HopeStreetWalker

Great player for the club and has done his best as the manager. To be fair he has produced some great teams that played with spirit and passion, but this is a squad that has had it's day. The guy must be so disappointed on how it has gone so far and will be hurting as much as the support. Suspect he will resign as it's in the best interests of the club. The team needs gutted and rebuilt just like Jack Ross did at Paisley. The youth system is not working and it's where the club spends the money, requires a complete rethink on how the club is run. The whole structure has to go and start from scratch. Harsh maybe but doing nothing is not an option.

Spot on with the youth comment. The much vaunted policy of bringing on our own players just has not worked over the last 2 years and it showed. That is where the money is spent so 2 players a year coming through is reasonable to expect.. Finlayson . Blues , Shepherd either get a run or move them on. Can't be any worse ! and getting even 1 that makes the grade will improve things.

Putting in a good , hard , fair tackle. Is a footballing skill now sadly being legislated out the game. It takes timing and a foot ball brain, to judge when, where and how to sort out a opposition player. Nothing better to watch than someone if full flight being brought to a shuddering halt as someone comes in gets the ball first and the opponent from top speed to stop in a fraction of a second as he runs into the opponent who has set himself up to be a solid as possible. Wind, slavers and snot flying out of him as he collapses in a heap, while the ref waves play on.

Exactly ! Maybe look at a new way of doing pre-season. Smith , Totton and Housty must have contacts a plenty. So time for some telephone calls. 2 or 3 quality loan players is just what we need.

You don't have to get physical to get the better of a winger. Take it from a winger, namely the late great Davie Cooper. Was at a football night many years ago in Aberdeen and Davie was one of the guests and by the way what a topper of a guy. Was asked by a Dons fan what it was like to play against Stewart Kennedy. Davie said this. Beating Stewart was the easy bit, he would jocky you , hold you up and when you got past him it was where he wanted you to go. You would not go 2 to 3 strides and his pace in recovery meant you were back to square one. By that time Simpson , Cooper Miller etc would be all over you. What Gallacher has is pace, so he needs good coaching on how to defend to his strengths. Could do a lot worse than getting the finest fullback Falkirk have produced in the last 50 years to show him how its done.

Bad day at the office or a sign of problems with quality , quantity and attitude ? Time will tell ! But get behind the team when they are on the park. Can anybody remember the last time we started a season flying out the blocks ? I can't

We should not bring politics or religion into why you support FFC. Leave that sort of thing to the bigot brothers.

Thank you for the Fowler correction, must have got mixed up with his son the ex QOS manager

It goes back to before the 1960's when Falkirk were known as the little Rangers

Got hooked in the Great Willie Cunningham era. Rennie Abel McLaughlin Markie Miller Gibson Hoggan Roxburgh Ferguson Shirra and Young. You would walk down Hope Street after a few pints in the Royal Hotel Bar wondering how many goals we would score that day. Brockville was a fortress that every team including the old firm hated playing at. Fans on top of them. The folk in the stand knew where the away dressing room was and would start drumming their feet 20 minutes before kick off when the pre match talk was going on. Meanwhile the people in the enclosure would be shouting dogs abuse through the window to the dressing room. As the away team ran out they faced the gauntlet of the bairns diehards in full voice. The away teams dugout for the whole game would be fair game for derision and any comment that would annoy them from the enclosure. It was a sad day when they sacked Cunningham it was all in place and the board blew it. It put the club back 40 years. Ferguson as assistant manager ready to step in. the young talent coming through was frightening. Stuart Kennedy John Kennedy Stewart Wheatley John Young Colin Fowler Alex Beckett Ian Harley Dougie Somner Tommy McLeod. The new stadiums stands should have been a two levels getting the fans closer to the pitch. If they bring back standing at games base it on an updated Brockville grandstand and enclosure.

Give Finlayson a run. He is good and will only get better playing at a higher level. Sure he will make mistakes but if he takes his chance and makes the grade, the right back problem solved and a young player in contract that will give a payback when he moves on. If he is not given a chance what's the point of having him on the books.

Falkirk should play to their strengths with what they have got and adapt the tactics to suit. So what do we have with the players on the books ? Pace ! Not a lot of teams have that,, and its hard to play against Finlayson , Gallacher , Harris , Shepherd , Austin , O'Hara and Hippolyte for example Counter attacking team ? Pressing tactics ? Not for or against but worth discussing Any thoughts anybody.

Get these pros signed up to end their careers at Falkirk. Then watch them. Thought exactly that when we signed so called over the hill players. How wrong In was ! What's the alternative ? same as last year and we ain't going up. Think about it ! The spine of a side with a style of play that bring the best out of talented younger players.

It is uncanny how this situation is to 1969. Team with a core of old players past their prime. Core of 21-25 year olds that could do better. With a pool of youngsters wanting a chance and no money in the club. Then Willie Cunningham arrived. The clear out followed and it was not popular at the time. But in the next 3 years there was some of the best football I ever saw at Falkirk. So this is a time for boldness and faith in the players coming through. Nothing to lose for the way the posts are going, its an acceptance of nothing to get the fans going. So how about this, sign 3 players 29-30 year olds Centre Half , Centre Midfield , Forward. on a 3-4 year contracts. There are 3 - 5 players in the 22-26 year bracket to have a core of a side already signed. Feed in Finlayson , Gallagher , Blues , Shepherd , O'Hara and couple of others coming through. Cunningham signed George Miller , Alex Scott and Alex Ferguson quality players that made everybody else better players overnight and the young players improved every game they played. That is the thinking Houston should apply. All he has to do is ask Alex Totton who was there in these halcyon days.

We have a player already that can play wide right. Shepherd ! worth a run

Don't disagree. Not all at one time but play them. If they don't get the chance we will never know. COYB

Look what the likes of the McCarthy and McArthur transfer fee did for Hamilton Accies. It has kept them in a division above us for the last 6 years. As for recovering from the last time we ' went to the next level giving youth a chance ' we got to cup semi's and finals with home grown talent and a decent transfer fees when they moved on. It's our only option to bring on our own players and we will get that big transfer. It worked with Willie Cunningham's greats teams 1969-1972 and packed out Brockville to boot. We need a right back, so why not give Finlayson a chance, he has just signed an extension to his contract and is due his chance.

Its not chucking in the youths. If they are good enough they are old enough. Playing beside experienced players will bring them up a level. It's the only way to go for a provincial club like Falkirk. The players mentioned either get a chance this season or they won't make it. There is a lot of the clubs money spent on these players. We will turn out a multi million pound talent at some time. Which will enable FFC to kick up to the next level.

Whit ?

That's negative, the academy system gets the investment and rightly so. It has to produce the goods and give these players a chance. Not everyone will make it by many will. if they don't make it then we know the scouting and coaching system is not fit for purpose and do something about it. if they do make the grade we get the young talent producing the goods and get the financial payoff to invest further in the future when they move on. Remember the exact same thing being said to me when the likes of Abel , Shirra , Hoggan , Mcleod, Somner, Harley , Young, Fowler and Wheatley first started playing and went on to be good players for Falkirk. The other option is to go with journeymen and hope for the best and see where that got us.

The situation is the same that faced Willie Cunningham in the late 60's Talented group in the 21-25 range. With young players on the fringes desperate for a chance to play. Cunningham had a clear out and invested in class experienced players. George Millar at centre half, Alex Scott Midfield/Wing and Alex Ferguson and Andy Roxburgh up front. the 21-25 year old became better players and the youngsters improved every game. It was a glorious era for the Falkirk fans. Attacking football played in a sporting way with pace and skill. Image walking down the game wondering how many goals we were going to score today ! I did, and it was a good feeling Get Finlayson , Gallacher , Blues , Shepherd and O'Hara in the starting line up from day one. The fans will get behind them and the team.