Let me start by saying I love the Lord and am passionate about the transforming power of the gospel. I love my family, love cycling, love kayaking, love a beer, love all sorts of music, but on this occasion I want to tell you about a passion I’ve had for over 40 years ….. the Stones!
Not the rolling type of 60s rock fame, but the mighty black and amber army that is Maidstone United. And for the record, we refer to them as “The realMUFC”.
It was looking out from the top deck of the school bus that started it all off. Maidstone United’s London Road Ground lay like a vast amphitheatre behind a 10ft stone wall. Every day from the age of 13 I looked out at the hallowed turf longing for an opportunity to stand on the terraces, singing, cheering and soaking up the atmosphere of a proper football match. None of my family were really into sport so there wasn’t the encouragement or enthusiasm that might ordinarily have led to me realising that dream, but I didn’t give up.
As soon as I could I got myself a Saturday morning job at the local garage. Answering the telephone, sweeping up and making tea earned me £5 a week, which meant that after two weeks I had enough for the bus fare, entry into the ground and a programme and a weekly copy of Shoot, my favourite magazine.
Funny thing is I really can’t remember who the opposition was for that first match, or even what the final score was. I know we won, but that was a minor detail when compared to the sheer excitement of the experience; a sea of black and amber scarves and shirts filled the ground, the shouts and cheers were deafening; the unforgettable smell of burgers and onions wafting from behind the stand, the tension as the ball was won and lost; joining in with songs I’d never heard, let alone sung; players so close you could smell the liniment; the level of focus by everyone in the stadium, all in pursuit of the one cause, victory.
I remember that sense of euphoria as I made my way out of the ground, the adrenaline still rushing around my body as I climbed onto the bus, with dozens of other supporters, to head home. And with a programme in my pocket, I got to read all the news, interviews and stats on the journey – and for several days afterwards too. What was not to like?
That first game in 1978 set in motion for me a passion that has seen many highs and lows: league championships; promotion to the Football League; matches against Kent rivals Gillingham; missing out on promotion to Division 3; the club exiled from its home in Maidstone. Then there are the memorable FA Cup matches against big name clubs like Charlton Athletic, Watford and Sheffield Utd; seeing players like Warren Barton and Chris Smalling leave and sign for top Premier League teams; the club declaring bankruptcy and resigning from the Football League; the rebirth of the club in 1992; the opening of a new stadium in the heart of the town in 2012; playing a match on the pitch for my 50th birthday; and even the challenges in these Covid times of watching matches live streamed on internet shared with bandwidth hungry children!
For over forty years I’ve been following the Stones, about the same amount of time I’ve been following Jesus. Nothing can come close to knowing Him, but the joys, the highs and lows, the disappointments, the victories, the collective emotion, the defeats, the common vision and purpose, all evoke a passion in me, not only for the game, but in this ‘second half’ of life, one that informs my evangelism. Wouldn’t it be amazing if our churches were filled and alive with the same levels of passion seen in football stadiums up and down the land? And wouldn’t it be fantastic if those of us who love the game not only shared the highs and lows of following our teams with others, but were also actively sharing the gospel with those same fans?
So yes, I’m passionate about football, I thank God for it, and as all followers of the beautiful game know; it’s so often what happens in the second half that counts. So I’m carrying on until the final whistle, whatever the opposition does, I’ll carry on singing, encouraging, weeping and cheering, in good times and bad ….as for the football…..well….?
Image Credit: Michael Cooper
