NEILSTON boss Andy Whiteford is well qualified to select a dream team given the many characters and experiences he has encountered since dropping down from St Johnstone to the Farmers Boys in 2001.

A further season upstairs at Hamilton Accies only served to underline how much he enjoyed playing at Brig O'Lea, and there was only ever one Junior club for him upon his second-time-around reinstatement - despite many lucrative offers to go elsewhere.

After hanging up the boots, he adapted well to stepping into a managerial role and, very early on, recognised the importance of surrounding himself with good people, such as current dugout lieutenants John Crooks and Kevin Fraser, whose own recollections proved invaluable in Andy's 4-4-2 selection.

Refreshingly, all three men independently proposed their picks, but Andy's judgement was called upon more than once for agreement to be reached.

GOALKEEPER

NEILSTON No.1s Brian Hewitt and Dean Sexton were put forward by Andy, with Crooksy nominating Stevie Hutchison (Shettleston), and Kevin swithering over Danny Hanley (Pollok) and Scott Black (Maryhill).

Andy revealed: "I always felt so much more happy in games knowing Brian was behind me and I cannot see past him for the gloves."

DEFENDERS

ALL three have played between outstanding full-backs, so much heated discussion took place on the respective merits of Gavin Duncan, Ian Gardiner, Roland Fabiani and Mark McWilliams before Crooksy got his wish for Zander Ryan (Pollok) at right-back, while Andy refused to be shifted from Neilston legend Denis Conaghan filling the No.3 shirt.

A no-nonsense stopper coupled with a mobile sweeper was the preference of all, yet much as Kevin sang the praises of ex-Renfrew sweeper Neil Shearer, he also accepted that former Neilston and Arthurlie centre-back Robert Anderson was best suited for the ball-winning duties.

Andy said: "Big Rab was your archetypal bruiser, whose challenges took man and ball though not necessarily in that order, and I've never come across anyone to better him in their air."

Stuart Hendron (Johnstone Burgh), Stevie Walker (Shettleston) and Lee Martin (Arthurlie), were given passing mention to be Anderson's partner, before assent was reached on another Farmers Boys favourite from a bygone age - Alan Urqhuart.

Andy revealed: "Alan was Mr Dependable and so cool in possession with a highly-competitive attitude that rubbed off on everyone around him, so he gets to wear the captain's armband in our team."

MIDFIELDERS

KEVIN eventually prevailed with his pick of Brian "Sniffer" McKeown, "another player with a great attitude," for the right flank role, even though Andy did his utmost to thrust Joe Bryers (Neilston and Pollok) into the reckoning. Crooksy kept his counsel and came up with his former Shettleston team-mate Alan Jack or the marvellously talented Mark Corcoran (Linlithgow Rose) for down the left side, however he was trumped when Andy and Kevin both opted for Andy Essler (Pollok and Neilston).

Andy admitted: "I also gave consideration to my former team-mate Gary Struthers, who was capable of scoring wonder goals, but Andy had one of the sweetest left foots around and could seemingly ghost past defenders at will to deliver crosses into the box."

The Neilston gaffer makes no apologies for nominating former Brig O'Lea pair Stuart "Arnie" Davidson and Tam Murdoch as his engine room double act, while Kevin went for the considerably slighter pairing of Martin McGarvey and Chris McKie, who was a feared box-to-box runner and midfield goalscorer in his Neilston heyday.

Andy owned up: "I really should have come up with McGarvey myself as he is someone who made the game look easy playing for Arthurlie and Beith.

"Arnie would have been a good partner for Martin, but Crooksy insisted on John Jack (Shettleston) to be included, so Kevin and I let him have his way."

FORWARDS

THE trio were quality centre-backs and can recall the names of those frontmen who caused them the most headaches, but Andy did not hesitate in putting a former team-mate - Gordon Cochrane - at the top of his list.

He revealed: "Gordon Smith (Renfrew), Stevie Quigg (Arthurlie), Kenny McLean (Beith) and the Pollok duo of Robert Downs and Bryan Dingwall, were just some of the great forwards we considered, but Cokey has no peers in my book. He was so good at winning flicks that we thought long and hard about playing McLean or another speedster Alan Waddell alongside him, but we all remembered the problems posed by the movement, pace and footballing skills of the late Paul McGrillen, and he rightly deserves his place in our team."

Andy admitted that selecting the Dream XI was an enjoyable exercise but he felt the real enjoyment came from recalling the many greats from down through the years.

LINE-UP

Hewitt, Ryan, Urqhuart, Anderson, Conaghan, McKeown, Jack, McGarvey, Essler, Cochrane, McGrillen. Substitutes: Duncan, Murdoch, Downs, McLean, Hutchison (GK).