It was like the town was grief-ridden.
The tributes resembled the aftermath of someone’s death. Lovely words. Lovely memories. Endless messages saying they should “build a statue”.
The man in question hadn’t died.
He’d simply left a football club.
But that’s the stature of the man.
This man has taken Wrexham into his heart, and Wrexham has responded by taking him into theirs. They’ve elevated him beyond an employee, beyond a director, almost to hero status.
That man is Humphrey Ker.
The man who started it all.
Now, the last time I saw Humphrey he was driving a mini digger.
He hadn’t exactly been trained on it and there was a genuine concern that our photo opportunity to mark the start of rebuilding the Wrexham Miners Project might end in disaster if he pulled the wrong lever.
To be fair...
It would have made great content.
The only real problem wasn’t the digger.
It was everybody else.
Humphrey is the Patron of the Wrexham Miners Project, and he takes that role seriously.
I’ve been lucky enough to work alongside him on several occasions and one thing always stands out.
The amount of time he gives people.
It doesn’t matter whether you’re a volunteer, someone visiting for the first time or a family who simply want to say hello.
He has this knack of making you feel like you’re the most important person there.
The downside?
Trying to get any official duties done.
“We need Humphrey!” became a familiar cry during our open days.
Not because he was hiding somewhere...
Because he’d been stopped again.
Another selfie.
Another conversation.
Another family wanting a chat.
And the thing was, he never tried to escape.
He never looked at his watch.
He never made anyone feel like they were holding him up.
To Humphrey, they weren’t interruptions.
They were the reason he was there.
By the time he eventually wandered over to us, he’d probably spoken to half the visitors, yet somehow he still found time to chat with every volunteer as well.
That’s a rare quality.
Then there was the Manchester Marathon.
Humphrey chose to run (or was he forced by Ryan and Rob) it in aid of the Wrexham Miners Project, raising thousands of pounds and, just as importantly, raising awareness of what we’re trying to achieve.
It was a remarkable effort.
After he’d crossed the finish line there were hugs, celebrations and cameras everywhere.
Rob McElhenney was there.
I was there too, taking photographs and filming bits for the Miners Project.
Then Humphrey spotted me.
He walked straight over, threw his arms around me and said four words I’ll always remember.
“We’ve done it, Col.”
That tiny little word...
We.
I’d taken a few photographs.
He’d just run a marathon.
Yet somehow he made me feel I’d been part of it.
That’s Humphrey.
He has this incredible ability to make everyone feel included.
That’s why everyone connected with the Wrexham Miners Project was delighted to hear he’ll be staying on as our Patron.
We’re incredibly lucky to have him.
Football clubs evolve.
Players move on.
Managers move on.
Board members move on.
That’s football.
But Wrexham AFC finds itself at a pivotal moment.
Popular players have left.
Now one of the most popular figures behind the scenes has moved on too.
At the same time, the club continues to grow at an astonishing pace. Buying The Turf is another huge statement of intent and shows the ambition still driving the club forward.
Growth is exciting.
But growth also changes things.
One of the takeover’s greatest achievements has been bringing a global audience to Wrexham while keeping local people feeling part of the journey.
That balance is precious.
It’s taken years to build.
And it wouldn’t take much for that balance to shift.
If there’s one thing Humphrey understood better than most, it was that Wrexham AFC isn’t just a football club.
It’s a community.
That’s why the reaction to his departure has felt less like somebody changing jobs and more like saying goodbye to an old friend.
Thankfully, not completely.
We’ll still see him at the Wrexham Miners Project.
We’ll still hear his laugh.
We’ll probably still hear someone shouting...
“We need Humphrey!”
...and, knowing him, he’ll still stop for every selfie before wandering over with that familiar smile.
I only ever had one interaction with him, but he seemed proper sound. I’d observed him many times, and he always had time for people.
And yeah, it’s really weird how we’ve had many people leave the club over the years, but never one where the tributes feel like someone died 😂