"The sweet sound of silence!"

As the clarets were doing there best to depress fans at Highfield Road on Saturday, Abbi Fawcett was holding a dignified silence. In a bid to raise cash for the club Abbi had earlier set about on her mission to remain silent for 500 minutes! As half time came, her task was complete and she could shout at the incompetent players!

Here she tells the Longsider how it all went.

"I had about 40 lollies, sorted out my music and reading material to help me complete my mammoth task. Everything was packed and I was raring to go.

500 minutes does not sound a lot, but 8 hours and 20 minutes seemed like forever.

As morning came, I realised that communication was going to be hard, and miming was not going to get my mum to understand what I wanted.

We waited for the Coach, and there were doubters as to whether I would do it. Me, I was confident I would do it.

As we got on the coach I had been quiet for nearly 3 hours and was getting into the groove, a lollypop in my mouth headphones on, (being careful not to sing along)

A fellow member gave me some gobstoppers, they were massive, I did not realise how big my mouth was!!   As the conversations were in full flow, I was itching to talk, but wait I was on a silence, so back to the book and the music turned up louder!

I joined in a game of piggy in the middle, the mime I had learned at Drama saving me a few times from speaking I had to use other ways of getting my point across.

At the pub I sat in a corner just reading until news of my silence got around to the regulars, I collected £25 in there, with a few asking my name, but I was not that thick to be caught out!

The game itself was the actually the easiest as we were losing and there really wasn’t much to shout about, I just stuck another lolly in my mouth, turned up the radio and bit my lip.

I kept watching the clock, waiting for the time I could ask questions and comment on things that had been nagging me since 20 past 7.

Finally 3-0 down the half time whistle blows, I jumped up and down knowing that in my eyes I had completed the impossible. The first thing I said “Hello” quickly followed by a comment about the game!!

I felt a great sense of achievement after I had done it; it was nice being in my own little world for half a day, a little world I enjoyed!!

The total amount I have so far in Pledges and banked money is £771, far more than I expected, but I will still be collecting for a while longer to give those doubters a chance to sponsor me."

Abbi Fawcett 500 minutes

 9 Darley Road

Hawkley Hall

Wigan

WN3 5PG

Thanks for all the support I received; it was made easier knowing I had your support!!

 Abbi

The Longsider would like to congratulate Abbi for all her efforts. A football club is made by its fans, and with young fans like Abbi, Burnley FC is in safe hands. We all salute your efforts Abbi and lets hope the players respond and keep us in Division One.

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