Brian Glynn, Communications Officer
Football is a game familiar with change. In the 50 years Christians in Sport has spent working in Professional football, the offside rule has been tinkered with, the World Cup has expanded from 16 to 48 teams, VAR has been introduced – pick your most controversial!
And new research commissioned by Christians in Sport has revealed that the landscape of faith in elite football has changed completely in recent years. It is the case now that three in four professional football clubs in England and Wales have Christian players in their first-team squads.
‘When I first became a Christian, playing for Cambridge United, a pioneer of Christians in Sport called Andrew Wingfield Digby sought me out. He told me there were four Christians in
professional football – I’d never met another Christian player, so my heart jumped for joy! Andrew named three players. I asked, “Who’s the fourth?” He said: “You!”'
Dr. Graham Daniels, General Director of Christians in Sport, remembers what it was like to play professionally in the eighties.
This is in stark contrast to today, when many players profess faith in Christ and share this openly in press interviews and on social media. This cultural influence cannot be understated; on average, Premier League players have more than 1.3 million Instagram followers. Undoubtedly, Christianity is made more visible and credible through players sharing their faith digitally.
The data from this new research shows that there is substance underneath what we see in the media. The study, supported by Eido Research, surveyed 164 clubs across the top six tiers of men's football and received responses from 134, including 90% of Premier League teams. 71% of those responding were players themselves.
The findings paint a fascinating picture, revealing that Christian players are not only present across football but are actively gathering together to pray, study the Bible and support one another.
Key findings include:
75% of clubs reported Christian players in their first-team squad.
40% of clubs regularly host Christian activities such as Bible studies and prayer meetings.
Half of Premier League clubs reported regular Christian gatherings.
More than a third of these activities are led by players.
Graham comments that the findings challenge common assumptions about life in professional football:
‘Professional football is often portrayed as a world shaped by money, fame and performance. What this research reveals is a different story. Across the professional game, Christian players are gathering to pray, study the Bible and support one another. Three-quarters of clubs have Christians in their first-team squads, and many are actively living out their faith within the pressures of elite sport.
"Perhaps the most striking finding is that, in an environment where identity is constantly tested by success, failure and public scrutiny, many players are looking beyond football itself for meaning, purpose and security. Christianity is not disappearing from the professional game; it is far more present than most people realise.’
This research also sits within a wider global picture of sport. Recent international research commissioned and facilitated by Christians in Sport across 88 countries identified football as the most significant sport for Christian engagement worldwide.
For Christians in Sport, the results are both encouraging and significant. They highlight the ongoing opportunities for Christians in football to live and speak for Jesus, while demonstrating that faith continues to have a meaningful presence at every level of the professional game.
Please get in touch with us if you’d like a copy of the full report.