Gibbo sent me an email a couple of days after the end of the season. Did I fancy playing a few songs with former Abbey midfielder Mike O’Connor at the players awards do in June?
The answer was: Of course. After all Abbey had entertained me for the best part of nine months so two 45 minute sets of guitar and vocals were the least I could do in return.
So Mike and I got together for a beer and ran through potential songs under the loose banner of Sergeant Gibbo’s Lonely Hearts Club Band. Manchester staple numbers like She Bangs the Drums and This Charming Man were a given as were Beatles hits for the grey-haired lads. After two practises it was starting to sound rather passable.
Come the big night and the club’s large red and black ABBEY HEY 1902 flag was hoisted up as our back drop as club secretary Tony McAllister’s disco got the crowd tapping their feet.
Our first stint went down well. An improvised version of the Inspiral Carpets’ This is How it Feels (to be Abbey) drew a few laughs. It had been one of those seasons.
The awards were dished out between the two sets which saw Liam Murray scoop the Players’ Player of the Year gong and Scott Hardy bag the Manager’s Player of the Year. Scott was unable to be there in person as he was getting married, priorities eh.
Our second set contained a few more sing-along numbers including James Sit Down which Keith on the bar seemed to enjoy immensely.
For our big finale we were joined on stage by Gibbo himself who showed off his guitar work with a hearty rendition of Wonderwall.
Thankfully we left the stage to smiles and handshakes and settled down for a well earned pint.
About half an hour later self-confessed Michael Jackson obsessive and Abbey Hey onion-bagger Sam Jones made his way to the stage and to everyone’s amazement gave a superb rendition of the King of Pop’s Man in the Mirror. His enthusiasm also produced a dance routine that was so powerful it brought the speakers crashing to the floor.
“It was worth it!” cried DJ McAllister as his kit lay in disarray on the function room floor.
A barmy end to a balmy Gorton night.
