Scunthorpe United FC

Yesterday was National Sports’ Sunday, and normally there would have been a raft of church services around the country in the morning to celebrate. This year, of course, it’s different. There were no services, no means of recognising what sports’ people, both amateur and professional, do, apart from short pieces on local radio.

At this time of virus, many people may think that sport is unimportant – and in the face of tens of thousands of people dying, it is. But many millions in this country participate in some form of sporting activity, with maybe more people walking, running or cycling in the last few months than before. Some sports and pastimes are happening again – tennis, golf, fishing – and others will gradually join in.

But for professional sport at a high level, these are worrying times. There is more money involved than just fees at a local tennis court. The athletes are trained to a much higher standard. There are usually many thousand spectators – but not at the moment. Who knows when all this will come back, and what it will look like?

In the week of National Sports’ Sunday, please spare a thought for highly-tuned athletes in all sports, normally giving a great deal of enjoyment and frustration in equal measure, who are unable to perform, who also have families to support and mortgages to pay, and give thanks when they are able to return.

Rev Alan. Club Chaplain

club.chaplain@scunthorpe-united.co.uk