New keeper of Crescent faith (From York Press)

New keeper of Crescent faith

9:50am Saturday 7th January 2012 in Diary By Dave Flett, Sports reporter

YORK City’s new club chaplain David Lavery is hoping to provide a “listening ear” for players, management staff and supporters at Bootham Crescent.

Glasgow Celtic fan Lavery has become the third pastor to hold the position with Chris Cullwick having stood down after 15 years of service in the role.

Cullwick took over from Dick Syms, who oversaw a four-year stint from 1992 to 1996.

During that 20-year period, the responsibilities of a club chaplain have evolved although, in truth, the job was never just a matter of delivering a couple of prayers to the big man above following a string of poor results.

The influx of overseas players during the modern era has seen a rise in religious footballers with Manchester United even offering a pre-match prayer room for their players at Old Trafford.

Closer to home, former City defender Djoumin Sangare was a regular at York Mosque during his time at the club while, from the current squad, Andre Boucaud and Jamal Fyfield both cross themselves before walking on to the pitch.

Lavery, though, is hoping his work with the Minstermen will be as much about counselling as Christianity.

The suicides of Wales manager Gary Speed and Rushden goalkeeper Dale Roberts have heightened the need for greater support in football not only in the aftermath of such terrible incidents but also hopefully as a measure for minimising the chance they will be repeated in the future.

With the game no stranger to gambling, alcohol, drug and marital problems, the club chaplain can also provide a sensitive and trusted confidant with Lavery’s Living World Church already providing relationship and debt counselling.

Lavery’s counterpart at City’s troubled Blue Square Bet Premier neighbours Darlington, meanwhile, has always given guidance and help for players and staff during financially challenging times at a club that went into administration for the third time in nine years this week.

Speaking about his new duties, Lavery said: “There are a lot of different pressures in the game.

The recent death of Gary Speed saddened everybody and I think it’s important that everybody at a club – including the chairman, manager, staff and players – has somebody to speak to outside of football.

“There can be many issues going on in anybody’s life and sometimes people can benefit from an off-the-record chat with somebody. I don’t see the club chaplain’s role as just about christianity – it’s about providing a listening ear.”

A former semi-professional player himself for Llanelli in the League of Wales during the 1980s, Lavery was approached by his predecessor Cullwick to take over at Bootham Crescent because of his love for the game.

Now 44, Charlie Nicholas was his boyhood hero and he still tries to get to a handful of Celtic games a season, as well as being a regular at Scotland internationals.

Lavery also donned his boots again for a recent Rest of the World v Scotland game at Lilleshall during a national club chaplains’ conference, which was invaluable for gaining an insight into the jobs done by his equivalents at football, cricket and rugby clubs up and down the country.

It is to be hoped now that his experiences and passion for football will strike a chord with City’s squad.

He added: “If I can, I would like to provide Gary Mills with a happy group of players because, if they are happy in themselves and in their lives, then they will perform better on the pitch. The role will evolve as time goes on and I’ve spoken to the manager and I’m happy to fit around him.

“I’ve met the players as well and, for now, their main concern was who I supported, which pleased a couple of the Irish lads. I’m planning to get along to York games now though.

“I had never been to a Blue Square Bet Premier match before but I went against Kidderminster and thought the football was fantastic.

“It was like proper football from the 1970s with some great tackles flying about and no diving.

“The club lost but I thoroughly enjoyed being down there and loved the atmosphere. I took my daughter and I am combining a trip to Somerset next weekend with going to my first away game at Salisbury.”

It is planned that Lavery will be introduced to all new signings made by the club and direct players of other religious denominations to the relevant places of worship in the city.

Looking forward, the provision of a multi-faith prayer room is included in Oakgate’s plans for a new sports stadium in York and Lavery also shares the club’s aspirations in the community.

“Living World is a community church and we have just bought the Fossway pub off Huntington Road,”

he said. “We want to turn it into a community centre, as well as a church.

“York City also want to engage with the local community and the new stadium should provide more scope to do that.”

Kerr closing gap on Press award leader

JASON WALKER’S lead at the top of the Press Player of the Year standings continues to be shortened due to his groin injury.

Midfielder Scott Kerr is now eight points behind the club’s 15-goal top marksman after the 2-2 New Year’s Day home draw with Mansfield.

Kerr collected two points towards the standings as our second-highest rated player in that match.

The other points went to Press man-of-the-match Dan Parslow (three) and Jamal Fyfield (one).

Kerr, meanwhile, collected the two bonus Player of the Month points on offer to the player who polled most man-of-thematch votes from visitors to our website after the Mansfield game.

To be in with a chance of presenting the January Player of the Month prize before a City home game, vote for your man of the match from today’s away game with Lincoln.

The Press Player of the Year standings: Walker 28 points, Kerr 20, Blair 15, Meredith 15, Fyfield 14, Ingham 13, McLaughlin 13, Chambers 12, McGurk 10, Moké 9, Smith 8, Challinor 7, Oyebanjo 6, Boucaud 5, Parslow 4, Henderson 1, Reed 1.

January Press Player of the Month standings: Kerr 4, Parslow 3, Fyfield 1.

Goals: Walker 15, Blair 8, Chambers 8, McLaughlin 8, Reed 6, Challinor 3,Fyfield 2, Moké 2, Pilkington 2, Ashikodi 1, Boucaud 1, Hernderson 1, McGurk 1, own goal 1, Smith 1.

Assists: Chambers 10, McLaughlin 9, Meredith 7, Blair 6, Moké 6, Walker 5, Kerr 4, Pilkington 3, Oyebanjo 2, Potts 2, Challinor 1, Henderson 1, McGurk 1, Parslow 1, Reed 1, Smith 1.

Bad boys: McGurk 8 yellow cards; Boucaud, Walker both 1 red, 3 yellow; Smith 5 yellow; Blair, Kerr both 4 yellow; Challinor, McLaughlin, Meredith, Parslow all 3 yellow; Fyfield, Moké, Oyebanjo, Reed all 2 yellow; Ashikodi, Chambers, Ingham all 1 yellow.