was brought up in a Methodist family, but came to a living experience of being saved by Christ through the Christian Union while he was a student at Nottingham College of Education.
Having married Anne, and then having spent some years teaching in the North of England, he felt God's call to train for full-time ministry. He attended London Bible College, and later joined the ministry the team at St James Road Baptist Church, Watford, spending maybe one and a half days a week as chaplain to Watford Football Club.
By 1990, John had gained much experience in Sports Chaplaincy, and leaders of the Baptist Union of Great Britain suggested he concentrate full time on sports chaplaincy development. In 1991 'SCORE' (Sports Chaplaincy Offering Resources and Encouragement) was set up as a registered charity to oversee the ministry, and in September 1992 John moved up to the north-west, with his family, to work as chaplain with MUFC in response to United's invitation.
EN caught up with John during a brief visit to London in May, soon after Man U had become Premiership champions again.
EN: What does a chaplain do at a football club?
John: I describe my work as being a pastoral and spiritual safety net. I meet people involved in many different aspects of the club, from office, administrative, commercial, catering, museum, physiotherapy and ground staff to the players and others at the training ground.
I am at the club for one and a half days a week, and I try to meet people wherever they are working. The first aim is to build trust. I ask them about their lives, and seek to take an interest in their families and listen to their concerns and cares. Each week, there are usually a couple of significant conversations which require follow-up, getting together in privacy to talk things through.
When I first came to the club, understandably, the players were a bit stand-offish. They were checking me out, 'is this guy OK?' But once people begin to trust you, they open up.
EN: How did you come to work at Manchester United?
John: One of the key movers there was Ken Merrett, who since the mid-1980s has been the club secretary. He is a Christian man, and took interest in SCORE. At a meeting at Old Trafford, Ken suggested that it might be appropriate for me to come north with my family and do for Manchester United what I had done for Watford FC for about 14 years.
My initial meeting with the manager was a very warm and positive exchange of views. Sir Alex Ferguson was clearly supportive of the chaplaincy concept, and saw the need for the chaplain to work confidentially with all the staff at the club. We sensed this was God's guidance and his direction for us.
EN: For some people football is almost like a religion. How do you see witness for Jesus in that context?
John: I am saddened when people follow anything - sport, DIY, gardening or whatever - like a religion. We all know there are people whose whole life revolves around one particular thing. I am saddened because, though these things may be good in themselves, they can't deliver what Christ alone can deliver. They don't know the forgiveness and the grace of God. These things are the most important in the light of eternity.
EN: Football is big business, with powerful marketing. How do you feel about that?
John: These days everything is heavily marketed. The church has got to wake up to that fact of life. I meet many people who think that the church is boring and irrelevant; perhaps we need to learn from the clubs that have marketed themselves well. It saddens me that the public image of Christians is so negative - dull, boring, irrelevant - just what Jesus in the Gospels wasn't!
EN: What kind of problems do the players talk to you about?
John: Interestingly, they are the kind of issues that confront most ordinary people in life. Their fame does not stop them from being human beings. You can be a superstar footballer, or the lady in the office, but you are still concerned about the health of your kids, your elderly parents, relationships and bereavement. It is a sad fact that life's crises often lead people to seek help and support. Sometimes I am asked to take funerals or weddings.
On weddings I take the attitude that I am happy to put together like with like. If two people have a sense of God, and want something of God in their wedding, then I'm happy to participate. But I don't marry Christians to non-Christians, that is to break what Scripture says about being unequally yoked.
My work brings me into contact with people who are often a long way from Christ. I'm trying to get them to take a few steps closer to him. Often my conversations touch on apologetics. I like to work reactively, rather than proactively. In other words, I answer the questions that people themselves initiate. I don't want to force my faith down the throats of unwilling listeners!
EN: What do you think about the amount of money paid to star players?
John: This is a more complicated issue than people realise. First, there are only a few star players. For those who hit the headlines making £25,000 a week, there are many in the second and third division, perhaps earning £400-500 per week. Secondly, the star players only earn this money for a short time. A footballer's career lasts, on average, about eight years, and most are at world-class level for only half that time.
Thirdly, we need to ask how these wages compare with top people in the law or the media or other high-profile professions. People in these careers can earn high salaries for much longer -perhaps for 15-20 years. When you put all this together, you see the wages of the top players in a different perspective than the headlines make out.
EN: How do you think churches should get involved with their local football club?
John: In the past, sport has been frowned on by the church, and sometimes looked upon as a waste of time. I have found it as a wonderful way of getting involved with people. I would encourage the pursuit of chaplaincy - SCORE can help you! Churches should see how they can use sport to be more involved in the community. Also, churches can pray for people in their local club. Pray for Christians who may be on the staff. I don't just mean high-profile players, but anyone from the office to the ground staff who is a Christian is a significant person. And certainly pray for SCORE as we seek to bring quality chaplaincy to the world of sport.
EN: What's the future for you?
John: God has opened up this ministry for me, and my attitude is that I should stay as long as God wants me to. I enjoy being a Bible teacher, and when the time comes I will be happy to go back into that ministry.
John Boyers' recent book, Beyond the Final Whistle: a life of football and faith is published by Hodder & Stoughton at £7.99.
SCORE is a registered charity focusing on two main areas of work. First, the development of effective sports chaplaincy, second - encouragement of local sports ministry.
Further details from John Boyers, P.O. Box 123, Sale, Manchester M33 4ZA
(Tel/fax: 0161 969 1762),
or from Andy Cowley, 160 Pinner Road, Oxhey, Herts. WD1 4EW
(Tel/fax: 01923 243245, Email: adcowley@jaffanet.freeserve.co.uk)
