Priest was Cliff Richard’s rock in his darkest hour along with closest friends

CRYING and on his knees the day after vice cops raided his home, there was one person Sir Cliff Richard needed more than any other.

As he recalled that moment of utter despair over vile, untrue sex claims against him, the pop legend said yesterday: “Somebody got me to my feet and said, ‘You’ve got to stand up. You are not guilty. Hold your head up. You can do it’.”

That somebody, friends revealed last night, was most likely to be John McElynn — his rock and the stalwart of “Team Cliff” who has stuck by the Summer Holiday singer throughout the past two years as the allegations hung over him.

Sir Cliff continued: “I was thinking, ‘How can I get out of this? How can I ever climb out of this hole?’

“That was the moment of my biggest despair. I didn’t know how I could face the future or my friends or my family.”

Now cleared of any wrongdoing but left angry and in fear after his ordeal, which began in August 2014, Sir Cliff, 75, will need the former Roman Catholic priest more than ever.

He and the other close-knit group of friends and family that make up Team Cliff have been at his side as the claims seriously threatened Sir Cliff’s mental and physical health.

Tall, burly American John often escorts Sir Cliff to events and is never far away when he moves between his four homes in Sunningdale, Berks, Portugal, Barbados and New York.

He often travels a day ahead to ensure the houses are in perfect condition for when the singer walks through the door.

They met at a tennis event in New York in 2000. John gave up the priesthood less than a year later and took on a job as Sir Cliff’s property manager, which “takes a great weight off” his friend’s mind.

Son of an engraver, the 62-year-old grew up in Queens, New York, and took holy orders aged 22.

Bill Latham, Sir Cliff’s manager for 30 years — and a housemate for much of that time — moved out of the Sunningdale pad four years earlier and it seemed natural for John to take his place.

In his autobiography, My Life, My Way, Sir Cliff wrote: “John and I have over time struck up a close friendship. We immediately had a lot to talk about.

“He hadn’t any thought about giving up the priesthood but when it became clear he was thinking of the possibility, I suggested he might help me with some charitable projects and he said he would.

“He has also become a companion, which is great because I don’t particularly like living alone, even now.

“Crucially, he knows how to work computers and handle all those technological things that I know so little about.

“And after 20 years of simple living, I don’t think he’s having too much difficulty adjusting to the odd glass of fine wine.”

With John clearly the singer’s star signing, we meet the rest of Team Cliff below.

TV's Gloria

JUST a phone call away, and often even closer, is TV presenter Gloria Hunniford.

After he was first accused of historic sex allegations, Gloria, 76, wrote a piece for The Sun revealing how the strain on her good friend was “almost unbearable”.

Sir Cliff told how he was with Gloria in France when the stress of the investigation caused him to trip and fall and put his teeth through his lower lip. He needed 20 stitches.
Gloria also nursed him through stress-induced shingles, which he suffered afterwards.

His sisters

BEING able to turn to his family has helped Sir Cliff.

Sisters Donna, 73, Jacqui, 68, and especially Joan, 66, – who he has always been close to – have supported their big brother throughout his ordeal.

He revealed this week how he was at his Portugal home, packing for a trip with Joan, above, and other friends when he took a call from his Sunningdale apartment manager telling him police had turned up with a search warrant.

DJ Gambaccini

A NUMBER of long-standing industry pals, including Radio 2 DJ Paul Gambaccini, have provided a shoulder for the singer.

Having not slept properly since the day of the raid, shunning sleeping tablets in case he became addicted, Sir Cliff admitted he began talking to himself, whether in the shower or just mumbling away in the mirror.

He said he phoned Paul, 67, right – who in 2013 faced and was later cleared of historic sex allegations – to confide in him.

Sir Cliff said: “I told him it was like I was facing a judge or something. He said, ‘You’re not going crazy, think of it as a rehearsal’.”

His staff

AT Sir Cliff’s side in Portugal has been manager Malcolm Smith. Previous staff, too, have remained loyal.

When the claims first surfaced in 2014, ex-manager Bill Latham called them “a fiction”.

He, like John, was involved in the church before meeting Sir Cliff in 1965 but gave it up to manage the star.

Talking of his relationship with Bill, Sir Cliff said: “I like to think all the innuendo goes over my head. There was no mystery about the domestic arrangement. I don’t like living alone so it’s nice.”