Faith

The Revd Andy Bowerman must have the start of the new season marked on his calendar with the biggest and brightest marker pen he can lay his hands on - as Bradford City FC's chaplain and life coach this is the time of year when the hard work really starts! Not only does he have the welfare of the club's players at heart but, as the so-called 'Rocking Rev', he's also a bit of a mascot for the fans as well: as the Bantams' pitch announcer he introduces the dancers and players at the start of every match. Andy is clearly one of Bradford City's number one fans, and as the club looks forward to life in League Two it really is time to have some belief in the team.

Originally trained as a psychologist, when he took up the job as Bradford City FC's chaplain, Andy offered the club 'life coaching' too: "It's very rewarding to be able to offer a service on a spiritual, psychological and emotional level."

And it's not just the start of a new season when the players need a bit of help and support. Andy says he's there to offer a listening ear and a bit of advice at all times of the football season: "I help players focus on the game and deal with disappointment when it hasn't gone so well. One particular time when my support is required is at the dreaded end-of-season when some lads - who've been on the team's books since they were nine - are told, at the age of 20, that they're not good enough. When they've worked so hard and lived in passionate hope for ten years, it's a huge blow to be told you're no longer wanted."

What Andy doesn't do is push his beliefs as the answer to every problem. But, for him, his Christian faith is still of course at the heart of the work he does: "It's all about building relationships. A life-coaching session will not necessarily begin with a spiritual focus, but nine times out of ten, people will ask me: 'So, what's the secret in your life,' and I'll say that the secret for me is God."

As well as his close links with Bradford City FC, Andy is also a Mission Priest for the Diocese of Bradford - in other words he's trying to find ways of creating a place where people who don't go to church can worship. As part of this search Andy decided to turn to the gym rather than the hymnbook to find out more. He conducted a survey at a leisure club in Bradford: "[It] revealed that the members are as interested in their spiritual and mental health as they are in their physical health. The majority were very open to the idea of having access to lifestyle courses and even a 'chaplaincy'-type service providing individual prayer an a listening ear."

Gym: A 21st century church?

Modern life is, after all, busier than ever but - just like the players at Bradford City FC or members of any gym across West Yorkshire - that doesn't mean they don't have worries, stresses, strains and even a desire for something 'more' in their lives. Andy says: "Many people have a yearning for a spiritual fulfilment and I'm about trying to make it easier for those who might balk at the idea of going to church to discover God where they are - and many people are in the gym! It's become their community, the place where they go to meet people and feel they belong, so that's where I and my co-workers Helen Black and Steve Lees pray with them and talk to them about the real issues that affect their lives."

With the new football season now upon us, with all the worries that means not only for Bradford City's players but the fans as well, Andy's clearly going to be a busy man!