On an overcast Sunday evening in November 1971 the National Stadium was filled to capacity. Fans from all strata of Jamaican society were in their seats early. Unknown to them they were about to behold a rather unique and never before seen football spectacle.

Just a year prior in the summer of 1970 in the Azteca stadium in Mexico City, the legendary Brazilians became the first nation to claim, for an unprecedented third time, the Jules Rimet Trophy, symbol of world football supremacy.

Since the inaugural World Cup football tournament in 1930, no other nation had accomplished the feat of wining three world titles. Astounding to say the least.

The Jamaican populace preferred the free flowing, exuberant, artistic skill set of the Brazilians as opposed to the dour long balls down the flanks popularised by England, former colonisers of the tiny island nation. The fans in the stadium had paid their money to be entertained by the Brazilian professionals from Nautica FC, as well as a 21-year-old magician whom we all called “Skill”.

The local aggregation to contend with Nautica FC was named Cavalier FC Invitational and was managed and coached by football lifer Leighton Duncan. Even though the invitational contingent comprised Art and Asher Welch along with Rudy Pearce, David Bernard, Delroy “Mutty” Scott, Neville Oxford and the impregnable custodian between the verticals, Vester Constantine, it could only be complete with the inclusion of Allan “Skill” Cole.

The game was played at a hectic pace with some vigorous, tantalising football that had the sold-out stadium captivated and mesmerised.

Allan Cole, the previous boy wonder, was proving to be more than a handful for the Nautica players and it wasn’t what they had bargained for. Ably assisted by the Welch brothers, the trio created havoc each time they approached or entered the opponent’s defensive third.

Every time that Skill touched, controlled, or passed the ball he became the recipient of some rather dangerous tackles. On one such occasion the pride and joy of the island’s football fraternity was forced to resort to the throwing of some rapid pinpoint jabs that six-footer middleweight champion Thomas ‘Hitman’ Hearns would have been proud of.

Unfortunately, however, FIFA referee Ken Chaplin had a totally different perspective on the plethora of blows being thrown. So it didn’t come as a surprise when the referee immediately retrieved his red card and ejected Cole and two Brazilians. And even though Skill had been fending off three opponents before Chaplin intervened it appeared rather odd that none of his teammates came to his aid.

It was at this juncture that sheer pandemonium took over the proceedings. Chaplin was ready to restart but the football fans, some of whom threw objects on the field, in one thunderous voice shouted ‘‘No Skill, no more football”. The referee and his two linesmen were in total dismay, not knowing what to do in the overly violent atmosphere. The objects kept coming and the crowd continued shouting. In an effort to appease the rowdy fans Jamaica Football Federation President George Abrahams, along with some of his subordinates, conferred with the officials and made the unbelievable decision to rescind the ejection, thereby allowing Cole and his sparring partners to return. Only then was the friendly international able to resume.

The Jamaican fans love, admire, and identify with the Brazilian style of play but they loved, admired, and identified more with the Jamaican Brazilian. The fans were in charge on that overcast Sunday night in November. Never before in the annals of international football had fans and this writer witnessed a débâcle as the one described above. Unbelievable but true,

The Brazilians, undisputed champions of the beautiful game, know class and star power when they encounter it. With all the physical interaction between Allan and the Brazilians one would have thought they wouldn’t have wanted to interact at a business level with him, but nothing could have been further from the truth.

In February 1972 Nautica doctor Omar Dasilva met with Allan Cole in the lounge of the Flamingo hotel. The initial contract was for two years and with the stroke of a pen our homegrown mega star was off to the land that gave the planet Pele, Ronaldinho, Neymar and so many others. Class is class. What more is there to say?

Rest in power, Skill.