The AlPhiBet Club was a social and nightclub intended to open in the old Graffiti Club premises in Rosamund Street in 1991. Alec Gilroy wanted to get back into club management after four years running the Rovers Return, and came up with the idea during a drinking session with Phil Jennings, who offered to put money into the venture. The men agreed on a 50/50 partnership and settled on Phil's suggestion of AlPhiBet as a name, after Alec, Phil and Bet Gilroy, the latter of whom was chosen to manage the club despite Alec considering it a man's job.
To raise his half of the £120,000, Alec went to the bank for a loan but was only lent £30,000 as their intended premises was derelict office accommodation and Alec didn't know Phil's financial situation. Alec and Bet were in the midst of plans to sell the Rovers tenancy to Newton & Ridley for the remaining £30,000 when Phil told them that he was going it alone as he couldn't let them risk everything on the club. Alec was so let down that he convinced Alf Roberts to stand for council against Phil's girlfriend Deirdre Barlow in the forthcoming elections and managed his campaign, leading Alf to victory. Alec reasoned that with an ally on the council, he may be able to stop the club from opening. However, on the day of the election, Phil let Bet know that he'd only been floating an idea and was never really interested in the Graffiti Club.