ALL who saw him at his peak and, most of all, the man himself, know any footballing report card on the playing career of Alan Roberts might remark he "could have done better".

The big stopper was light years ahead of his time playing with Rutherglen Glencairn in the early 1970's, when he would regularly dribble out of defence with ball at feet to spark attacking moves whereas the vast majority were happy just to boot man and ball as far upfield as possible.

But then big Alan was no ordinary Junior centre-half, because few if any exponents of that position can claim to have started out as a winger - like he did with Crookston Street School in Kinning Park, thriving on the service provided by his inside forward partner Alex MacDonald, later of Rangers renown.

Doddie had landed there as a result of Glenwood Secondary, near to his home in the sprawling new estate of Castlemilk, being unable to accommodate the influx of children from the many families who had moved to the area - just like the Roberts clan did from their previous Albany Street residence in Bridgeton.

Alan said: "Castlemilk children were installed in schools all over Glasgow and I remember Potters Buses taking us to Crookston Street where the PE Teacher was Johnny Little, who had played full-back for Rangers.

"He took charge of our school team and later as a 16-year-old I turned out as a midfielder for Victoria Thistle in the East End. But I got cheesed off with the travelling and decided to give up the game.

"I never played organised football again until I was 21 when a Castlemilk neighbour, Jim Booth, enticed me to play in the Hospital League with Hairmyres where I teamed up with Martin Ferguson, brother of Alex, and Manchester United's former scout in Europe."

With playing appetite renewed, he went on to play as a striker for Torel in the City Suburban Division before his selection for the Glasgow Select led to him joining big guns Gold Star where he formed a prolific forward line partnership alongside Ronnie Sanderson.

Alan said: "I would play anywhere just to get a game and Gold Star is where I first began playing as a centre-half because of injuries to other players.

"Around that time my brother George signed for Glencairn and he must have put in a good word for me because their manager, Hughie McKay, made an approach and I ended up partnering George up front in a 1974 game against Larkhall Thistle which we won 2-0 with him scoring both goals.

"I was signed after the game but explained my preference for playing centre-half and thankfully Hughie put me there for the rest of Glencairn's games that season and I found myself up against top strikers in Gus McLeod (Pollok), Andy Meechan (East Kilbride) and Frank McGarvey, who was loaned out to Kilsyth.

"The next season was nothing less than an absolute fairytale as an unfancied Glens side - with outstanding players in Tony Gordon, Willie Woods and Jimmy O'Brien - went all the way to the Scottish Junior Cup final at Hampden Park only to lose 1-0 against Glenrothes.

"That was a huge disappointment, not least because we had beaten better teams en route - such as Haddington Athletic, Petershill and the favourites Kilbirnie Ladeside in an epic semi-final at Rugby Park.

"Ladeside had two outstanding strikers in George Kane and John McCool whom I later teamed up with in the Junior Scotland side under John Binnie. It was a great honour to be involved with the Scottish side which was captained by the terrific midfielder Billy Brown of Kello Rovers.

"Binnie asked me to go on tour to Germany with Scotland to play against various British Army teams but I could not afford to lose a week's pay as the SJFA did not compensate the players for loss of income while away."

Alan also found himself in demand by a host of Senior clubs and held talks with Bertie Auld, Hal Stewart and Ian McMillan before signing for Sam Goodwin at Albion Rovers where former team-mate Ferguson was coach.

Soon he was attracting suitors and the aftermath of a notable 2-0 defeat of Dunfermline saw him approached by John Binnie - then assistant to Harry Melrose at East End Park - who was keen on brokering a transfer deal.

But cruel fortune intervened as Alan's cruciate ligament was damaged in his very next game against Berwick Rangers and he ended up hospitalised and out of action for months.

He eventually returned to partner Dunky Shields at the heart of a much-changed Coatbridge side that had John Brogan and Raymond Franchetti in striking roles.

However, Alan was having great difficulty twinning his work as a Rolls Royce engineer with midweek trips to Brechin and Montrose so he obtained his release.

Not surprisingly he found himself in demand at Junior level but he opted to go back to Glencairn where he remained until the end of the 1981/82 season.

He said: "A work-mate, Willie Egan, was also manager of East Kilbride Thistle and he persuaded me to play as a trialist against Bailleston where I did well enough to be offered signing terms.

"But I hesitated over giving my full commitment and turned him down, which sums up my luck because EK went on to win the Scottish Junior Cup that season."

What might have been must forever remain unanswered for the now 66-year-old because that trial game proved to be his last ever competitive outing in the Juniors.