Football-mad vicars are keeping the faith

May 24 2009 by Coreena Ford, Sunday Sun

THE fate of three North teams lies in the hands of the gods today . . . but which has a prayer? Coreena Ford spoke to three football-mad vicars to find out how they are keeping the faith.

MAGPIE-mad vicar the Reverend Glyn Evans is well known for his passion for the Toon.

Over the years Glyn has sported a black ‘n’ white dog collar and written a tongue-in-cheek hymn book where the words of hymns like Onward Christian Soldiers were changed to Onward Bobby’s Soldiers in praise of Newcastle United.

And today he’ll step up his game by sporting his Alan Shearer “Holy Socks” – complete with the Toon manager’s face – and singing two new adapted hymns in St Andrew’s Church, just minutes away from the hallowed turf of St James’s Park.

Hours before the nerve-shredding clash with Aston Villa, however, he will be conducting a baptism at Newcastle’s Gallowgate Church.

“He’s called Charlie thankfully . . . we’re certainly not going to be baptising anyone called Dennis after Dennis Wise,” he quipped.

More than anything, he will be praying to the Big Boss – otherwise known as God – to keep his beloved team in the Premier League.

He said: “There are lots of links between football, faith and religion.

“It’s all about having faith, passion and belief in your team, and they are very churchy words.

“I’ve always said that Jesus was a football fan. He had 12 disciples and then got rid of Judas so he could have a football team of 11. . . Jerusalem FC. And as we all know, Jesus saves, but Shearer scores on the rebound.

“I hope they can stay up, of course, and will be praying and some of the players will be too.

“Some are very committed Christians, like Shola Ameobi, and they will be saying their own prayers, and some cross themselves when they come onto the pitch and say a little prayer too.”