Former Doncaster Rovers' centre-half and club chaplain Barry Miller on the growing importance of faith in football

FROM centre-half to club chaplain, Barry Miller’s life in football has been a varied one.

Doncaster Rovers have been right at the heart of it for the Londoner, 48, who now considers himself to be an honorary Doncastrian.

A defender during the club’s spell outside of the EFL in the Conference in the early Noughties, Miller’s mission is now very different at his adopted club.

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Since 2014, Miller, who became a Christian at the age of 18, has served as the club’s chaplain.

Influential figure: Barry Miller, right, playing for Doncaster Rovers against Chester in December 2000. A quarter of a century on he is the club's chaplain.Influential figure: Barry Miller, right, playing for Doncaster Rovers against Chester in December 2000. A quarter of a century on he is the club's chaplain.
Influential figure: Barry Miller, right, playing for Doncaster Rovers against Chester in December 2000. A quarter of a century on he is the club's chaplain.

In his playing days a couple of decades ago, the sight of footballers practising Christian faith and values was very rare.

Times have changed since. Nowadays, many players, including some of the leading names in the English game, have become increasingly vocal about the influence that their Christian faith has had on their approach to life and football.

They include the likes of Bukayo Saka, Raheem Sterling and Marcus Rashford.

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In the modern era, footballers are more open than ever about the part that faith plays in their lives.

Former Doncaster Rovers midfielder John Bostock, pictured getting a lift-up from Sheffield Wednesday rival Lewis Wing during a league game at Hillsborough.  Back in 2015, Bostock founded influential Christian football society Ballers in God. Picture: Steve EllisFormer Doncaster Rovers midfielder John Bostock, pictured getting a lift-up from Sheffield Wednesday rival Lewis Wing during a league game at Hillsborough.  Back in 2015, Bostock founded influential Christian football society Ballers in God. Picture: Steve Ellis
Former Doncaster Rovers midfielder John Bostock, pictured getting a lift-up from Sheffield Wednesday rival Lewis Wing during a league game at Hillsborough. Back in 2015, Bostock founded influential Christian football society Ballers in God. Picture: Steve Ellis

Back in 2015, former Rovers midfielder John Bostock founded Ballers in God, an organisation that aims to disciple footballers after turning to religion following some troubled times following a big-money move to Tottenham Hotspur.

Miller told The Yorkshire Post: "There is a real move in football at the moment.

"There was nothing in my day and I was an anomaly. There were only a few such as Dennis Bailey and I played with him at Farnborough.

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"There’s an organisation called Ballers in God and John started it. There’s three or four Christians at Donny and there’s obviously (former player and ex-Rovers, Huddersfield Town and Sheffield Wednesday manager) Darren Moore, who is a Christian.

"Something is happening in football and it’s pretty amazing. A lot of the foreign players coming over also have faith.

"For me, it just made sense and was just what I needed at the time (at the age of 18). It was a real sense of peace and I saw it in other people. When I retired, I started working for my church and it was a natural progression.”

After finishing playing at the age of 30, Miller started working at Bentley Baptist Church near Doncaster.

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The pastor at the church, Peter Amos, was also the chaplain at Barnsley FC and informed him about the position at Rovers ten years ago. It’s a role which he finds incredibly fulfilling.

He continued: "I loved playing football and you get accolades and things which is good. But what I do now far outweighs anything I did in football.

"I go in every Thursday and come to the training ground and am here if people want to chat. I know some of the players quite well as I have been here a while.

"I also go to the ground and see the staff there and I have talked to fans before. I have done funerals and ashes spreading for fans.

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"I have also done a wedding. If anyone wants a chat or any advice and support in any way, that’s what I am here for."

The fact that players now have greater confidence in discussing religion is particularly important in a social-media driven era when many struggle with the pressures involved with being a modern-day footballer and the very public - and often toxic - criticism that accompanies it. Increasingly, faith is a comfort to many.

Miller said: "To get detached from football is difficult. Life can be going well, but then you go through a bad run of form and you are not playing so well and you might not be in the team. It can then affect your whole life.

"On the flip side, your home life might not be so good, but you are going through a good run of form.

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"It can be tough. When I was playing, it wasn’t really about the internet and it was not instantaneous and you really had to search out if someone was really hammering you.

"You have to be really mentally strong now. When I talk to young lads here, they are here because they have got ability.

"It’s the mental side which is the thing that you really need to work on.

"You can’t imagine what it must be like for the big boys with the intense pressure and always being in the media spotlight for any little thing they do wrong."

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Miller may be familiar with the Eco-Power Stadium in his working capacity, but come matchday, he is very much among the ‘congregation’ of Rovers followers.

He added: "It's funny, I’m a (boyhood) Brentford fan and that was my local club growing up. But I didn’t get to see games and understand that affinity you get.

"Since I have been watching Donny, it gets in your blood.

"There’s something about ‘Donny Rovers’ anyway I think. Me and my son are Donny fans really and season ticket holders and my daughter goes sometimes as well."

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