Do you have world cup fever?
It’s all kicking off as we hear about footballers and fans weeping and wailing as their beloved teams are dumped out of the world cup. In this article I want to explore both the good and the bad side of the beautiful game. Can we serve God in the footballing arena of life? Before we tell the inspiring story of the Italian professional footballer Damiano Tommasi we will explore the life of a football fan who has clearly turned his football team into a dangerous, idolatrous obsession.
John Anthony Portsmouth Football Club Westwood was born in Hampshire in 1963. He works in a second-hand bookshop. His father Frank was a keen fisherman, cricketer and footballer and he passed on his passion with sport to John.
Young John decided not to follow a famous club like Manchester United or Liverpool. Instead he made a trip to Fratton Park the home of Portsmouth F.C. and he was ‘converted’ during the match. As a young lad he used to play truant from school in order to watch his team. Sometimes he would be so desperate to attend a match that he would go to matron, feigning illness and so purchase valuable free time for his football addiction.
John began to attend an increasing number of “Pompey” matches. As his passion grew, so too did his range of Portsmouth F.C themed accessories. At his home in Portsmouth, his lounge has become a shrine to his beloved god. Everything is branded with the badge of Portsmouth football club; the cushions, the teddy bears, the curtains, the wallpaper and even the carpets. Strikingly his blue budgies have names that are connected to “Pompey”. When watching his team, John’s appearance is always flamboyant and eccentric. He wears an extended top hat, a blue wig and a checked waistcoat. On his chest there is a tattoo that declares his faith:
I’m Portsmouth till I die!
Despite his large size and deafening cries, Westwood can be heard ringing a bell almost continuously throughout Portsmouth matches. In a 2005 Channel 4 documentary entitled Hallowed be Thy Game, John was interviewed by the journalist Mark Dowd. This is what Westwood said:
“Pompey is a religion to me. I love the club so much. It’s a total passion. I just love everything about the club. In 1989 I changed my name by deed pole. I changed my name to John Anthony Portsmouth Football Club Westwood.”
John was loquacious as he outlined his faith:
“Do you like my budgies? They’re blue. Of course, like Pompey. He’s called Pompey and the other’s called Fratton End. That’s the part of the ground where I watch the lads playing. Fratton End – yeah – he’s a really weird budgy. What would I do, if football didn’t exist? Is that your question? Well I wouldn’t have a life basically. I don’t know what I’d do. I wouldn’t have any motivation in life. You see football is a religion for me. It’s not just a religion. It’s a way of life. You go down Fratton Park and you’ve got a family. You’ve got memories. Yeah I love Pompey. It’s my life. Portsmouth – it’s where you come from and you’re proud of where you come from geographically.”
John was very clear about the sacrifices he has made for his religion:
“A couple of years ago the wife left me and took the children with her. I thought the missus got fed up with the football. At the end of the day I can see her point of view. She said sometimes it was like being in opposition with another woman. It’s cost me a fortune…Pompey. Loans out – my personal finances are a complete mess.”
John is a passionate football fan but his sacrificial obsession with football is shared by millions of fans around the world. For many today Sport has replaced God. A good thing has become a golden calf. John does not pray to his idol but he serves and sacrifices to his football team on a daily basis.
Can football be redeemed? Or is it intrinsically profane and godless? Some Christians believe that God’s kingdom is focused on church activities and a conversation about football is worldly and unspiritual. Where do you stand?
In 2005 there was a fascinating story about an Italian footballer who became a hero on and off the pitch for asking his team to pay him only the minimum wage. This was very unusual in this sphere of life. While many of the footballers at the famous Roma football club earn millions of pounds every year, Damiano Tommasi asked for a salary of just over £1000 a month. The 31-year-old player (in 2005) said he simply wanted to return to playing football at the highest level and a modest wage was enough for his needs.
His proposal made him famous in football-crazy Italy. An editorial in an Italian newspaper called the player a ‘fine role model’ and praised Tommasi for his mindset that firmly rejected greed and opulent living. In 2005 Tommasi’s Roma team-mate Francesco Totti was earning €12 million a year.
Tommasi, a midfield player, had been struggling with an injury that occurred during a game with Stoke City in 2004. He recovered and made his first appearance for Roma in a match against Ascoli. Tommasi’s team won 2-1 and our hero received a standing ovation from the Roma fans.
The player stated that he had signed on at the minimum salary for the rest of the season ‘because I love football’. How refreshing in such a greedy world! Websites devoted to Roma were full of praise for Tommasi’s gesture. “His head is never in the clouds, his words are always moderate, he has strong moral values,” reported one website.
During his career Tommasi was nicknamed the ‘altar boy’ because of his deep Catholic faith. He was known as a footballer who avoided both greed and sexual immorality. How rare in the professional world of football. He has been married to his wife, Chiara since 1996 and they have six children.
Here we have two intriguing stories. Both men are responding to the cultural mandate. Tomassi plays football to the glory of God and Westwood has turned his football club into an idol, a false god. We are all busy worshipping somebody or something. Do we worship the Creator of all things or do we bow down to created things?
Mark is a lively storyteller and the author of four books, including The Spy, the Rat and the Bed of Nails: Creative Ways of Talking about Christian Faith. His work is focused on storytelling and how this can help us to communicate the Christian faith. He has written many articles for the Baptist Times, RE Today, Youthscape, Direction magazine and the Christian Teachers Journal.
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1 Comment
hugh.grear · June 29, 2026 at 1:30 pm
Loved this. Such an idolatry can cost you everything! As a husband, as a Father, and probably as a normal friend, John lost everything, including his finances. We are all made in God’s image, yet John seems to be ruined in Portsmouth’s image. That’s idolatry for you. Idols shape you, squeeze you, ruin you and then spit you out. In contrast God knows you, loves you, saves you, calls you, delights in your service, and eventually welcomes you home. Well done Rocky