Darren Orme was a familiar figure cycling through the streets to work, the supporter known as ‘Mr Wigan Athletic’ because of a devotion to his beloved Latics stretching back more than 40 years.
He was nearly always first on the supporters’ coach travelling to away games, happy to wait in the early hours for the ticket office to open for big occasions such as the club’s greatest day – the 2013 FA Cup final win over Manchester City at Wembley.
When he was reported missing on 5 March, supporters, the town and its respective football and rugby league clubs rallied in the search for the 54-year-old amid a huge public response.
Sadly, his body was discovered a fortnight later in the shadow of the Brick Community Stadium where he always took his seat in the East Stand.
It is a story both heartbreaking and heartwarming, as it enabled the people of Wigan to prove that the powerful concept of football as an extension of family still exists.
The life of this much-loved supporter will be commemorated and celebrated at Wigan Athletic’s home game against Barnsley on Saturday (15:00 GMT), when a minute’s applause will be held, while a shirt emblazoned with ‘Darren 1 Of Our Own’ and a scarf will be placed on his seat.
Since the news of Darren’s death a carpet of flowers has grown around the stadium’s statue of former Wigan chairman and owner Dave Whelan, while a book of condolence has been opened.
Amid the sadness, the response from Wigan supporters, and the town as a whole, has shone a light on the pivotal role a football club can play in its community – and how regarding your club as an extension of family is not an emotional exaggeration.
Mick Wimsey, chairman of the club’s Travel and Supporters Club, organised a search for Darren in the days following his disappearance, also driving around in the early hours while taking time off work in an attempt to find the friend who had followed Wigan Athletic with him for more than four decades.
“We live in a bad world,” he told BBC Sport. “But the amount of goodness that’s come out of this is amazing. When there was no word on Darren after a few days, we organised a search on the Sunday after he went missing.
“I was only expecting a few people to turn up but we had more than 100. All those people searched for Darren from 10am to 4.30pm – then some went back out afterwards after they had a break.
“On that Sunday morning, there were people who don’t even watch football, but had seen him going to work on his bike and felt compelled to come and look for him. It was heartbreaking, but there was good in it as well.”
He added: “Football clubs are like your family. He was part of our family at Latics. Once you saw him you’d never forget him. His smile was infectious. If you could bottle what Darren had, Armani would make millions out of it.
“Sometimes you saw more of him than you did members of your own family. He was one of my best friends. I’ve been watching Wigan for 46 seasons and running the supporters’ club for 44. I’ve known Darren for so long. I met him at a game against Walsall when we were both kids about 14 years of age.
“I was asked to write a tribute to him in the local paper. It just poured out of me and I found myself with tears streaming down my face. Everyone loved Darren – although he was definitely the worst raffle-ticket seller I ever knew.”
The official Wigan Athletic Supporters Club paid an emotional tribute to “a recognisable and loved character” who “lived and breathed blue and white”. It will pay posthumous tribute with a fan of the month award – a framed certificate passed to Darren’s family before Saturday’s game.
It added: “He had numerous nominations for our fan of the month, including ‘for being the loudest singer in any stadium’ and for bringing back programmes from away matches for fans who couldn’t attend themselves. Darren was kind-hearted and caring.”
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