Major Cliff Allchin
Captain Ian Arthur (centre)
They need someone to place a value on them as people and not only on what they can do at 3pm on a Saturday For Captain Ian Arthur (Port Glasgow), playing at Glasgow Rugby League Club provided a natural route into sports chaplaincy. Being a member of the squad allows him to gain a greater insight into the worries and concerns of its members. ‘On the rugby field there is a levelling. I am not Captain Ian Arthur of The Salvation Army, I’m Ian and I’m the number 10,’ he says. ‘After the match I’ll have a pint of Coke with them and we’ll put the world to rights.’ Building bridges of trust is paramount for a chaplaincy to be successful. ‘The important thing for me is building up a relationship with the players and just being there,’ explains James. ‘I’m not here to preach at them. I say hello to all the players and I then watch them training. The captain is particularly good. He will say “How are you doing, chaplain?” or “Nice to see you, will you be there on Saturday?” If the players want to come to me and have a chat, which some of them have done, then I am available.’ At Cliff’s rugby club, building that bond of trust involves being a constant presence: ‘Relationships take time to build and the players, apart from a few, change every year. They must learn that you are always there, which is why I go to the training even when it is freezing. I’ve stood by the side of the pitch in
minus four and minus five degrees for an hour. They have to know that you are there, whatever the weather, and that you are part of the group.’ ‘Sometimes players need a sounding board independent from their employers,’ adds James. ‘They need someone to place a value on them as people and not only on what they can do at 3pm on a Saturday.’ Player welfare and mental health issues are the bread and butter of sports chaplaincy work. Sports Chaplaincy UK works with several mental health, bereavement, gambling, addiction and debt charities and its chaplains are usually experienced in dealing with these issues. Ian emphasises how important it is for sporting communities to take care of their players, especially in high contact sports such as rugby: ‘We need to be making sure that mental health is looked after because professional sports bring potential issues, particularly around gambling and substance abuse. These problems can arise in both amateur and professional sports.’ He believes that mental health remains a difficult conversation topic for most people. Discussions around men’s mental health are therefore encouraged at Glasgow Rugby League Club. ‘When we started the club one of the
first partnerships we established was with a mental health charity,’ he says. ‘People now are a lot more mindful of health and aware of their own mortality.’ As part of his duties at Dewsbury Rams, Cliff actively promotes player welfare, which involves taking individual players under his wing and discussing their personal issues. ‘In one season we had a player who was having a lot of problems,’ he recalls. ‘He was very capable, but he wasn’t applying himself, and so the coach at the time asked if I would take him in hand and talk through the problems he was experiencing. I contacted player welfare at the Rugby Football League headquarters to work out some further education for the lad and possibilities of future employment. ‘During my time as chaplain, we have had players who have experienced unemployment, lost a baby or had a parent with a serious illness. Longterm injuries are another big problem, because depression often follows.’ Being a sports chaplain is not about telling the players how to perform on the pitch or instructing club officials on how to manage a winning team. Instead, chaplains are a listening ear that hears above the roar of a crowd and clamour of a stadium. They counsel and inspire supporters and players alike. As James puts it: ‘It’s about encouraging them when they don’t win and congratulating them when they do.’
GEORGE TANTON Editorial Assistant Salvationist
Salvationist 28 May 2022
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