Andrew Farmer a former West Ham United F.C. volunteer community coordinator and a current Melbourne South East primary school teacher has been helping local football clubs find chaplains over the past 18 months.

He, together with a few passionate football lovers started a football Centre-Bounce-Team (CBT) for Melbourne’s metropolitan area. CBT’s are formed to help identify and appoint trusted men and women as sports chaplains to community sports clubs around Australia.

Farmer recently attended a VCFA (Victorian Churches Football Association) AGM where the Association made significant steps towards assisting their clubs appoint chaplains. Commenting, “An exciting step forward for the League was the appointment of Tim Argall who shared the vision of SCA with the aim of getting chaplains into each of their member clubs.” Stating that this measure was to “Assist the clubs care for their members and re-engage with their founding host church communities.”

Tim Argyle reflected that “The exciting outcome of this venture is the roll-on effect this will have on assisting other Leagues, like the FFV and others find and appoint chaplains to their clubs.”

The majority of VCFA clubs represented warmly supported the initiative with Farmer saying that, “a number of the Clubs [expressed] interest in adopting a Chaplain for the 2015 season.”

SCA will begin training Chaplains to meet the need for help from these local clubs based throughout Melbourne. A training night will be held on Tuesday 24 March 2015 at Heathmont Baptist Church 76 Cuthbert Street Heathmont at 7pm.

If you would like to know more about being a football (soccer) chaplain we would love you to attend. Please RSVP Andrew Farmer at ua.mo1701685791c.ycn1701685791ialpa1701685791hcstr1701685791ops.d1701685791lo@ll1701685791abtoo1701685791f.civ1701685791.