THIS time three years ago, I was reporting on FA Trophy king Mitchell Cole being at the peak of his powers as Stevenage scaled the heights as Blue Square Bet Premier champions.
The tragic 27-year-old died last November, just a week before the birth of his third child, from the heart condition hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. So now his younger brother Ben (pictured below with Mitchell) is taking over the family trait of climbing to the summit.
Together with Mitch's lifelong pal Dylan Kelly, 24-year-old Ben will attempt to reach the top of Mount Kilimanjaro later this year to raise money for the Cardiomyopathy Association that England C's all-time second highest goalscorer had campaigned for since he retired from the full-time game in 2011.
Above: Mitchell Cole with lifelong friend Dylan Kelly.
“Knowing that this meant so much to Mitchell, I would like to do what I can to raise some awareness too,” says Ben, who played Non-League himself for London APSA and spoke so movingly at the ex-West Ham, Grays, Southend, Hitchin and Arlesey flyer's funeral just before Christmas.
“It's a great cause and it's something that would be amazing for me to achieve for my big brother,” he adds.
Please donate by visiting https://www.justgiving.com/Dylan-Kelly1 and https://www.justgiving.com/Ben-Cole
