Rock steady crew that provide the bedrock of Chris Strain's Juniors Dream Team

So it's no surprise that his taking time out to pen a Dream XI gave him plenty to think about in terms of the special players he has shared dressing rooms with down through the years.

As well as the many top opponents who were forever doing their utmost to sully his memories of the past four decades.

They didn't make too good a job of it looking back at a list of achievements which show Chris as a player with Vics Whitletts Vics, Kilbirnie Ladeside, Irvine Meadow and Ardeer Thistle won every trophy prize in the game with the exception of the Scottish Junior Cup before going on to replicate those feats as a manager with Ardeer, Troon and most notably the Medda where a haul of 14 silverware prizes during an eight year hotseat reign included a hat trick of Evening Times Cup triumphs.

The names of his 4-4-2 starting choices and full bench will raise eyebrows and stimulate debate but then Chris always did.

GOALKEEPER

Three former Medda No.'s were to the fore in his thoughts for the gloves - Michael Wardrope, Jim "Bomber" Brown and Ally McLean .

Chris said: "Bomber was an outstanding shot-stopper and Ally was so good with the ball at his feet that he could have played outfield.

"But I have gone for Michael whose sheer consistency makes him a stand out."

DEFENDERS

One-time Medda fans favourite Billy Mason pipped Stevie Swift and Auchinleck defender George Gemmell to the right back berth, while Chris deliberated long and hard over who should operate on the other side of his defence

He recalled: "Jim Leckie of the of the late 1970's Darvel team possessed terrific overlapping qualities as did Mark Pickering formerly of Morton who played under me at Ardeer and had a fondness for crunching tackles.

"But I'm going with rock steady Ian Baillie of Kilbirnie Ladeside, whose defensive qualities saw him step up to Celtic at the advanced age of 25."

Chris was spoilt for choice in the central roles with the likes of Crawford Boyd and Derek McCutcheon (Medda), Bobby McCulloch (Cumnock) and Ian McGoldrick (Kilbirnie) prominent in his deliberations, but memories of partnering Willie Frew in an Ayrshire League Select made him opt for the Darvel colossus .

He said: "Willie put the fear of death in me even when we were in the same team. and I would partner him with George Struthers, who had been on the books of Rangers before becoming the cornerstone of the Irvine Vics side that were crowned North Ayrshire League champions in 1974

"He was a confident ball-playing type and would have been the ideal complement to Willie's physicality."

MIDFIELDERS

Johnny "Ringo" Walker of Irvine Meadow and Junior Scotland got the nod over Kilbirnie legend Bobby Davidson for the right flank attacking role.

Chris said: " Johnny had the talent to grace any level of the game and he did well in stints upstairs with St Mirren and latterly Kilmarnock before reacting in Cantona fashion to some Rugby Park hecklers ended his Senior career."

For the main engine room roles, Chris hesitated before choosing the brains behind the Scottish Cup successes enjoyed by Irvine Meadow (1974) and Kilbirnie Ladeside (1977) - Ada McLaughlin - in tandem with ex-Kilmarnock and Hearts ace an Jardine yet another product of that 1974 Irvine Vics team.

He declared: "I was spoilt for choice in the midfield where I played with and against so many top Juniors in the likes of Paul Halley (Medda ), Tam McGill(Kilbirnie), Dougie Mitchell (Irvine Vics) and Tam McDonald (Auchinleck).

"But Jardine was an often under-rated box-to -box type who possessed a powerful shot and was good for 20 plus goals per season while Ada was quite simply the heartbeat of those cup-winning sides with a workrate second to none."

"Down the left flank, Chris contemplated playing the touchline terror that was Bobby Dickson (Auchinleck and Cumnock). However, he again plumped for an ex-Irvine Vics team mate in the relatively unknown Hugh Arkinson.

He said: "Hugh was the 16-year -old baby in that Sammy Cowan-steered 1974 Vics side, but his ball control and skill saw him waltz past the hard hitting full backs of that era with comparative ease .

"It was said back then that Kilmarnock were going to sign either Hugh or myself and I had no complaints when he was picked to step up though it was only years later that he admitted to being cousin of the Kilmarnock manager Willie Fernie.

"Unfortunately, Hugh fell out of love with football not long afterwards and quit playing when still a young man."

FORWARDS

Chris reckons modern day defenders would be quaking in their boots at the prospect of coming up against the phenomenal front men he encountered in his playing days such as the freescoring Dennis Gray (Auchinleck), the gifted John "Sal" McKenna (Beith ), Gerry Peline (Kilwinning Rangers ) and two former Medda team-mates Gary Faulds and Alan Johnstone.

Nevertheless, he insisted: "Gordon Mills (Auchinleck) had everything in his locker and rates as the most difficult striker I ever came up against while alongside him I would select the mid 1970's Kilbirnie legend Paul McGuire who was snapped up by Shrewsbury Town and later transferred to Stoke City for just over a quarter of a million pounds .

"Not many Junior front men can lay claim to that price tag."

Chris was even harder pressed to pick his back-up bench but eventually he went for the following line-up. - Wardrope, Mason, Struthers, Frew, Baillie, Walker, Jardine, McLaughlin, Arkinson, Mills, McGuire. Substitutes:-Swift, McDonald, McKenna, Peline, McLean(GK).