I often hear players I work with saying that they don’t understand the situation, but they trust God through it. That’s because their faith isn’t superficial. There’s a depth to it that’s come through challenges and moments where God’s proved himself.” Ridley, Ian (19 November 2000). "Old style with new class". The Guardian. London . Retrieved 18 February 2010.

You could say that proving doubters wrong is something that happens a lot in life. Some call it fate; others call it karma; I call it God. It can't just be me pulling the strings. In the second game of the 1994–95 season against Leyton Orient, Primus made his debut as a substitute coming on for the injured Mark Newson. His next appearance for Barnet, against Scarborough, was described as the "worst performance of [his] career" in his autobiography. He went on to say that he was "weighed down by the burden of expectation" and heard someone say he was the "worst player we've ever had at Barnet". He was often nervous before matches and recited the Lord's Prayer as a way of coping with his anxiety. [21] At the end of the season, Primus was runner-up in the voting for the Player of the Season and was man of the match on several occasions. [22] Barnet had a poor start to the next season and they were at the bottom of the table in mid-September. After beating Northampton Town 2–0, Barnet went on an 11-game winning streak which ended at Colchester United despite Primus scoring a goal. [23] He would go on to score five goals in the season; more than any other season in his career. [16] Once again, he was runner-up in the Player of the Season award, this time to the goalkeeper Maik Taylor. [24]The retired professional footballers who have taken part in the study have been completing questionnaires on their playing careers, along with undergoing X-rays of their feet and ankles at Southampton General Hospital. From that simple beginning Faith & Football has grown so that it now provides a range of community, educational and overseas programmes using football as a platform for relationship building. We mobilise the Church to meet and serve people where they are on life’s journey and to make Jesus’ message of hope known to all.

THIRTY years ago, the singer-songwriter Billy Bragg wrote “God’s Footballer”, about a player who “hears the voices of angels” above the stadium crowds and “scores goals on a Saturday And saves souls on a Sunday”. It was a reference to Peter Knowles, a former Wolverhampton Wanderers striker who retired prematurely from football in 1970 when he became a Jehovah’s Witness. The chaplain to Northampton Town FC, the Revd Haydon Spenceley, says that social media have changed the way in which the public relate to players, making them more aware of what is important to the players away from the pitch.Nixon, Alan (29 July 1997). "Football: United's Brazilian deal runs aground". The Independent. London. Archived from the original on 14 June 2022 . Retrieved 16 February 2010. I know that, win, lose or draw, life will still carry on," he said. "I do my job properly and to the best of my ability because God wouldn't want me to misuse the gift he has given me."