‘Being a Christian doesn’t prevent bad things from happening…’

“I HAVE no problem in letting people know that I go to Church. I am happy to talk to people about my faith and why I go to church but let others initiate the conversation. Faith while practised in public I find to be a very private thing and not always easy to talk about.”

Paul Mitchell is joint Session Clerk at Wardie Church in Edinburgh. He’s perhaps better known to many of us as a regular radio and television sports commentator and a contributor to BBC Radio Scotland’s ‘Thought For The Day’.

“I believe that if you are a member of a church then you should, if able, give time to serve however your talents allow. I am a reasonable administrator and negotiator – two skills that lend themselves well to the role.”

The middle of three children, Paul’s interest in both the Church, and sport, started early.

“Our family life was a happy one. My Dad was sports daft and it was from him that my love of all sport comes from. He regularly watched Grandstand on a Saturday afternoon and when I was old enough (and could sit reasonably quietly)

I was allowed to watch it with him. He patiently answered all my questions about everything I watched. My Mum and Dad were occasional church-goers but we were all encouraged to go to Sunday School and there the seeds of faith were sown. In later years I got to know one of my favourite Sunday School teachers again and we would regularly talk about football when we met in the street or at events that I ran. He sadly passed away a few months ago but I remember him fondly,” he smiles.

“I loved sport and was highly competitive. I made my sporting debut for the 19th Leith BBs by taking my boots along one day and they were a player short so I got a game, playing against boys a couple of years older. I loved it,” he laughs. “Playing sport at school and at BBs, it took me a long time to understand that not everyone had the same level of competitive spirit as me and I was not shy in expressing my dissatisfaction with others!

“Primary school introduced me to football, basketball and badminton and I played for all the teams, occasionally being trusted to be Captain. At secondary I was introduced to rugby and cricket. I was always a better football player than a rugby player but I adored the teamwork that rugby required to be a successful. I was introduced to the sport of bowls at a young age – both my Grandad and Dad played so it was a family tradition.

“On leaving school I also left the BB and decided to look for a new opportunity. I have been obsessed with radio from a young age – music via Radio Luxembourg and sport on Radio 2, Radio Scotland and also American Forces Network (broadcast from Germany), from where my love of baseball and American football comes from. I passed an interview with the Edinburgh Hospital Broadcasting Service and it was there that I learnt about the world of broadcasting.”

His ‘day job’ was in the banking industry, but it wasn’t one that held much affection for Paul. The more he worked as a volunteer with hospital radio, the more he loved it.

He was recommended to the BBC Sports Department and, after successful trials, made his Sportsound debut, aged just 22, on Radio Scotland in September 1991 at Easter Road.

Steady progress followed and in 2004 Paul landed the role of lead TV commentator with BBC Scotland. This involved covering Scotland International games and Scottish Cup and League Cup Finals. It was a role he relished, spending hours in preparation and research to deliver the right commentary. Change came in 2010 but by then he had also begun his expansion into other sports.

“I became BBC Scotland’s bowls commentator on the annual Scottish International Open in 2006. After the change of football role, I looked for additional opportunities and as a lover of rugby, was able to convince the BBC to let me try that. From this, I think the BBC saw my versatility and I have covered ten sports in total including in the last couple of years ice hockey and, most recently, curling.

Paul Mitchell (right)

"Before doing the Cup Finals that were on a Sunday afternoon I would go to a local church in Glasgow, I found that was very peaceful and spending time in worship and prayer allowed the pressure of preparing for a big game to be eased from my mind."

“I love American sport and along with my broadcast partner Cameron Hobbs, we host the ‘NFL Scotland’ Podcast covering all things American football from a Scottish perspective. We started this long before podcasting was the trendy thing to do and are approaching our 150th episode.”

Sport, a fiercely competitive field, can also be cruel and I wondered if it was a hard place to be an openly happy church-goer.

He pauses.

“It has been difficult balancing church attendance with Sunday work but everyone I have worked with has always been understanding. Working on a Sunday at different football grounds has often afforded me the opportunity to visit other churches around the country. Before doing the Cup Finals that were on a Sunday

afternoon I would go to a local church in Glasgow, I found that was very peaceful and spending time in worship and prayer allowed the pressure of preparing for a big game to be eased from my mind.

“I have spoken at a few faith based events, men’s breakfasts and other group gatherings, and there I share a little about myself, my work and my faith. As an ex-BB I have also enjoyed being the Inspecting Officer at some end of year events which allows me time to talk with the large groups of BBs gathered.

“I often mention that sport must always be kept in context. Commentators rely on vocabulary, particularly on radio, to paint a picture of an event and describe the circumstances surrounding it. Often emotive words and phrases are used – if something is described as ‘heroic’ or ‘heart-breaking’ I would stress that these are intended in a sporting context,” he says. “I don’t think the sporting world is any less easy or hard to be ‘a person of faith’. I don’t see that having a faith makes me any better or worse than anyone else – we are all human. I have never agreed with people who say that sportspeople are role models – they are built the same way as the rest of us. They will succeed at times and fail at others but I don’t look to them for moral guidance or how to live my life.

“Neither would I put myself up as a role model as I have the same faults and failings as most. I have worked hard to be someone that people can trust in both my personal and professional life and that I can be relied upon and discreet. Managers are happy to share information or team news with me as they know it will go no further. I am also aware that I have fallen short on many an occasion and as I have become older I have tried to be more guarded and fair in my criticism of others.

“I find that American sports and their players are much more comfortable in expressing their faith and giving thanks to God. It is not something that is easily done here,” he smiles.

Of course, here in Scotland, our relationship to sport and religion can be thorny. Paul has a strong opinion about the problems that come with that.

“When I talk to groups I will mention the rivalry that surrounds Celtic and Rangers and sadly the problems that some elements of this brings, but I bristle when I hear people describe this as religious bigotry.

It’s simplistic and wrong to point to the issue as being an example of religion causing problems. Religion doesn‘t cause these problems, people do. There are historical reasons for the quarrels but they are not based on actual faith. If these people, on both sides, stopped and considered the key religious tenets of love, faith and hope then they would have no reason for being intolerant. I usually close that section by telling people I’ve never been to an Old Firm game and seen a tremendous theological debate breaking out.”

Paul is a family man with two sons.

“I met my wife, Frances, at our secondary school, Trinity Academy. We met in 1984 and were soon inseparable. People ask if it’s been strange meeting someone when you are so young but it felt natural to us. We were married in 1995 in St James Church in Portobello where we were both members. It was a joyful occasion to share our service in Church with our family and friends. We learned to dance, not just shuffle around a floor, for our opening dance at our reception. I have no sense of rhythm but I loved the challenge that presented.

Images: Paul at work

"As a broadcaster I understand how to present and speak and it is a challenge to lead a worship but these skills have helped greatly. I have been able to rely on friends to help with content – anyone can do a good sermon once – few can do so regularly!"

“We have been blessed with two boys, Adam and Sam, who have thankfully inherited the same love of sport that I have. Frances suffered terribly twice from post-natal depression. I had no understanding of the illness the first time round but fully understood and was prepared for its reoccurrence the second time. During the first time I was working sometimes seven days a week between Standard Life and football and it was hard all round.

“Frances and I have shared many life events, including the loss of parents for which nothing prepares you, but we celebrated our silver wedding anniversary last year and overall we have enjoyed many, many more good times than bad.”

As you can imagine, the Covid-19 crisis hit Paul hard as he found his work drying up.

“The biggest change that came with Covid was cancellation of sport which reduced my workload and affected my income. I have always been financially cautious (‘tight’ as my family would call it !) so the rainy day that I’d prepared for was weathered. I’m convinced that I had Covid in March 2020, that was before we knew much about it and testing was available.

“I remain quietly ambitious and I would like to continuing covering sport for at least the next decade. I love the preparation, the people, the events and the broadcasting itself and would at this time be lost without that. I have dabbled in music presentation on both Radio Scotland and local radio and would like the opportunity to explore that further. I have appeared in television advert (For Nike in 2014) but one thing I have never done but would love to do is narrate a documentary – I’m open to offers!

“In Church terms, I plan to continue as Session Clerk for the next couple of years. I have led worship on several occasions and would like to continue to improve my ability to so do. I have been asked previously to lead some presentation training for ministry candidates which I enjoyed and I would like the opportunity to do so again.

“As a broadcaster I understand how to present and speak and it is a challenge to lead a worship but these skills have helped greatly. I have been able to rely on friends to help with content – anyone can do a good sermon once – few can do so regularly!

“I feel much more informed about the bible over the years as I have read and studied it more but there always is so much more to learn and to do. A couple of years ago I undertook Rick Warren’s Purpose Driven Life book with a friend of mine from Church. It helped focus on what was important and how to better understand life and faith. The book, of which over 20 million copies of the original edition were sold, has been updated and re-released and my friend and I plan to journey together through it once more later this year.

“The biggest issue with faith is faith itself. I have experienced so much in the last 20 years and it would have been easy to say that God is not around when bad things happen. Time and experience has taught me that being a Christian doesn’t prevent bad things from happening but it provides a belief system and support that can sustain. As with everything, it is often easier said than done but I do worry less than I used to as I have come through some dark days back into the light – not unscathed or unchanged but I have come through them.”

And like most of us, Paul is eager for the world to open up again. He enjoys travel – with one small caveat: “It is my intention to travel a little more. It is an aim to visit every major league baseball stadium in the USA.

I have managed to visit 15 so far and see 27 of the 32 teams play. I do test my wife’s patience when I say I am happy to go anywhere on holiday as long as the place has a major league baseball team!”