HopeStreetWalker

Was in the late 50's and 60's, there were close ties with Rangers in fact can remember Falkirk signing 5 Rangers players in the mid 60's Ralph Brand was one of them I think. When Falkirk were in another relegation struggle. The title Little Rangers was a name given to Falkirk by other teams. Hard to believe I know but it happened. It's in the past but a warning to huckle any knuckle draggers that start that nonsense in the Falkirk support out the stadium.

-4 to 6c tonight They have mats down so they have done what the can. If it snows in the morning could go any way

Falkirk were known as the Little Rangers for a while. Certain Foundries, lets say tended to lean a certain way. Sad but true

Now Now teucher ! that's unfair. But they do loveth their sheep and livestock, even unto themselves.

Harlaw Park is a bear pit with a great atmosphere. It's Junior footballs version of Brockville. Cove are a team used to winning, scoring goals and not losing them. Will be well up for the 90 minutes. Like any opposition whey should be respected. Falkirk should win but all it will take is 2 or 3 players thinking they just have to go through the motions for it all to go wrong. Should be a cracking game.

Perry ! One o the great what if's. Could win a game single handed for the bairns and next week be as well sitting in the stand for all he would contribute. He went on a trail at Arsenal while at Falkirk. Heard on good authority they judged. He had the talent but not the mental discipline or concentration to make it.

Loy will come good. He got injured lost condition and fitness. So its not one thing he has got to sort out but 3. Give the guy a break and get behind him when he plays. Loy on form and match fit will do a good job for the bairns.

Your correct Jim Fowler a waste of a great talent, superb player. Remember many a time walking down Hope street after a few pints in the Royal Hotel wondering how many goals we would score that day. That was the mind fix of the support. the team would play open attacking football. In particular Cunningham's pass and move style of play had teams running out into that great bearpit of a stadium already looking beat. Convinced Ferguson based his style of play on the Willie Cunningham philosophy. Commanding goalkeeper. Attacking fullbacks. Footballing centre backs. Midfield made up of a craftsman/passer , hustler/in your face player , Wide/Winger , Power/hardman. Out and out striker and a trickster playing off him. That was Cunningham's Falkirk team AND Fergusons Man U sides over 26 years. Gibson should have played at a higher level, great footballer. Heart in your mouth stuff as he walked the ball out the box beating 2 - 3 player on the way before playing a 30 yard pass. Great memories and an era that to this day I judge current player on.

Yes for Albion Rovers

Your right, Smithy about 1966-67. Cannot remember either Shire or Albion Rovers midweek game I think but it was pissing with rain.. The golden era of Wiilie Cunningham, it was an opportunity to kick onto great things and we blew it. My goodness how we blew it. Rennie Abel McLaughlin Markie Miller Gibson Hoggan Roxburgh Ferguson Shirra and Young. Young players coming through or to be signed such as Ally Donaldson, Mervyn Jones, Stuart Kennedy, John Kennedy, Stewart Wheatley, Dougie Somner, Ian Harley, Tommy McLeod, Alex Beckett, Colin Fowler, John Young come to mind. Alex Ferguson ready to step up into management he even had Andy Gray ready to sign for us. Willie Cunningham was way ahead of Dundee United in building for the future. Oh what glory days it would have been. Fortress Brockville and the fans behind him. It is one of the great what if's should Cunningham had stayed on or stepped up to the boardroom leaving Alex Ferguson to built on what the great man started.

There is Alex Totton who played in the great Willie Cunningham team of the late 60s and early 70s. The gold standard era that all others should be measured.

Don't know, will find out and post.

Good draw in the cup for once BUT ! If and it's a big if --- the bairns beat Livi. Formartine or Cove will be no pushovers. Two good sides that don't lose many goals and are used to scoring them. Falkirk will have to turn up with the correct attitude, if they do then it can be won. All it will take is 2 or 3 players thinking it's in the bag and go through the motions. We should be in no doubt Falkirk will be out. Cove will be favourites to win their cup tie so if it's them it will be played at the Inverurie Loco ground as Cove are getting a new ground built

Crawford Baptie and Jim Shirra. Is that tough enough for you ?

Waddell got his start in Daddy's rag the Falkirk Herald. He's a talentless chancer and a textbook case of who you know rather than what you know. Having on your CV Johnson Press and Daily Record ain't exactly a plus point.

Idiots ! the lot of them if they thought it was funny or acceptable with the false eyes being thrown. Don't bother turning up in future. Remember Richard Caddette getting racial abuse from Dunfermline fans at one of their home gaames. To the credit of the many decent Par fans who support their local team, it was them the named and shamed those responsible . Falkirk fans should do likewise.

Great idea in principle. But depended on the one 6-10 million pound gem to be produced, to kick us onto the next level. Motherwell , St Johnstone , Dundee United, Hamilton for example managed it. Falkirk after nearly 10 years never came close. Just one multi million pound deal with add on's and things could have been do different. But it never happened. The scouting and coaching has just not been good enough. The squad needs gutted and start again from scratch. Are the likes of Finlayson , Peggie , Stowe for example going to be in the first team or on the bench this season ? If not give them a chance of a career at another cub and free up the wages for a first team regular.

Plainly not good enough to warrant a higher league position. The team has not been unlucky, they have got what they deserved from the tactics and the quality of the play. There is no choice but for the directors to find the cash for Hartley to do a Jack Ross and ship out 8-9 and bring in as good as a new squad. If Falkirk go down then the stadium becomes a financial millstone that could finish the football club as we know it. No youth academy, part time players and possible administration. That is why Hartley must get the cash.

Clubs like St Johnstone , Killie , Hamilton , Motherwell the Arabs and others comparable with Falkirk have come up with the multi million fee plus add on's. If they can do it then so can Falkirk, we haven't and that's the point I am making.

With Scotland's elite club academies and centres of excellence now known, and Falkirk not one of them, it is a long overdue reality check on the state of our own academy and youth set up. It was the right idea to go on this strategy of having 2-3 youth players coming through a season. With the hope of the 7-8 million pounds sale to kick the club to the next level. It never happened and sucked up a lot of the clubs money on the way. The bit of class was Scott Arfield and Stephen Kingsley and were sold for peanuts compared to what they are worth now. The decade in the lower division and no prospect of promotion is the result.. The time has come to scrap the set up and start from scratch. Scouting , coaching and the end product does not compare what clubs of our size have produced in the same decade. The club could have spent that money on 2-3 quality players per season that could have brought the young players on far better.

Its a squad that need a clear out. Good players for the last few years are not as good as they were. Vaulks and Alston were big players to replace, and is shows how their quality made better players of those around them. Hartley has to do a Jack Ross and get 7-8 out in the transfer window and as good as create a new team and mindset.

Deserves the support and backing of the fan's and must be given a chance. Will have his own ideas on style of play and the way the team is set up. Has no other choice but to work with what he has got until the transfer window. Suspect some will move on and some new faces brought in. If ever there was motivation for the squad to play their hearts out it, it is that scenario. It's also an opportunity for the young fringe played to impress. Remember the Great Willie Cunningham coming in and doing just that. Players were transformed and were as good as new signings. So give the guy a chance to prove himself with winning in style and with good football.

Fair point, but by putting this to the management team and players now. They get their act together to save their jobs, if not no complaints when they go. Falkirk have not sacked managers without giving them a fair chance when things go wrong at the start of a season. One way or another a massive clear out from top to bottom is required if not now then at the end of the season.

If it's no better come the end of November then it's over for PH and his staff, that is being fair and giving what we have a chance to turn things round. That will give the new manager time to do a Jack Ross at St Mirren in have a clear out bringing in a fresh squad in during the transfer window. The youth programme used to produce 2-3 players a year is not producing the goods. It is now a cost liability and requires a complete rethink. If the like's of Finlayson , Shepherd and Blues cannot make the first 11 we have at present what's the point of having them on the books.