So the season kicks off this Saturday! Forget the Barclays Premier League, the real action is in the Strathclyde Evangelical Churches League as Bishopbriggs International FC kicks off away to Mount Kirk in Greenock.

The football team that I wrote about in our last prayer letter is now moving into full swing. We’ve been training every Wednesday evening in the local Broomfield park, in the shadow of the Red Road flats. The guys have also been in a few pre-season friendlies.

It’s been difficult to judge where the team is at – when playing against teams in higher divisions, the team hasn’t fared well (in particular, a 14 -0 drubbing against a 1st Division side in East Kilbride! -- note: we're in the 3rd Division). However, there have been signs of promise against other teams in the same division. There is no lack of talent in our pool of players, but the key is getting the guys to work together as a team. It’s something that will take time, but the guys will need to keep their heads up until it starts to ‘click’. However, after that particularly disappointing loss, I was impressed how the guys came back to training, determined to put the work in.

The team is a mix of local guys and refugees, about half and half. Currently, out team has players from Iran, Afghanistan, Scotland, Burundi, Pakistan, Uganda, Scotland (both Celtic and Rangers guys), England, USA, and Algeria.

Me, John (the team coach), a player from the ICC Bible College, have been deliberate to run the team with a Christian ethos:

I have been enjoying going along to the training with the guys, though John works us hard! It’s great to see the guys getting to know each other and making steps toward becoming a team, even becoming friends (one of the refugees recently became unemployed, when his threadbare football books cracked down the middle, three guys quickly offered to give him their boots so he could play in the game on Saturday). There are even some guys coming along to the training who don’t want to play on the team, but simply want to get fit and enjoy the atmosphere.

One newcomer he had heard about BIFC from a friend who tand decided to come along last week.  He told me how much he enjoyed his first training session – saying that he was looking for an alternative to the sectarian and generally hostile feel to other teams in the area; he told me that he heard from his friend that "this team is different." It was a bit of encouragement that we’re going the right direction with BIFC. Our vision is that the team will not only share the Jesus with guys who train and play on the team, but that it will act as a witness to the wider community.

Here’s some more pictures from a recent training session: