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SCORE & Sports Chaplaincy
SCORE is a registered charity and functions interdenominationally with Christian clergy to resource, train and induct them into a wide variety of sports chaplaincy settings.
It is an umbrella organisation for sports chaplains in different sports, and also provides chaplaincy at major sporting events. Most recently Score was responsible for the Chaplaincy
programmes at the 2000 Rugby League World Cup Finals, the 2001 World Amateur Boxing Championships and the 2002 Commonwealth Games in Manchester, 2007 World U19 Rugby Union Finals. We also acted as Chaplaincy
Consultant to the organisers of the 2004 Olympic and Paralympc Games in Athens.
Sports chaplaincy is usually an honorary post, and not a paid position, so the chaplain can serve management and staff as a neutral. It is a real job and not just a title. It requires time,
genuine commitment and an interest in all members of the club staff, and not just the elite players.
Extent of our Interest and Involvement
Score sees the Chaplain’s role as that of a spiritual and pastoral safety net. We recognise that
the Chaplain does not help all of the people all of the time ... but he is available to all. For some of the people,
in certain circumstances, the accessability of the Chaplain is really vital. In a world where many people do not have close links with the church, or with the priest, pastor, minister, or vicar,
when crisis comes the Chaplain can be a real help and support.
We believe that a chaplain can meet many of the needs that cannot be met by others involved in the club or event. Because of the underlying spiritual dimension he
can bring, the Chaplain may be used in an informal situation, as a listening ear, a friend, a counsellor. Confidentiality, trustworthiness, and neutrality are important qualities offered. He or she may also be
called upon for religious reasons, such as to pray with or for people, or to officiate at more formal occasions like, weddings, funerals, etc.
Chaplaincy in Football
In a football club context, we believe that the chaplain is chaplain is to the whole organisation --
administrative, organisational, commercial, and support staff of all kinds, as well as to the directors, management, coaching staff and professional and youth players.
The work is affirmed and endorsed by the Football Association, the Professional Footballers
Association, the League Managers’ Association, and many players, coaches, managers, and others from individual football clubs.
Score’s annual training conference has included presentations from representatives from all of
footballs governing bodies and associations. We are encouraged by the way many in Football value and endorse the work of Chaplains.
Chaplaincy in Rugby League
This work is co-ordinated within Rugby League by the Rev Allen Bagshawe and Pastor Peter
Dale. Allen is chaplain to Hull RLFC and Hull City AFC. He was also the lead chaplain at the 2000 Rugby League World Cup and organised the chaplaincy programme there. Peter is
chaplain to Bradford Bulls RLFC. The opportunities within Rugby League continue to expand, with effective chaplaincies already established at Bradford Bulls, Castleford Tigers, Hull
RLFC, Leeds Rhinos, Leigh Centurions, London Harlequins, and St Helens RLFC, and with several other clubs interested in using Score to create a chaplaincy position.
For further information contact Allen Bagshawe or Peter Dale via the email page on our website.
Chaplaincy in Rugby Union
This work is coordinated within Rugby Union by the Rev David Chawner, who himself is the
Chaplain at London Wasps. Chaplaincy is now well established at a number of significant clubs, including Bridgend, Dunvant, Gloucester, Leeds Carnegie, Harlequins, Llanelli, London Scottish,
London Wasps, Newcastle Falcons, Northampton Saints, Nottingham, Plymouth Albion, Pontypool, Sale Sharks, Saracens, Swansea, and Ulster. Again, these initiatives within Rugby
Union are providing a firm foundation for future work, with several other clubs on the verge of similar Score-negotiated appointments.
Chaplaincy in Horse Racing
This remarkable initiative began in 1997 when Racing Welfare contacted Score to discuss the
contribution a chaplaincy presence could make to the world of Horse Racing. A series of meetings eventually led to Score outlining a chaplaincy plan for the industry, and to Racing
Welfare agreeing to partner and support the initiative. Score advertised the post of Chaplain to Horse Racing in the Christian press, short-listed four candidates for interview, and
appointed Rev Graham Locking, a Methodist minister to take on this new role.
The pioneering work which he established is based in Newmarket, and has exceeded all our
expectations. Graham has thrown himself into the Racing community, showing great commitment to all levels associated with the sport. He can be found out on “the gallops” by 7:00am most mornings.
He visits stable lads & lasses as they care for the horses, speaks with owner & trainers, and visits some race meetings, perhaps travelling one way crammed in a horse
box, and the other way in the comfort of a trainer’s BMW! His efforts to get alongside the people of Racing to offer Christian care & compassion, genuines sensitivity, and availability, especially at
times of trouble and crisis, have been really valued by many in Racing.
We are very grateful to Racing Welfare for the
considerable support they continue to give to this project. We thank other bodies linked to the world of Racing who have supported Score’s Horse Racing Chaplaincy initiative both in principle
and financially either individually or through Racing Welfare.
The model is now well accepted in the Newmarket area, and currently Graham is working to
take the pattern to other centres of Racing such as Lambourn. He is also working to identify suitable potential chaplains, training and inducting them to function as effective chaplains in
other parts of the UK. Chaplaincy is also available for major events in the Racing calendar. This began at the Royal Ascot meeting in 2005, and continues at this meeting each year. A
further growth point is that through an initiative that links Score and local clergy, chaplaincy is now offered at every race meeting that takes place at Ascot.
For further information contact Graham Locking via the email page on our website.
Chaplaincy in County Cricket
When John Boyers moved up to Manchester in 1992, it wasn’t long before he found himself with
an opportunity to talk with a representative of Lancashire County Cricket Club about chaplaincy. Lancs CCC didn’t have a Chaplain, but the Rev Malcolm Lorrimer was regarded by the club as its historian. Over a period of two or three years, the club and Malcolm agreed on the role and
function of a Chaplain, a role which Malcolm was willing to take on.
Malcolm’s involvement with the Lancs CCC has grown over the past several years, as has
SCORE’s involvement in County Cricket. In addition to Malcolm, Yorkshire CCC have appointed the Rev Max Wigley as chaplain, and Hampshire CCC have appointed the Rev Mike Powis as chaplain, and Northamptonshire have appointed the Rev Michael Baker. These four chaplains are pioneering a model of chaplaincy work in County Cricket which we hope and trust will be
extended to other County sides. Again, the essence of the work is not “title & status”, but role and function. We wish to see at other Counties also a sensitive, caring and supportive
commitment to players, staff and associates that demonstrates Christian love in action.
We are aware of the particular needs and strains associated with County Cricket -- for
instance, it has one of the highest suicide rates of any sport in the UK. We hope real benefit will come to the game as we extend the network of quality chaplaincy provision in the coming years.
For further information contact any of our cricket chaplains via the email page on our website.
Chaplaincy in Motor Sports
SCORE has been approached by several different people who are interested in seeing sports chaplaincy developed within the world of Motor Sports in the UK.
Initial planning meetings identified Formula One & World Rally Championships as the two circuits that we should pursue first. We had hoped to establish a full-time chaplaincy presence in
Motor Sports using a model similar to that developed by Graham Locking in Horse Racing; however, for several different reason, including funding, that has proven to be a bit more difficult than we first
expected. In the meantime, we have become associated with Christians in Motorsport, and
will attempt to use volunteer chaplains, similar to the way we operate in football & rugby, etc. The idea would be to try & find local pastors who would be interested in being chaplains to
various Formula One & World Rally teams headquartered here in the UK. In addition, we want to try and find local pastors to be chaplains to the different racing venues as well, such as
Silverstone, Brands Hatch, Snetterton, Croft Circuit, Mondello Park, etc.
Major Events Chaplaincy
SCORE has provided chaplaincy at several major sports events - the 1996 European Football
Championships, the 1999 World Cross-Country Championships, the 2000 World Rugby League Finals, and the 2001 World Amateur Boxing Championships. However, in 2002 SCORE took a
giant step forward as it organised & coordinated the entirety of the multi-faith Chaplaincy Provision at the Manchester 2002 Commonwealth Games. We identified, trained and deployed
almost 40 chaplains into 4 distinct teams working in the Athletes’ Village, the Games venues, the public areas around the main stadia, and the city centre. The Games administrators
became very supportive & appreciative of the sensitive, professional nature of the chaplaincy under SCORE’s leadership. Our chaplains were truly involved with many people, offering
spiritual support and pastoral care to athletes, administrators, spectators, media representatives, volunteers and others associated with the Games. The worship and prayer
times were highlights of a much wider service that was used and appreciated by many.
As a result of that experience, Rev. John Boyers, SCORE’s National Director did some major
consulting work for the Athens 2004 Olympics & Paralympic Games. For a synopsis of his activities in Athens, please see the write-ups on our Olympic Games page.
Rev. Boyers has written two extensive documents on the principles & practice of Major Sports
Event Chaplaincy. If you would like to download a copy of either of his documents, please click the appropriate button MAJOR EVENT CHAPLAINCY or OLYMPIC TRAINING DOCUMENT. (It may take a few seconds for the files to open).
Sports Chaplains’ Conference
The SCORE Annual Sports Chaplaincy Conference is part of our strategy for resourcing and
training sports chaplains. Throughout the year we offer individual support & input into particular situations. In addition, we offer regional gatherings twice yearly to encourage
sharing, training, networking and prayer. However, our 3-day residential conference is the main means of providing help & advice to sports chaplains.
At our 2007 conference will again be held at the National
Sports Centre in Lilleshall. Last year we had over 60 football, rugby, cricket & other sports chaplains in attendance. A synopsis of this year’s conference, will be written up on our Newsboard page in October. Our 2007 Conference will be on October 2-4.
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Andrew Thompson (Ulster RUFC) and David Chawner(London Wasps)
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Principles and Nature of Chaplaincy
Chaplains function in a primarily pastoral way, but they are more than just a friendly social
worker. They offer counsel, support and availablity with complete confidentiality. There is also the spiritual dimension to which they can uniquely relate. They are not a preacher in the club,
nor a hard hitting evangelist forcing a messgae on the disinterested. Yet when appropriate they do offer spiritual input. They do not overtly confront those without faith, yet when asked
about the things of God and eternal life, they must be ready and have the right to respond.
Relationships are at the heart of the work of our chaplains. Those relationships are built
through consistent, caring and sensitive involvement with people at the club or institution concerned. Confidentiality is another vital ingredient to effective chaplaincy, which itself is
often the product of several years of background work with staff and players. The Chaplain is involved, not for what he or she can get out of it, but for what is put in via regular, consistent,
weekly involvement. Good quality chaplaincy is demanding, and takes time out of an already busy week, but such servant-hearted commitment has its impact.
Do’s & Don’ts of Chaplaincy
A chaplain must not be confrontational and threatening to people, nor simply interested in
status, or publicity, or seek to be self-promoting. Rather, they must seek to truly function as servants. Nor must they be a sports fanatic living out their sporting ambition as a chaplain.
The aim must not be to obtain benefits such as free tickets, or only to be around on “first team”match days.
Chaplains must be pastorally gifted, make non-church people feel at ease in their presence and
be skilled at interpersonal relationships. Therefore, sufficient time must be available for the role to be developed, and a chaplain needs to be willing to flexibly serve the whole club,
players and non players alike, with integrity and total confidentiality and trustworthiness. Chaplains represent our Lord and must be willing to represent the wider church to the club and to other chaplains.
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