ABERYSTWYTH “will be a poorer place” following the death of a “true gentleman” who was instrumental in developing football and athletics in the town.

Tributes have poured in for Ron Cullum, founder member in 1955 of Aberystwyth Athletics Club, and Aberystwyth Mini Minors in the 1960s, who passed away aged 92 on Saturday, 30 September.

Ron made 64 appearances and scored four goals for Aberystwyth Town Football Club between 1947 and 1953, later becoming first team manager between 1974 and 1977, when he led the team to a Central Wales Challenge Cup win, a second place finish in the Mid Wales League and runners-up in the League Cup during the 1975-76 season.

A minute’s silence was observed before Aberystwyth Town FC’s match against Airbus last Tuesday night.

A former sergeant in the military and later an administrative worker in the finance department at the University of Wales Aberystwyth, Ron’s wife Ena died around 23 years ago.

Ron has two sons Granville and Andrew; and was brother to Megan Starkey and the late Elizabeth Fisher-Davies; dadcu (grandfather) to Louise, Tom, Mark, and Billy; and great-dadcu to Jake.

Colin Jones MBE, who Ron trained as a teenager in Aberystwyth AC Football Club, said: “Some people in life give you that platform, and that was Ron.

“The best thing I can say about Ron is that he went about his business quietly — he never wanted to draw attention and wasn’t after the glory or the praise — but he was very passionate and wanted to give something back, and everything he did, he did very well."

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