THE title of longest-serving Junior boss in West Region circles is believed to sit with Hughie Hammill whose remarkable 19-year reign as Vale of Leven team manager has helped no end in honing his knowledge of the Junior football scene.

But then former Hibs, Dunfermline, Queen of the South and Partick Thistle midfielder Hammill was already something of an aficionado on the game at this level prior to taking up the famous old Alexandria club's reins in 2016.

That's down to successful playing stints with the Vale (managed by Jim Brown), Shotts Bon Accord (Jim Jamieson), and Pollok (Jim George) before returning to Millburn Park to initially play and then coach under mentor Brown who did not hesitate in stepping up to manage Dumbarton knowing Vale team affairs were in safe keeping.

Hughie's respected contribution is not to be overlooked not least because he says picking his Dream Team was a joyous exercise in making him recall all the greats (and not so greats) he has come across in his Junior career.

GOALKEEPER

Hughie was torn between ex-Dundee No.1 Tom Carson, a Vale team-mate , and the former Scotland Juniors cap Willie Devine whom he teamed up with at Hannah Park.

But he tipped the scales in Carson's favour, saying: "Both men were extremely agile shotstoppers but Willie was not the biggest whereas Tom had the height advantage and ability to come and pluck crosses out of the air."

DEFENDERS

Recalling the various attributes of back four class acts from his playing past such as Ally Marshall (Pollok), Kenny Smith, Tom McAfferty and Jim Brown (Shotts) only added several more degrees of difficult in producing his compilation.

Eventually though, he went for ex-Blantyre Vics and Pollok right-back Andy McQuade of whom he said "Great recovery pace and a non-stop forward runner who led by example because he was not the most vociferous."

Shotts battler and fans favourite Eddie Halford won the nomination for left-back while in between Hughie went for the central partnership of rugged Joe Carson (Vale of Leven) and the more polished Andy Cunningham (Shotts).

He added: "Joe played more years Senior than Junior but his impact upon reinstatement was considerable as an old-fashioned ball winner who was prepared to take knocks and dish out a few bruises.

"Andy would complement Joe superbly as he was the ultimate professional and an exceptional reader of the game whose ability to be in position to cut out attacks and plug gaps gave off the false impression that he was blessed with bags of pace."

MIDFIELDERS

Such is Hughie's admiration for Vale of Leven striking legend and all-time top scorer Hugh Ward, "so incredibly skilful" that he just had to find a place for him on the right side of midfield rather than omit him from his selections altogether.

He went on: "I'm truly spoiled for choice in the middle of the park where I played alongside an absolute Vale genius in Davie Houston while George Coll was a pocket sized bundle of energy and a fantastic player after he arrived at Millburn from Kilbirnie Ladeside.

"Joe Rowan, whose powerful shooting made him a match-winning star turn for the Vale and Rob Roy was also prominent in my thoughts, but I've selected another player with a wand of a left foot to play down the flank in Joe Coyle, who had previously turned out with distinction for Shettleston and Celtic.

"The wee man wasn't necessarily blessed with a great deal of defensive awareness but opposing teams were liable to pay a heavy price unless they delegated players to keep a close eye on him."

Hughie, no mean playmaker himself in his playing days, had definite ideas for his engine room pairing and he plumped for a combination of former Irvine Meadow and Petershill ace Jim Meechan alongside one of Junior football's journeymen John Richardson.

He said: "Meechan signed for the Vale in the twilight of his career but his ability and commitment to the cause was an inspiration to everybody around him while John was the industrious cog at Shotts whose boundless energy allowed him to run all day on the wide expanses of Hannah Park."

FORWARDS

Hughie was always impressed by the goalscoring prowess of Pat Daly, "the most laid-back character to have ever kicked a ball" at Shotts, while he also waxed lyrically about the goals return of former Vale of Leven and Pollok frontman Paul McGrogan, however edging both these renowned strikers out is the Pollok pairing of John Paisley and Gordon Mills.

He insisted: "Paisley was simply phenomenal as a target man and penalty-box finisher so to my mind he is one of the best Junior frontmen of all time.

"Mills was a mercurially talented individual who is probably better known for his Scottish Junior Cup feats with Auchinleck Talbot but he could destroy defences on his own and I believe him and Paisley together would wreak havoc."

Hughie 's way of thinking comes out as: T. Carson, McQuade, J. Carson, Halford, Ward, Meechan, Richardson, Coyle, Paisley, Mills. Substitutes: McAfferty, Rowan, Coll, McGrogan, Devine (GK).