23 March 2026
The club chaplain provides spiritual, pastoral and religious care to players, staff and supporters.
The Revd Philip Wright writes about his ministry as Chaplain at West Ham United Football Club:
Being Chaplain to West Ham United Football Club is not only a privilege and an honour, it’s also a coming home for me! I grew up in Rush Green, which is where the men’s first team’s training ground is situated, and I have supported West Ham all my life.
The club has had three club chaplains over the years - the Ven. Elwin Cockett was the first in the 90’s and then the Revd Alan Bolding took over the role. I worked alongside Alan as the Academy Chaplain which I started in 2015 and when Alan retired, I became the main Club Chaplain. Like my full-time job as Lead Hospital Chaplain for Barking Havering & Redbridge Hospital Trust, my role at the club is spiritual, pastoral and religious care, however, the majority of what I do is pastoral care.
During the week I visit the First Team training ground, Academy training ground and occasionally London Stadium where I chat with and support all involved with the club. I might be sitting with the players or having a coffee with the coaching staff or manager, or I might be walking the pitches with the ground staff.
I have had players chat to me about difficult decisions they have had to make or about their families and loved ones. I have supported staff who have been ill or their loved ones who have been sick. I have taken funerals and even baptised babies, and I have led services and prayers at events like Remembrance or at the scattering of ashes for one of the club chairmen who sadly died.
One of the areas of work that has developed over the last year is also being Chaplain to the supporters. I have worked closely with the club’s Supporter Services department, have had fans reach out to me for bereavement support and have ministered at funerals for local supporters on behalf of the club.
Being Chaplain to West Ham United is a voluntary role but a role that the club takes seriously and I have access to some privileged areas. In hospital chaplaincy we consider the bedside to be Holy Ground, the chaplain doesn’t bring God to the bedside, God is already there, the chaplain may become the conduit for God and the patients, but God is already at the bedside.
It’s the same at the football club. I don’t bring God along with me on a Friday morning when I visit, God is already there, I’m simply an access point between God and the players, staff and supporters. Pastoral, spiritual and religious care is so important in all sports, just being around people building relationships and helping them find their own answers to their own questions in life is vital. I affiliate to Sports Chaplaincy UK which has hundreds of chaplains registered and they do amazing work supporting sports chaplains and ministering through sport.
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If you would like any further information either about Philip’s role at West Ham United or Sports Chaplaincy, email PWright@westhamunited.co.uk or visit www.sportschaplaincy.org.uk.
Find out more about chaplaincy
For more information about Chaplaincy in the Diocese of Chelmsford and to sign up to our chaplaincy newsletter visit chelmsford.anglican.org/chaplaincy-news.
This article is taken from the latest edition of We Pray.
