For this latest episode I was delighted to be joined by Nathan Faulkner who is Chairman of the Coventry and District Church Football League and manager of Division 1 side CLM FC.

At the time of recording we were mere hours from the opening day of the Premier League season and with Nathan being a lifelong Coventry City fan, it was the perfect time to discuss the fall and rise of the team and the manner in which it impacts the community.

A keen footballer, his playing days began at Meredith Road Baptist Church FC before the formation of CLM FC where he has been player-manager ever since. He is also Chairman of the League and it was great to hear about the fostering of respect, community and fellowship amongst its teams and players.

He also spoke of the power of faith in his life, how it helps him manage anxiety and informs his intentions in his various roles.

You can find out more about football at the CLM Church here -

https://www.clmchurch.co.uk/clm-football

To find our more about the league head to -

https://www.instagram.com/coventrychurchfootball/

https://fulltime.thefa.com/index.html?league=455202862

My links and podcast platforms can be found here -

https://linktr.ee/saturdayservicefootball

Thank You 🙏⚽

Wow, 20 episodes, not quite sure how that happened but as always, a huge thank you for your support, it's greatly appreciated. For this weeks edition I am delighted to be joined by Owen Hughes who is National Director for FCA Wales and Chair of the Welsh Churches Football League.

Alongside the usual football chatter, Owen shared his love for American Football and Rugby. He is incredibly passionate about coaching having begun at the tender age of 14, his journey taking his as far as Louisiana, where he was part of a coaching huddle that led to working with the Fellowship of Christian Athletes.

Having worked in Church Ministry in both the the UK and USA, he formed FCA Wales, with a desire to reach coaches, athletes and local churches to help "engage, equip and empower" through sports ministry, coaching support, discipleship and outreach.

We also discuss his role as chair at the recently rebranded Welsh Churches Football League, just one of the many areas he and FCA Wales are looking to expand.

More information about FCA Wales can be found here -

https://www.fcacymru.org/

https://www.instagram.com/fcawales/

Find all our socials and links here -

https://linktr.ee/saturdayservicefootball

https://www.lifestreams.org.uk/

Thank You 🙏⚽

📸FCA Wales

For this weeks edition I was delighted to be joined by Martin Bateman who is the National Director of Ambassadors Football GB and Chaplain at Morecambe FC.

Martin has over 35 years of Christian Ministry under his belt, beginning at Operation Mobilisation (OM) where he pioneered the Sports Ministry arm SportsLink International.

He became the National Director for Ambassadors Football GB in 2015, an organisation that seeks to transform individuals and communities through football. They recently announced a new partnership with The Church of England.

We also looked at his time as Chaplain at Morecambe FC and how he navigated through some particularly challenging circumstances.

For more information about Ambassadors Football GB head to -

https://ambassadorsfootball.org/uk/gb/

https://linktr.ee/saturdayservicefootball

Thank you 🙏⚽

📸Ambassadors Football GB

If you have listened to the podcast for a while, you'll be aware that I'm a huge Irish League fan, so what a delight it was to spend time in the company of this week's guest Philip Mitchell.

Throughout his playing career he turned out for the likes of Ards, Linfield, Ipswich Town, Portadown, Distillery and Glentoran. Luckily, he was only to happy to humour me as we looked back at his time playing the beautiful game.

After calling time on his playing days, Philip worked for Umbo before becoming National Director for Sports Chaplaincy across Ireland, co-ordinating and facilitating chaplaincy across various sports, before stepping back from the role last year.

Philip also provided a fascinating insight into his own faith journey, and the impact it had on him and his relationship with football.

https://www.instagram.com/sportschaplaincyireland/

https://www.facebook.com/p/Sports-Chaplaincy-Ireland-100092601030600/

https://www.sportschaplaincy.org.uk/Groups/426258/Ireland.aspx

https://linktr.ee/saturdayservicefootball

Thank You. 🙏⚽

For this latest edition I had the pleasure of talking to Ed Jervis who is the Content Co-ordinator at United Christian Broadcasters.

Alongside Joe Rivers and Producer Tom he presents The Big Man Up Top Podcast, a weekly look at the beautiful game through the lens of faith. As well as possibly having the greatest name a Christian football podcast could have it's also a brilliant listen and comes highly recommended.

An avid Stoke City fan, Ed's enthusiasm for football was sparked, in no small part, by his Grandfather Gordon Banks. Following a conversation with a family friend over dinner, Ed, alongside Gabriel Gatehouse, embarked on a mission to find out how much truth there was in a rumour that his Grandfather had been poisoned by the CIA. The result was the brilliant podcast Foul Play.

https://www.instagram.com/bigmanuptoppod/

https://www.ucb.co.uk/

https://linktr.ee/saturdayservicefootball

Thank You 🙏⚽
📸Ed Jervis

For this weeks edition I was blessed with the company of Warren Evans who is the CEO of Sports Chaplaincy UK and the Chair of the Global Sports Chaplaincy Association.

Warren shared his early life, from Manchester to the Holmewood Estate in Bradford where his father was a Minister, his personal journey of faith through to his work as a Chaplain at Bradford Bulls RFC and Chaplaincy Director to the Rugby League.

We also discussed the history and evolution of Sports Chaplaincy UK, the resources it offers it's chaplains and the role it plays in the current sporting landscape.

For more information head to -

⁠https://www.sportschaplaincy.org.uk/⁠

⁠https://www.instagram.com/sports_chaplaincy_uk/⁠

⁠https://linktr.ee/saturdayservicefootball⁠

Thank You 🙏⚽

Fresh from a summer holiday where I took in the sights and sounds of Iceland (the supermarket), we are back and what better way to celebrate than a chat with Mr Stu Alleway!

Stu, a massive Chelsea fan, was formerly the Chaplain at Southend United, his tenure coincided with a particularly tumultuous period for the club, so it was fascinating to hear insight into what it was like at that time.

He stepped away from the role to focus his efforts on Big Love Charity, founded by Stu and his wife Emm in 2019. The charity works across the UK, Romania, Moldova and the borders of Ukraine, supporting communities facing poverty, addiction and vulnerability.

More info can be found at -

https://www.biglovecharity.com/

https://www.instagram.com/biglovecharity/

My Linktree - www.saturdayservice.uk

My Church - www.lifestreams.org.uk

For this latest edition I was delighted to be joined by Yinka Akinsanya who is manager of the recently re-branded Up North FC who ply their trade in the South Manchester and Cheshire Christian Football League.

Fresh from guiding his team to the Division 3 title, we delve into the beginnings of the club (as CRM FC), how Yinka found his way into management and in the impact it has on the local community.

As Yinka states in the episode, it's about more than just football, the club seeks to provide a safe, inclusive space for the people of North Manchester to enjoy their football, whilst also building their confidence through mentorship.

Find out more about the club here -

https://www.instagram.com/goupnorthfc/

https://linktr.ee/saturdayservicefootball

Thank you.

For this week's edition I was delighted to be joined by Rachel Jordan-Wolf who is the Executive Director of Hope Together to discuss the charity's latest publication "Goal of Life" which brings together stories of football and faith alongside the Gospel of Mark.

We look back at Rachel's life as an evangelist, what drives that passion, the intentions of Hope Together and how they share the story of Jesus far and wide.

With the release of the "Goal of Life" booklet, Hope Together are looking to the World Cup as a vehicle to not only celebrate the global game but to share the Gospel.

https://www.hopetogether.org.uk/

https://www.instagram.com/hopetogether/

https://linktr.ee/saturdayservicefootball

https://www.lifestreams.org.uk/

Thank You 🙏⚽️

For the latest installment I had the pleasure of talking to David Jardine from Willowfield Duffers FC who play in the Churches League.

So, a few episodes back I spoke to Chris Pollock about the aforementioned league and in my research discovered the Duffers and immediately decided they were my team. Luckily for me their social media is run by the very kind and patient David!

It was fascinating to hear about his journey through faith and how it has sustained him in particularly challenging circumstances as he navigates through the effects of long Covid.

Alongside the usual football chatter we discussed his surprisingly traumatic playing career, his work within Willowfield Church, his prison chaplaincy, becoming ordained and how Worship Music has helped him through his health struggles, culminating in Songs for the Storm.

www.instagram.com/willowfieldduffersfc/

www.instagram.com/songsforthestorm/

www.willowfieldchurch.co.uk/

www.saturdayservice.uk