Ten years ago, Cornwall College old boy Wilbur Fletcher wrote the following story recalling a pivotal daCosta Cup football match at Cornwall between his alma mater and Vere Technical High School in 1965. The game, he wrote, was all about Alan “Skill” Cole, who was recently eulogised at a funeral in Kingston. Following is an edited version of that story published in tribute to the legendary Jamaican footballer:

IT’S hard to believe he was only 15 years old. Montegonians of a certain age will recall that 50 (now 60) years ago Alan “Skill” Cole came to Cornwall College (CC). That Saturday afternoon in November 1965 marked a dramatic change in Jamaican schoolboy football. The game in question was the de facto title decider of the daCosta Cup competition — and it is one that will be forever etched in the memory of those who saw it.

In the 1960’s Cornwall College was renowned for two things. The first was academic prowess. Based on its leadership in the teaching of the sciences, Cornwall produced nearly a third of Jamaica’s doctors. The second, though of far less significance, was football. Playing and watching was always a welcomed diversion from the daily routine for schoolboys and townsfolk alike. Cornwall played football the way West Indies played cricket then.

In the early to mid-1960s Jamaica College and Kingston College reigned supreme in Manning Cup in Kingston. Munro and Cornwall dominated daCosta Cup in rural Jamaica… Up to 1964 only Cornwall and Munro had won it.

In 1965 memories of Cornwall’s recent glories were still fresh in the mind. In 1963 the school had triumphed supremely as all-island champions, winning the Olivier Shield… This team is generally rated, along with Kingston College of 1964 and 1965 and Clarendon College of 1977, as the top Jamaican schoolboy teams of all time. Cornwall of 1963, the pundits say, was the flare team — the best to watch.

…But there were dark rumours spreading. The story was that a school camped out on the southern plains of Clarendon — named Vere Technical — had sinister ambitions. Moreover, they had a player so good he was called Skill. At 15 years old he was known all over the land. Rumours abounded, but very few in Cornwall heartland in the west took serious notice. After all, Cornwall had Ali McNab, goalscorer supreme and veteran of the great 1963 side.

This was the setting to that pivotal game in November 1965 in which Alan “Skill” Cole came to Cornwall College.

The 1965 season began in the usual way… The early second-round stages saw Cornwall demolishing Munro 3-0.

“This Cornwall side is looking like 1963,” was the western consensus…

Vere Technical, too, had comfortable victories over Munro and Titchfield. The key battle of the competition was going to be Cornwall vs Vere.

The first game of the Cornwall/Vere face-off at Vere ended in a 2-2 draw with goals by Hylton and McNab for Cornwall and Ennis and Cole for Vere. The grand showdown was then going to be the return fixture at Cornwall on Saturday November 6, 1965. This was, effectively, going to be the daCosta Cup championship decider. With home advantage, Cornwall was the overwhelming favourite.

The game started briskly. Within a few minutes Jamaican schoolboy football was to begin a grand transformation. The to-and-fro and back-and-forth nature of the game continued with Cornwall maintaining the ascendancy. Things were to change.

In one of their sporadic raids on the Cornwall goal Alan “Skill” Cole had the ball at his feet just outside the penalty area about five feet left of centre. He glanced to his right but deftly laid the ball off to Campbell on his left. Campbell had a slightly crouching posture and a powerful left foot. He drove firmly, and before the Cornwall goalkeeper could position himself the ball was in the back of the net — Cornwall, 0, Vere,1. The crowd, overwhelmingly Cornwall supporters, were not unduly worried.

Suddenly, about 30 minutes into the game, Vere sprung another attack. As if lightning were to strike twice in the same place, Vere scored an exact replica of the first. Skill Cole, with the ball two yards outside the penalty box and just left of centre, flicked off to Campbell who finished with a powerful left-foot strike. The half ended 2-0 to Vere but there was no panic in the Cornwall team or among the crowd.

The second half started as briskly and as boldly as the first. Shortly, the crowd was to be made silent. Vere sprang one of its rare counter-attacks. Now in possession of the ball three yards outside the penalty area and almost dead centre, Skill Cole had options. Men were free to his left and right but the Cornwall defence was doing its job manfully. Skill Cole feigned as though to pass the ball but did no such thing. With minimal back lift and full body weight, the ball flew over the CC goalkeeper’s head before he could move. Cornwall College 0, Vere Technical High School 3.

It is said that cultured footballers do not kick the ball — they collect, lay off or strike it. Cole’s strike was of the top order. Seasoned onlookers marveled that not even gentleman Steve Bucknor, outstanding Cornwall goalkeeper of 1963 and 1964, would have stopped that shot. Even the most diehard Cornwall supporter realized that it was now game over.

…Vere Technical High School were daCosta Cup champions. They had broken the Cornwall/Munro duopoly. Vere went on to lose the Olivier Shield battle to a brilliant Kingston College side… Vere teams dominated schoolboy football for the next 10 years.