The chaplain of Portsmouth FC has urged fans and churchgoers to ‘pray up Pompey’ as the club fights for its future.

The Rev Jonathan Jeffery, who is also vicar of St Francis Church, Leigh Park, and St Clare’s, Warren Park, has composed a simple prayer for fans to pray. He has urged them to join Christians – including those involved in the charity Faith and Football headed by Pompey legend Linvoy Primus – who have been praying for the club for years already.

Pompey entered administration last week to stave off a winding-up petition brought by Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs. The club now faces the prospect of a nine-point deduction and almost certain relegation from the Premier League.

The first letter of each line of Jonathan’s prayer spells out the name “Pompey”:

Praying for this club and its community
Order its affairs at this time, for
Management and staff,
Players and fans,
Everyone who loves this club.
You are God of all things. Amen.

The prayer will be made available to Church of England churches across the Portsmouth diocese. It will be up to individual vicars to decide whether to include it in their Sunday or midweek services.

“For many people in and around Portsmouth, there is a genuine love for Pompey FC,” said Jonathan. “It’s not just about football, it’s something that is part of who they are. That passion is incredibly important to the city’s morale, and no one wants to see the club die.

“Writing a prayer might seem like a last resort – as if we have no other option but to turn to God. Of course, for people like me and many other Christians associated with the football club, prayer is actually the first thing that we do. We’ve obviously been praying for Pompey for years, and we aren’t going to stop now.

“But there may be many other Pompey fans for whom prayer doesn’t come naturally. Hopefully this simple prayer will help them to express their feelings to God, who loves us, and therefore cares for everything that we care for."