Lionel Messi proved beyond doubt back in the summer that he is the GOAT. But could he do it at Borough Briggs on a wet and cold Tuesday night? Is there a lounge named in his honour in Angus, or a statue bearing his image in Dumfries?Taking a deep dive into Scottish football’s greatest venues, as well as its nooks and crannies, Daily Mail Sport goes in search of not just one GOAT (Greatest of All Time) but 42 – one for every team in the Scottish Professional Football League as it stands.If nothing else, it’s a love letter to Scottish football, spanning centuries of the beautiful game and traversing the length and breadth of the country, from Annan to Elgin and every footballing hub in between.As privileged as we all are to live in the same era as Messi, some lucky supporters could well be watching their club’s greatest ever player take the field this season.Others have to hark back through history to see reference of scoring deeds alongside reports of the sinking of the Titanic.Many of our chosen legends are time served, racking up hundreds of appearances. Making their presence at a club feel so familiar that it’s impossible to think of one without the other.Others had a more fleeting time but burned so bright that they will never be forgotten. Stands are named after some of our chosen players, statues built outside grounds to preserve these heroes in their natural habitat. Lionel Messi is the greatest… but could he do it on a cold night at Borough Briggs?Many of our 42 players are goalscorers, stealing the limelight and taking the credit for the collective sweat and toil of the team.Some are stout defenders or tidy midfielders whose value lay in their dependability and surefootedness. Quietly going about their business, day after day, game after game, season after season. Sure, a winning team needs stardust but it simply can’t function without grit, order, organisation and cohesion. Hard work beats talent when talent doesn’t work hard and all that.Many of these players did not make it to the top level in Scotland, far less the international stage. But, on their own patch of grass, in their neighbourhood, they are unrivalled. The masters of all they survey.Deciding who the GOAT should be was straightforward for some clubs and devilishly tricky for others. You may disagree with our choices but debate is welcomed, and encouraged.After all, one man’s GOAT is another man’s cud-chewing hollow-horned mammal.A lot of our picks don’t share much commonality. A fair amount would have made their fortune and more from life as a professional footballer. Some played football part-time, as not much more than a hobby.Greatness is the thread that runs through them all. Aloft on their pedestals, the air that they breathe is a bit thinner, their very presence can cause mere mortals to feel dizzy.In a country where football is less of a sport and more of an obsession, that greatness is a formidable power to behold.Part One features Aberdeen, Airdrieonians, Alloa Athletic, Annan Athletic and Arbroath.