By Steve Prince, Club Chaplain
A football club Chaplain is a friend of the club. Essentially, I'm here as a neutral who isn't working for the club strictly speaking, but more acting as a support to everyone who is working for the club. That can be a member of the football playing staff, coaching staff, or those working behind the scenes at the stadium. If they want someone to talk to, it's just an offer of care really and a listening ear.

I've been Chaplain here for four years now. It's a voluntary role, and most of my time is spent at Brookside Church, Earley, which is the Church that I'm employed at. So I'm in and out of the stadium and the training ground quite a lot. We have a pastoral prayer time at the stadium, a group that meets on Friday lunchtimes. Anyone who has a need in their lives and who requires prayer can ask for prayer.

As with any relationship, it takes time to build trust and confidence. And as with any relationship, confidentiality is a key thing. Any member of staff needs to know that if they come to me, things go no further. I'm at the training ground for the playing and coaching staff for about one hour a week on Thursdays. I hang around and people come and speak to me on various levels. Some just say hello and shake my hand. Some have short chats and occasionally I sit down to talk at greater length about deeper life issues.

We did have to have a footballer here called Linvoy Primus who is now at Portsmouth who is still involved with us. My predecessor Barry Kirk was here for 15 years as Chaplain and knew Linvoy better than me, but I've had contact with him lately because he's doing a sponsored cycle around his old clubs and he's coming here in September 6th to run an event here in the evening. Most footballers are fairly quiet about their faith though and I respect that they just want to get on with their lives and their jobs.

I also take committals for supporters, and there's a steadying increase on that side. That doesn't mean more Reading fans are dying, but it means more are aware that the football club are able to offer that facility.

Supporters who die sometimes want their ashes buried or interned in the ground at the stadium. Some clubs sprinkle ashes on the pitch, at Reading, because of the nature of the pitch, ashes are interned after a short pitch-side service, which the supporters appreciate. I think it is reflective of the football club endorsing the fact that they feel Royals supporters are part of a community that follow their team. The supporters enjoy that and some of their friends who they have sat with during the years can be with them at their internment.

I started watching Reading in the old division four when average gates were four and a half thousand at Elm Park. The gates have gone up incredibly, especially since we've been at Madejski. This year has been tough, but the success of the club over the last few years has been enormous, and it's important to remember that and put things into context. Sometimes our memories can be short and we need to remind ourselves where we've come from.

Virtually every club has a Chaplain. Every Autumn we have a sports chaplain's conference and we meet together, around 80 chaplains.

Chaplaincy is worked out in a similar way in every environment. Business communities have these sort of links, the fire departments have them as well - just someone who is there as a friend and relationship to offer support where it's needed. There can be people going through sad or complex life issues, or just people who are seeking advice on day to day things.

I'm also a supporter of the team, and it's a shame I'm not able to be at the game at Derby this weekend. The game is on a Sunday, which clashes with my church commitments. I'd have loved to have been there, but I'll be listening on the radio and praying for each member of the team to be on top of their game. That is a prayer I make every week.

I also know the Portsmouth chaplain, Mick Mellows, who is a friend of mine. Mick is an ex-Reading player actually, our last amateur player in fact. He was up at Madejski Stadium last week and seemed pretty convinced that we wouldn't get relegated. So I shall be contacting him and asking for him to pray for Portsmouth to do us a big favour on Sunday.

If anyone is interested in getting in touch about internment, you can contact me at the Church or Ray Booth at the Football Club.