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I have a feeling Ashley Cole's going to be in the news a lot this summer, especially if his future turns out to lie away from Stamford Bridge. We already know his agent has been hard at work, though whether he's angling for a new Chelsea contract or just wants to make sure his client avoids landing at, say, QPR or somewhere in MLS is unclear.
Losing (or, to be more accurate, letting go of) Cole may be a tough task for most Chelsea fans; he is our hero after all. His reputation isn't quite so stellar outside of that circle however, though Ash has never struck me as someone who cares too much about his public imagine. Which makes the following story even more heartwarming.
You may have seen this image making the Twitter rounds this weekend, just ahead of what may eventually turn out to have been Ashley Cole's last ever home match for Chelsea.
Please read and retweet everyone @TheRealAC3 @chelseafc #cfc #AshleyCole #retirethenumber3ifheleaves pic.twitter.com/8NQzJ6exSY
— Matthew Jones (@mattyj1989) May 4, 2014
Digging a bit deeper, it turns out that the actual meeting with Cole happened in the spring of 2013, back when Cole was also in the habit of giving away tickets via Twitter. I believe this practice stopped when non-Chelsea fans managed to win and disrupt everybody's fun and good intentions.
Thanks @TheRealAC3 you do not know how happy my dad is now :) #legend #cole #cfc pic.twitter.com/keQ4EwyF8n
— Matthew Jones (@mattyj1989) March 17, 2013
reading thru dad charity stuff aswell pic.twitter.com/fWpLRRbLmq
— Matthew Jones (@mattyj1989) March 18, 2013
In any case, Matthew and his Dad got to not only attend a game, but also meet, sit, and talk with England's greatest left back ever. Inspired, son and father have been hard at work ever since fighting and raising funds (£20k at last check) and awareness about the disease.
It was just a small gesture from Ash, yet it made such a big difference. Well done to all involved.
