Excuse me joining in this conversation, I am one of the alienated fans who no longer has much to do with the Broncos. I was, however, an armed close protection officer in the MPS for a number of years, specialising in protecting what were known as “Supergrasses” who were under a credible threat of attempts being made on their life.
To do this you have to be very fit, an excellent shot with a number of different classes of firearm, but most importantly, able to assess on going situations and react appropriately with the correct level of force. Not many people can reach this standard. You shouldn’t be carrying a firearm in this country unless you’re a serving member of the police or armed services.
If you want to do armed protection out of the country, you’ll generally only be considered if you’re ex military/police AND have the right experience.
After I retired I worked for a while in the Middle East, where I had two close armed protection officers of my own, two Bedu tribe women who were very professional and in whom I had 100% confidence.
The term “Bodyguard” on the other hand, is wide ranging and covers everything from the big muscly geezer outside a nightclub to the very professional ladies and gentlemen who you might see around Chelsea and Kensington looking after high net worth people. Former Police and service personnel are in rather more demand for this level of work than rugby players, but they don’t carry firearms. I hope this sheds some light on the matter. Just remember, it’s not like on the TV!
