Andrew Cole Obituary | Andrew Alexander Cole is a former English professional footballer who played as a striker. His professional career spanned from 1988 to 2008, and he is best known for his time at Manchester United, where he was signed for a British record fee from Newcastle United.
Cole played with Manchester United for six years, winning eight major trophies including the Premier League, FA Cup and the UEFA Champions League treble in 1999.
World Rugby has joined in an outpouring of condolences for former referee and official match manager Andrew Cole, who died after a battle with cancer.
The Australian was a much-loved member of the refereeing profession, having officiated 31 tests between 1997 and 2005, including two Rugby World Cups.
His lasting legacy, however, will be his influence on a generation of world-class match officials nationally and globally. Cole, who will receive the World Rugby Referee Award in 2021, has helped some of the biggest names in the refereeing as well as a large number of people working in the community game as mentors, coaches and selectors.
Cole sat on World Rugby’s Match Officials Selection Committee from 2012 to 2015, developing regulations to ensure the welfare of referees.
“We have lost a truly beautiful and beloved member of our family,” said World Rugby Chairman Sir Bill Beaumont. Andrew was more than a fantastic official, coach and selector; he was a person who genuinely cared about the welfare and lives of his referees.
He will be missed by all who had the pleasure of knowing him.””Andrew will be remembered by the rugby community for the brilliant referee he was, but for me, World Rugby coaches and match officials, he was so much more than that,” added Joel Jutge.
Head of Match Officials for World Rugby High Performance 15s. He was an outstanding coach, mentor and selector who was enthusiastic about the game and the people he supported. He was simply a fantastic person and I am happy to have known him.
I will miss him very much. “His impact on international football should not be overlooked.” For four decades he contributed significantly to aspects professionals and enthusiasts of the game as a referee, referee coach,
World Rugby coach and mentor to many officials, his words of encouragement and knowledge have helped many of the current team of officials in e game.
Cole played in the Premier League for Arsenal, Blackburn Rovers, Fulham, Manchester City, Portsmouth and Sunderland, as well as the Football League for Bristol City, Birmingham City, Burnley and Nottingham Forest, in addition to Manchester United and Newcastle United.
With 187 goals, he is the third top scorer in Premier League history. He also holds Premier League records for most goals scored in a 42-game season and the fastest to score 50 goals, as well as being the first player to top the goalscoring and scoring charts.
Premier League assists in the same season, 1993-94.Cole has the distinction of being one of the few players in English football history to have won every accolade available, including the award PFA Young Player of the Year award and the coveted UEFA Champions League title.
Cole also played 15 times for England between 1995 and 2001, scoring once against Albania in a 2002 FIFA World Cup qualifier.
After David Kelly was sold to Wolverhampton Wanderers, the manager Kevin Keegan signed Peter Beardsley as Cole’s strike partner for the 1993-94 Premier League season Cole scored 34 goals in 40 Premier League games as Newcastle finished third and qualified for the UEFA Cup for the first time since the 1970s.
On 21 August 1993, he scored his first goal in the top flight in a 1-1 draw against reigning league winners Manchester United at Old Trafford. It was Newcastle’s first Premier League goal.
Cole has scored 68 goals in 84 games for Newcastle, giving him an 81% strike rate. Cole’s last goal for Newcastle United came on November 26, 1994, in a 1-1 home draw with Ipswich Town.
Cole will be remembered as the calm and respected whistle in 31 Tests and 44 Super Rugby games . After calling it quits in the middle, he coached the next generation of referees, including current international official Nick Berry.
The family, friends and fraternity of referees around the world are in mourning.” than a gentleman, he was incomparable.” “‘Coley’ had a kind character, was a fantastic team player who could get along with everyone and was a loyal family man,” said Scott Young, a close friend and former Test referee.
As a referee, I’ve heard coaches and players say, ‘It’s great to have Coley today.’ “He was a referee for the players. He earned and appreciated their respect.”
Cole oversaw several quick games, including the Tri-Nations Test between the All Blacks and the Springboks at Ellis Park in Johannesburg in 2000.
It was a 10-Try victory for the Springboks, 46-40, which owed much to his senses. of the game and his understanding of when to whistle. Despite joining United midway through the 1994-95 season, Cole managed to score 12 goals in just 18 Premier League games.
It featured his first goal, a 1-0 win over Aston Villa at Old Trafford on February 4, and five goals in a 9-0 demolition of Ipswich Town, making him the first player to score five goals in a Premier game.
League. During the closing stages of the season, he also scored twice in away wins over Leicester City and Coventry City as his new side kept up the pressure and closed the gap on league leaders Blackburn Rovers.
However, Cole squandered two goalscoring chances in the dying minutes of the season against West Ham United, resulting in a 1-1 draw and the league title going to Blackburn Rovers instead. A week later he was level. cup for the FA Cup final.
United fell 1-0 to Everton without him. United were also missing the outcast Eric Cantona and injured Andrei Kanchelskis, the club’s other two top scorers that season.
Cole’s first full season with Manchester United in 1995-96 was difficult, as he failed to regain his signature form in a team formed around the much-vaunted return of Eric Cantona.
Although he had scored in four consecutive matches midway through the season, including a key first goal in the 2- 0 away to title rivals Newcastle United on December 27.
Cole was chastised by fans and commentators for scoring just 14 times and missing numerous chances Cole’s form improved in the latter stages of the season and he scored important goals, including the FA Cup semi-final equalizer against Chelsea, to see United return to Wembley Stadium.
He then received his first Premier League title-winning medal and scored the second goal in United’s 3-0 win over Middlesbrough on the final day of the season.
helping United win the Premier League title for the third time in four years – a remarkable turnaround considering his new club were 10 points behind his former club at Christmas.