A football club in the West Midlands Regional League has appointed a referee as its new chaplain.
Bilston Town Football Club, which currently lies top of the WMRL Division One having one four of its first six matches this season, has appointed referee Mel Perry to look after the spiritual needs of the club’s players, youth team and staff as well as supporting clubs attached to the Bilston Partnership Youth League. The move has been supported by the Bishop of Wolverhampton who hopes other lower-league clubs will follow suit.
Club chairman Graham Hodson said he wanted a chaplain to provide support for the many young people and families associated with the club: ‘There’s an awful lot of people connected to this club and by the law of averages things happen. With this number of people and with the current climate in society we thought having a chaplain would be an ideal opportunity for anybody who has got problems to come to this guy. Mel has been with the league for eight years, he is a referee, he runs a youth club and has an affinity with the youngsters and if anybody will be comfortable talking to Mel it will be youngsters.
He added: ‘There is a bit of a bond there already and he seemed the ideal candidate. He is well known to us and he is well known to a lot of the players through his refereeing and I think they wouldn’t feel intimidated him on any problem they have got. Being a member of the church and a referee he has got an affinity to football as well and is more familiar with some of the problems these lads might have. And he is certainly more familiar with how they talk, how they work and what their mentality is because he sees them every week on the football field. There is already an affinity or a bond there which will benefit everybody.’
Mel Perry insists his Christian faith – and the gospel message of forgiveness – has no impact on the likelihood of an errant player receiving a booking or being sent off, and says: ‘People know exactly where I stand. The laws of the game are clear and I give no special privileges because of what I do in the church!’
He added: ‘I’ve been refereeing for 20 years and I’ve always been working with young people through youth club and through refereeing; so when Graham approached me for this position I accepted because I’m just an ordinary Black Country man who understands people and I wanted to further my ministry by continuing to work with young people and having an understanding with society.’
The Bishop of Wolverhampton, the Rt Revd Clive Gregory, paid tribute to the work of lower-league clubs in their communities, and said: ‘I think it is just as important for a club in a lower league to have a chaplain as one of the more high profile clubs because, particularly here at Bilston, it is a big set up with lots of youth teams. There are lots of people associated with this club in one way or another and it is like a big family.
‘I think it is a vital role to have a chaplain and the Chairman should be warmly commended for seeing this need and for identifying exactly the right person to fill it. I think it is a wonderful thing and I would love to think many other clubs will follow this example.’
When the football-loving bishop was appointed to his Black Country position in 2007, he admitted his footballing loyalties would be divided with Wolves, West Brom and Walsall all on his patch; but admits that he is no nearer to finding a local team to adopt. He said today: ‘Now that I have discovered that I have got about 50 clubs within my area my loyalties are split even more than they were before. All I can do is offer support and encouragement all over the shop.
‘What I’ve realised, though, is how important the lower league clubs are within their communities so I am even keener to support the lower league clubs than I was when I arrived.’