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Family, friends, and fans will come together to honor the life of football legend Allan “Skill” Cole, with his funeral scheduled for October 11 at the National Arena in Kingston.
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An event celebrating his legacy took place on October 9 at House of Dread in Vineyard Town. There will be another event on October 10 at the Twelve Tribes of Israel headquarters on Hope Road.
Cole, who passed away on September 9 at the University Hospital of the West Indies in St. Andrew at age 74, was celebrated for his groundbreaking career in football and his influential role in Jamaican music. His son, David Cole, a 53-year-old audio engineer who has toured with Damian “Junior Gong” Marley, shared the funeral details. David is the fourth of Allan Cole’s six children, with singer Judy Mowatt, a member of Bob Marley’s harmony trio The I Threes, as his mother.
Born in Kingston on October 14, 1950, Cole was a prodigy who played for Jamaica at age 15, making him the youngest player ever called up to the senior national team. An attacking midfielder and striker, he starred for Vere Technical High School in the daCosta Cup and for Santos and Boys’ Town in Jamaica’s Major League. He also played professionally abroad, including with the Atlanta Chiefs in the North American Soccer League and Náutico in Brazil, helping the Brazilian side reach its first National Championship appearance since 1959. Cole appeared in three FIFA World Cup qualifying matches and was widely regarded as Jamaica’s “most celebrated player.” In 2010, he received a plaque from then-FIFA President Sepp Blatter recognizing his contributions to Jamaican football.
Cole’s influence extended beyond football. He was a close friend and manager of reggae legend Bob Marley, serving as tour manager in the 1970s and on Marley’s final U.S. tour in 1980. He is also credited as a co-writer of the 1976 song “War” from Marley’s Rastaman Vibration album. In 2024, Cole expressed disappointment at being omitted from Marley’s new biopic One Love, calling Marley a “Jamaican treasure” and urging biographers to be truthful in telling his story.
Raised in Kingston, Cole attended Kingston College High School, later moving to Campion College and then Vere Technical, where his talent began drawing national attention. Over the decades, his legacy has endured, bridging the worlds of football and music and leaving a lasting impact on Jamaican culture.
News of Cole’s passing has left a void in both the football and reggae communities, where he is remembered as a pioneer, cultural ambassador, and one of Jamaica’s greatest talents.
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