'I'm a monk living in the UK – people always ask me one question about life'

As the season reaches it's conclusion, a monk has revealed the answer to the question he is asked on a regular basis - are those in his allowed to support their favourite club? A father from Ampleforth Abbey a - Benedictine abbey and monastery in North Yorkshire - made a surprising confession on .

"Yes we do [follow football] - we have one monk who supports Leeds, we have two who support , one who supports Stoke, and one who died last year at 93 supporting Newcastle - so he just missed out on their triumph," he said. "But I'm sure he's rejoicing in heaven."

The father went on to reveal that the abbey's monks even indulge in their own sporting activity - namely a "strange form of squash", as he pointed out the stone "court" behind him. "It's a game we brought across 200 years ago when we moved here from our community in France," he explained.

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"We have sort of a flat, wooden paddle and a cork ball covered in leather," the father continued. "I don't get much chance to play sports now - I'm one of three brothers so we used to play lots of sports at home and then at school and university, so I've always loved sport."

The father went on to compare being a football fan to a religious commitment, meanwhile. "You have to suffer with your team in order to rejoice with your team," he noted. "And it's like when they're relegated, you rise again when they're promoted. So I've always seen a kind of religious connotation - there's a commitment people show in supporting a team."

Whilst he admitted he doesn't have that commitment himself, the monk said he'd been a "bit promiscuous" in his sports, highlighting "Spurs, Man City and Newcastle" as particular interests.

"I think when it comes to understanding that sense of commitment, I think in the monastery as well, we try and support each other through difficulties and rejoice with those who are rejoicing, and weep with those who are weeping," he said.

The father closed by confessing he is "slightly mesmerised by the soap opera of sports". He added: "It's the human drama, I'm sometimes horrified by the corruption and the shallowness of it, but I'm also entranced by the beauty of it - not just the individual skill, but a really good goal shows the teamwork of it. I think that's really beautiful to watch."

Writing in response, one TikTok user quipped: "You’d think they’d support Southampton with them being the 'Saints'!" Another commented: "Don't forget Brother Walfrid founded Celtic."

A third person sympathised: "Such a shame that your Newcastle fan missed the win! I'm sure he saw it somehow."

Whilst a fourth said: "Being a Spurs fan is quite the long suffering vocation. But hopefully like monastic life worth it - still waiting for that trophy though!"

And a fifth pointed out: "I imagine the criticism you get for supporting your team despite change of owners, their actions and attendance etc. is like that of being criticised for following your religion."