How does Abide With Me go again? Stourbridge FC man needs to learn lyrics before Wembley performance
A football club’s vice-chairman will sing Abide With Me on the Wembley turf ahead of the FA Cup final – but he has yet to learn all the words.
Andy Bullingham, of Stourbridge Football Club, received a call from the Football Association to perform the hymn before Saturday’s game.
He will sing with seven other representatives from football clubs which have featured in this year’s competition. The group will be backed by a band, and the stadium’s 90,000 crowd.
Mr Bullingham will be wearing a Stourbridge FC replica shirt for the performance. He said: “I didn’t know all the words, so my daughter has downloaded the lyrics so I can get learning.”
He added: “It is an immense privilege to be chosen. I’ve been to Wembley before, but to be out on the pitch, singing the hymn, will be quite something.
“I suppose its a shame the team aren’t with me.”
The Glassboys reached the third round of the cup, defeating league side Northampton Town with Jack Duggan’s goal sealing the win. The club then went down to a 2-1 defeat at Wycombe Wanderers in front of more than 2,000 travelling supporters.
The Glassboys’ cup run grabbed national headlines, and manager Gary Hackett’s men were one of four clubs nominated for the by the Football Association for their FA Cup Giant-Killers Award this season.
The FA’s Andy Ambler said:“It has been a historic season and we were keen to pay tribute to a number of clubs at all levels of the football pyramid who provided the watching world with memorable moments.”
“The singing of Abide With Me is one of the iconic moments on cup final day and therefore it seemed highly appropriate to bring the clubs into the heart of this tradition.”
