Today is a sombre day for everyone at Wrexham AFC, with it being the 88th anniversary of the Gresford Colliery Disaster.
One of the very first impressions that I got when I arrived into Wrexham, both city and Football Club, was the enduring significance of the disaster and the inextricable link it shares with Wrexham AFC.
It is well-documented how many of the miners lost in the tragedy had switched shifts in the hope of making our fixture against Tranmere the following day; a hope that, devastatingly, was never to come to pass. The Club will always remember those we lost and will mark the occasion with a minute's silence on Saturday against Torquay.
We were also very pleased to be represented at the annual memorial service in Gresford by CEO Fleur Robinson and Club Secretary Geraint Parry, and to be able to send a delegation including Phil Parkinson and several players to the unveiling of a new Memorial Wall at the Wrexham Miners Rescue Station.
It was from this very building that the rescue crews were dispatched to the disaster. The Station, which sits on the Maesgwyn Rd, just yards from the Racecourse, is being brought back to life by a dedicated team of volunteers to act as a museum and community space and they run a number of activities during the week, from art to cooking classes.
They also serve a mean pie and mash on a matchday, pre-game, so if you haven't been to visit before, perhaps this would be a good week to pop down and see what they are about.
On the pitch, this week, we saw the boys return from Southend with a creditable draw after they faced a sparky and impressive home side at Roots Hall. I don't suspect that many teams will go there this season and have an easy ride, particularly not if Jake Hyde is as effervescent as he was in his 60-odd minutes against us.
Our newly-reformed Reserve Team got their first win of the season against Preston North End Reserves with a Kai Evans free kick the only goal of the game.
I am delighted to have Reserves football back at Wrexham AFC, as both a development pathway and a means for keeping first-team players in trim as they battle for a starting position and I am looking forward to getting down for a game when I am back in town.
The Documentary continues to bring extraordinary numbers of fresh eyeballs and new fans to the Wrexham fold. I saw a lovely letter that was sent to Wayne Jones, star of both the doc and of the Turf, from a new fan, Dean, from Wisconsin, who had sent Wayne one of his Marathon medals to stick up in the Turf. It was a wonderful example of the unifying spirit of sport and in a week where we remember how cruel and brutal life can be, I think we can all use that reminder.
Next up, Torquay.