Final whistle for a legend: Thanksgiving service today for ‘Skill’ Cole
Published:Saturday | October 11, 2025 | 12:09 AMLivingston Scott/Gleaner Writer
The thanksgiving service for iconic former national footballer Allan ‘Skill’ Cole takes place today at the National Arena, starting at 9 a.m.
Cole, arguably Jamaica’s greatest-ever football player, died on September 9 at age 74 at the University Hospital of the West Indies in St Andrew.
On Thursday, September 18 his nine-night was held at the Ranny Williams Centre. Other tributes included a House of Dread celebration of his life in his hometown of Vineyard Town on Thursday and another at the Twelve Tribes of Israel, of which he was a long-serving member, at their Hope Road headquarters yesterday.
Funeral procession
Before the thanksgiving ceremony Cole’s body will be taken to various venues. The procession will begin a 8 a.m. when Cole’s body leaves Perry’s Funeral Home in Spanish Town. It will make its first stop at Caymanas Park in St Catherine, where Cole, a lover of horse racing, spent much of his pastime. This will be followed by a brief stop at the Twelve Tribes of Israel headquarters, for them to pay their respects.
They will then proceed to House of Dread on Deanery Road and then the Santos Football Club, before they head to the National Arena, where the body will be viewed from 9 a.m.
A musical tribute featuring the likes of Stephen Marley, Duane Stephenson, Luciano and Tarrus Riley starts at 10 a.m. while the official service is scheduled for 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Interment to take place at Shooter’s Hill.
Cole was a schoolboy prodigy who played for the national senior team at age 15. ‘Skill’ or ‘Cherry’, as he was affectionately called, was primarily an attacking midfielder/striker.
He starred for Vere Technical in the daCosta Cup and for Santos Football Club in domestic club football.
He also played briefly with the Atlanta Chiefs in the North American Soccer League and with Nautico in Brazil. Cole also lived in Ethiopia for seven years where he coached and played football.
He was renowned as Bob Marley’s close friend and manager, and is credited as the writer of one of Marley’s most famous songs, War.
Cole is survived by widow Sharon, and six children.