A native of Melbourne, Australia, it took the 78-year-old 25 hours to fly in for the match, undeterred by having suffered heart failure three times on previous flights, to watch his beloved United.
In a stage whisper he admitted he didn't even think his team would win. But he drew hope from the memory of other games thought to be a foregone conclusion.
"I remember once watching us against Burnley. We had 41 attempts on goal and it ended in a nil-nil draw. So there's always hope," he said, sitting on a wall outside the Manchester United Supporters Trust in Old Trafford, where he has been soaking up the pre-match excitement this week.
Labko flies to the UK four or five times a season but recoils at the idea that it might be easier on his pacemaker to move to Manchester.
"You've got to be kidding," he said.
"You guys only get about two days of sunshine a year." Also visiting the "Theatre of Dreams" yesterday was 15-year-old Bianca O'Brien and her dad, Michael. They had flown from Tipperary to Manchester for a Coldplay gig taking place in enemy territory - the Etihad stadium.
This story is from the June 02, 2023 edition of The Guardian.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the June 02, 2023 edition of The Guardian.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
Calvert-Lewin ruins title dreams of reckless Reds
The final Merseyside derby of Jürgen Klopp's Liverpool reign might well prove the final blow to his dream of saying goodbye with the Premier League title.
West Ham hold positive talks with Lopetegui
West Ham have held productive talks with the former Wolves manager Julen Lopetegui over replacing David Moyes this summer.
Fernandes inspires comeback win to ease pressure on Ten Hag
With 80 minutes gone Bruno Fernandes collected a Kobbie Mainoo pass and with a swish of his left foot fired a laser past Wes Foderingham and Manchester United were 3-2 ahead. The question, now, was could they at last hang on a lead.
Overton injury gives England headache for T20 World Cup
England have seen their selection for the T20 World Cup complicated by a back injury to Jamie Overton and now face an anxious two-week wait to discover the full extent of the allrounder's problem.
Raducanu struggles to find energy as she crashes out to qualifier
The great challenge of professional tennis is not just performing at a high level but doing so week after week, regardless of the conditions, for a sustained period of time.
How's stat? Why head-to-head battles only add to the rich tapestry of Test cricket drama
Let's start, as all bad pieces of writing should, with a cliche: cricket is an individual sport dressed as a team game. Every match comprises hundreds or thousands of contests between a batter and a bowler.
Designer labels owed millions after collapse of Matches
Designer brands including Gucci and Anya Hindmarch have been left millions of pounds out of pocket and some customers will not get refunds after online fashion site Matchesfashion collapsed owing more than £210m last month.
Bend it like the Mona Lisa? Yoga in Louvre to celebrate Paris Olympics
The Louvre museum in Paris is planning yoga and sport sessions in its galleries as part of a city-wide cultural programme before this summer's Olympics.
Spears taken by Captain Cook returned to Aboriginal owners
Four spears stolen from Kamay, now known as Botany Bay in Australia, by Captain James Cook and his crew have been returned to their traditional owners after more than 250 years.
Idaho's abortion rules too tough to comply with federal health law, supreme court told
The US supreme court faced its second judgment on abortion rights in the space of a month yesterday, as judges prepared to rule whether the state of Idaho's tough rules on the procedure breached a federal law.
