Allan 'Skill' Cole (left) playing for Port Morant United in the National Premier League in the latter stages of his career. - FILE
JUST WONDER how many times Allan 'Skill' Cole has watched the World Cup and wondered what kind of impact he would have made, had he played in football's greatest spectacle.
Maybe, just maybe, the man many rate as Jamaica's greatest ever footballer would fancy himself doing pretty well against the big boys of Europe and South America.
Clive 'Busy' Campbell, a teammate of Cole's in the all-conquering Santos team of the late 1960s and early 1970s, has no doubt that he would have made a mark.
"He's as good as any of the players in the World Cup now...I personally believe that," said Campbell. "You hear people talk about George Best and those guys, Allan was in that class."
'Skill' Cole was the Walter Boyd or Ricardo 'Bibi' Gardner of his day. So prodigious was his talent that he was selected for the national team at age 16, while still playing in the daCosta Cup for Vere Technical. He not only impressed locals, but scouts from the United States and Brazil. Cole played for the Atlanta Chiefs in the budding North American Soccer League in 1968, and turned out for Nautico in the Brazilian first division in 1971. No mean feat.
Campbell says 'Skill' was not the complete player; he did not like to tackle or be tackled and was not keen on heading the ball. His deft touches, dribbling and crisp passing made him a cult hero in the 1970's and drew crowds at matches whether he was playing for Santos, Real Mona or Boys' Town.
Among Skill's admirers was reggae superstar Bob Marley with whom he shared a close friendship. At the time of Marley's death in May, 1981 Cole was his road manager and confidante. Some believe off-field distractions hurt Cole's career. Others, like Campbell, say he never did his talent justice.
"He definitely under-achieved, if Allan had the heart of a professional back then he would have gone further," said Campbell.
