The Mitchell Cole Memorial Tournament, organised by Stevenage FC fans’ team Badgers FC, took place on Saturday and was a huge success.
Badgers FC Manager Keith Bell was the driving force behind the tournament itself, which involved supporters’ teams from AFC Wimbledon, Barnet, Cambridge and London Carlisle – as well as a Cole XI, formed by Mitchell’s brother Ben.
He spoke to the official website after the final game and was delighted with the success of the tournament, saying: “In total we raised over £570, all of which will go to Ben Cole and Dylan Kelly’s donation fund. Ben and Dylan are climbing Mount Kilimanjaro in September and I’m delighted to have helped raise money for them.
“I would like to personally thank Ben, Dylan and the rest of the Cole XI who were worthy winners on the day, whilst I also want to extend my gratitude to the supporters’ teams of AFC Wimbledon, Barnet, Cambridge and London Carlisle – as well as my lads in the Badgers FC team for coming along and took part or supported the cause.”
Bell continued: “Credit must go to everyone who helped me to organise the day, as well as Ware FC for their help, and everyone who brought tickets to the raffle. Without all of those people the day wouldn’t have been such a success and it was an honour for me to be able to help raise money in Mitchell’s memory.”
Cole XI were runaway winners on a warm afternoon at Ware FC, winning all 5 of their fixtures without conceding a goal. Badgers FC came third on the afternoon, with a mixed bag of results delivering two wins, one draw and two losses.
The tournament came three days before the Mitchell Cole Memorial Game, which will take place at the Lamex Stadium at 7.00pm on Tuesday evening. All of the money raised in the memorial game will go to the Cardiomyopathy Association and you can get your tickets from the turnstiles on the night of the game, priced just £10 for adults and £5 for children.