Harry Kane and Wolves fans prove there's only one Kenny Jackett

Amid the sense of loss, and the grief of those closest, also a collective strength and celebration in honouring the achievements of someone who made such a positive difference and impact to the thousands in attendance.

Kenny Jackett did exactly that with both Wolves and Watford. Way beyond that, in fact. And that is why the noise and feeling which accompanied the minute’s applause before Saturday’s game at Molineux was not just powerful but also meant so much.

The vast majority of those inside the stadium, whether Wolves or Watford, had probably never met Jackett, who sadly passed away this summer at the age of 64. Others may have crossed paths with him at an event, said a quick hello or thank you, or stopped for an autograph or a selfie.

But all would have been united in their complete thanks and appreciation of what he did for their football club. Both at Molineux and at Vicarage Road. The joy he helped deliver; the many memories made.

It often feels trite to refer to fans of the same club as a ‘family’, but perhaps these are the situations where the word is definitely appropriate.

Not least as the tribute was paid by two clubs with whom Jackett, and indeed his family, spent so many happy times.

At Watford, where he spent his entire playing career chalking up 428 appearances before launching his coaching and managerial chapters, initially within the youth set-up but then the first team including working with Graham Taylor.

And then Wolves, where he arrived at a time of chaos and carnage but with a calm, meticulous and ruthless approach, delivered an instant tonic and revival and helped a club, and city, regain its smile.

The two sets of fans came together as one just before 3pm at Molineux. With recent memories of tributes for Dean Richards when Wolves played against Tottenham, and Taylor ahead of a fixture with Aston Villa, all sense of tribalism vanishes in a minute of immense gratitude.

It was very special.

Jackett’s widow Samantha, sons David and Ryan, David’s wife Katie and their son James, were all in attendance, offering a ‘heartfelt thank you’ for such a ‘wonderful tribute’.

“As a family, it was overwhelming to see the love, respect and appreciation shown,” they added.

Also present on Saturday were Jackett’s long-serving former assistant Joe Gallen and his family, and former players Sam Ricketts, Carl Ikeme and Scott Golbourne.

Former Wolves sporting director Kevin Thelwell and wife Sam, former club secretary Richard Skirrow and current director John Gough and vice-presidents John Richards, Robert Plant and Steve Bull also made sure they caught up with the family to pass on their best wishes and remember old times.

Executive chairman Nathan Shi, director of football operations and administration Matt Wild, and technical director Matt Jackson were also among the large group who assembled pitchside to pay their respects.

Many others were sad to miss out, including former Wolves CEO Jez Moxey, who attended Jackett’s funeral with wife Babette, as did Kevin McDonald, and several others from Jackett’s team who are still involved in football and were on duty elsewhere.

The club donated the use of an executive box for the family and former players to enjoy the game and catch up and, understandably, the memories came thick and fast.

Tales of the times they all shared under Jackett, the work on the training ground, their team-mates, the pre-season tours. Much of it classified but equally a tangible sign of how close the squad was, and how much they respected their manager.

“Myself and Kev Mac (McDonald) went to Kenny’s funeral, and when we got there we realised just how little we knew about him apart from football,” said Ikeme, who paid his own tribute to Jackett as the matchday guest in the Wolves Museum and corporate lounges.

“As a player, all the conversations were about football, but we all had so much respect for Kenny and how he managed and worked with us as players.

“It was a really difficult time when he arrived after the double relegation, and the massive loss of connection between the club and the fans.

“He took some big decisions, and at the time some of my friends ended up in the ‘bomb’ squad’ of the players who were no longer wanted, and I found that difficult as well.

“But when you consider what happened afterwards, you can see exactly why he did it – he knew what he wanted to do, and it led to a season when we broke so many records in winning League One.

“He was the perfect man at the perfect time, and I think it was the perfect moment for him as well.”

Ikeme was one of several of Jackett’s former players who paid tribute in an excellent video put together by Wolves’ media team, also shown ahead of kick-off on Saturday.

Conor Coady, who captained Wolves to so many magical moments several years later, described Jackett, who signed him, as being ‘fantastic for me’, while Dave Edwards, another who had lived through the desperate double relegations, talked of Jackett ‘saving the club’.

Few away from his family knew Jackett as well as Gallen, who had also shared in tributes at Watford, Millwall, Swansea, QPR and Portsmouth at the start of the season.

With so many clubs wishing to pay their respects, and Wolves/Watford only a couple of months into the season, it was agreed with the family to highlight this particular fixture as the one where Molineux would deliver its own very special thank you.

“The way the club put everything together, and the turnout from the hierarchy and the supporters, was amazing,” says Gallen. “The reception was just incredible, as I always knew it would be.

“I mean, it would have been so special had Kenny been there, and it had been a bit of a reunion of that promotion team – that would have been perfect.

“But sadly, it couldn’t be, and it was just good for us all to catch up and remember Kenny and all of his achievements.

“It was nice to catch up with the lads as well and hear their memories of how they saw it at Wolves, and a fair few things that I had forgotten about.

“The major memory that came through was the amount of respect they all had for Kenny.

“As I have said, from a player point of view he could be quite blunt at times. And I would call it clarity!

“But the respect from those lads was matched by the fans and with the applause and the noise you could just hear the respect and the love that they all had for Kenny.”

‘Kenny Jackett’s barmy army’, was the chant from the South Bank during the applause. ‘There’s only one Kenny Jackett’ came a bit later.

Wolves’ fans are usually good judges. And they certainly were when it came to Kenny Jackett.

His achievements at Wolves, turning the ship around after the double relegations and building an exciting team including several academy graduates, brought about the much-heralded League One championship success of 2013/14.

He very quickly united a club and a fanbase which had been beset by division, and a squad which, with the work-rate, ability and ‘Dicko, Sako, Afobe’ at its helm, then went so close to reaching the Championship play-offs. Who knows just where that momentum and big game players would have taken them had they made it?

Things changed in the third season, as the club was put up for sale and investment stalled.

With key players sold, the assignment became more about stability and Championship survival, which Jackett achieved comfortably before the arrival of Fosun and, eventually, the spectacular successes under Nuno Espirito Santo.

Jackett was never given a chance as the circumstances changed, but never showed any bitterness or acrimony, and would talk of his own happiness when the club made it to the Premier League, and Europe, just a few years after his departure.

But he is rightly remembered as the man who laid the foundations of that success by helping Wolves recover from a couple of disastrous seasons, and become such a stable and well-run force that Fosun were able to come in and move things forwards.

“It's really good to be back and really good for the club to put this on, especially against Watford,” said Ricketts, shortly after taking to the pitch for the half-time interview. “I’ve really enjoyed catching up with Kenny’s family and Joe (Gallen) and the other lads.

“It’s great to get together and remember those days, especially that League One season, and to recognise the job which Kenny did.

“It is always special when you are part of a group which achieves some success, and that squad was made up of good players, good staff and good people.

“Kenny is still so well respected at Wolves and obviously also at Watford, where he played for so many years and started his coaching journey.

“It was a fantastic tribute and fully deserved.”

It was also a reflection, with similarities to Taylor, his predecessor in the dugout at both Watford and Wolves, of the power of community, and of how the collective spirit of a club and fanbase can create such magic.

And for the family, Samantha, David and Ryan – himself now assistant with Watford’s under-18s – it was certainly an emotional afternoon.

“A heartfelt thank you to all the Wolves fans for the wonderful tribute of my husband and our Dad, over the weekend,” they said. “As a family, it was overwhelming to see the love, respect and appreciation shown.

“It is important people know he was truly proud to manage this historic club.

“Driving into Compton and Molineux every day he was honoured.

“The way he recalled his time at the club always put a smile on his face. A period which served as a true highlight in his life.

“Thank you to everyone who took the time to pay their respects and show their support.

“Even in the weather, it meant more than words can say. As a family we have a memory that we will always cherish at a special football club.

“Wolverhampton will always be a happy place for us.”

It was also a poignant afternoon. The Jackett and Gallen families have always been close given the successful managerial pairing which enjoyed so much success both at Wolves and elsewhere.

And while fans will always see and assess the jobs delivered by managers and coaches, sometimes the togetherness and the ties felt by family members go unnoticed.

“We have always spent a lot of time with Kenny and Sam, and as families we have been very close,” says Gallen. “After all those years of working with Kenny, my wife and Sam said it might be the last time they ever sit together at a match, having done it for maybe 15, 16 years at clubs like Wolves and Millwall.

“I felt a bit sad when they said that. I think sometimes you take it all a bit for granted, but what we all thought coming back was what a responsibility it was to work for such a big club as Wolves.

“At the time you don’t realise because you are just getting on with the job and are so involved, but it was such a massive club.

“And we will always make sure we carry on meeting up and be close with Kenny’s family.”

Wolves fans too, will never forget. And they showed it on Saturday.