Even the Church is unable to offer sanctuary from soccer fever which is gripping the city, thanks to England's World Cup progress .

At 7pm, tomorrow Bradford Cathedral will be embracing the sport like never before with a one-off World Cup night entitled To Be The Best.

Instead of the traditional hymns, the congregation will sing a song to the Match of the Day theme.

And, of course, there'll be the soccer anthem You'll Never Walk Alone.

The idea - given extra momentum, thanks to England's 2-0 victory over Colombia last night, is the brainchild of Bradford City Chaplain the Reverend Martin Short and the equally football-crazy Provost, the Very Reverend John Richardson.

Mr Richardson said: "With Martin Short as chaplain, he has been listening to what the fans have been saying about the place of football and faith.

"We wanted, in this World Cup season, to focus on the important things in life. We wanted to talk about the reality of a living faith for those who are passionate about the game.

"In the last few weeks football has become the thing that has been spoken about - until we were beaten by Rumania that is."

Former Bradford City captain Wayne Jacobs, a committed Christian, will be there to talk about his faith and his football.

Mr Richardson said: "We will be asking him how hard is it for a footballer to be the best and what it's like to cope with injury and the hard times.

"He will be talking about England's performance and who he fancies to win the World Cup.

"We are going to ask, if God isn't a reality for a lot of people, why is He real for Wayne?"

Mr Short, who will be preaching at the event, said:

"We hope to see anyone who enjoys football and wants to get the best out of life.

"It's not just for those who already come to church, everyone is welcome."

There will also be a sports quiz and a lively performance from the Bradford Diocesan Drama Group based on St Paul's comments about every athlete running the race.

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