Don’t be fooled by the advertisement. It was not just a game. It was the pride and passion of one city willing its teams on to prove they are as good as or even better than those from the other city.

When Montego Bay hosted Kingston in LIME Super Cup schoolboy football, they were not playing for fun, they were passionately trying to prove who is number one.

It was supposed to be a triple-header with three Kingston teams against three daCosta Cup teams. But there was an odd man out. Dinthill Technical were neither from Kingston nor Montego Bay. To the fans in the stands, they were like the balance wheels on a kid’s bicycle — the fun began when they were gone. The St Catherine team was no match for Kingston’s Camperdown High and eventually proved only an appetiser for the feast that would follow. Like a quick innings in baseball, they were three and out.

The few who journeyed from Kingston to the Catherine Hall Stadium were expecting great football and value for their money. Most were less concerned about the hegemony and innate competition between the cities. Wolmer’s Boys meeting St James High and Jamaica College (JC) tackling the pride of Montego Bay, Cornwall College (CC), were bound to be entertainment of the highest quality. They were so right.

The reverse was quite extraordinary. The fans from the host city were fully behind their teams in their quest to beat the visitors. This was an unexpected opportunity to show who was best, at least in football. Montego Bay United had embarrassed Waterhouse in the Premier League just five months ago. To smash the big schools from Kingston in one fell swoop would be even sweeter. Even with driving rain and lightning threatening to spoil the party, the fans were not daunted. They proudly filed in sporting their colours, the red and gold of Cornwall much more pronounced.

The games were excellent and the purists and impartials were thoroughly entertained. The diehard fans from Montego Bay had their fair share of euphoria, although they may say it was not enough or even unfair. St James High were brave, enterprising and entertaining. They were obviously playing for coach Theodore Whitmore. If it were a cliff, many would have died for him. They took the lead and gave hope to team and fans alike. The fun was so tangible, you could touch it. But one goal was not enough to kill off a maturing Wolmer’s team. With Jaheel Hyde pulling the strings, Wolmer’s eventually tripled their one. St James looked young and will be very good next year (if they can maintain similar passion).

When Cornwall and Jamaica College entered the field of play, the pride, the passion and the noise “tun up”. Coming in, Cornwall were beating up on everybody and looked a live bet. The expectant home fans hummed with their every move even as they cringed when JC were in possession. CC were convincing and it was no surprise when they took the lead. They are a quality team with things to do and places to go. With the crowd going bonkers, they created enough chances to put the game away. But like St James earlier, poor finishing finished them. The irrepressible JC, playing with a visibly hurt but obviously brave goalkeeper, eventually prevailed 2-1.

The home fans went home feeling cheated. But they have so much to be happy about. CC stood up to the island’s top team like real men. They looked like princes prepping for a coronation. Maybe, just maybe, that game was a preview of the Olivier Shield. That’s another opportunity to experience the battle of the cities. It’s worth every penny. Start to put something in your saving pan.