The Falkirk FC Thread

[SouthStander1876]

Oliver so much better in midfield. Coll getting better game by game. Nesbitt playing well. Whole team clicking, round of 16, top of the league. Great time to be a Bairn

[Shodwall cat]

Good to see Ola doing well in a wide role.   Gives the manager even more options if injuries crop up. I'll be honest and say I didn't think he had the pace to play out there but his ability on the ball is top class. 

[Reggie Perrin]

Stand by my opinion that McGlynn deserved to be punted at half time at Airdrie but fair play he has made excellent signings and we are finally playing with pace and aggression.

Long may it last.

Edited September 6, 2023 by Reggie Perrin

[Death warmed up]

21 minutes ago, SouthStander1876 said:

Oliver so much better in midfield. Coll getting better game by game. Nesbitt playing well. Whole team clicking, round of 16, top of the league. Great time to be a Bairn

This is still a terrible time overall to be a bairn but I get what you are saying. It's certainly good for us in L1 terms and a whole heap better than the last few seasons.

[Roboccop]

34 minutes ago, Shodwall cat said:

Good to see Ola doing well in a wide role.   Gives the manager even more options if injuries crop up. I'll be honest and say I didn't think he had the pace to play out there but his ability on the ball is top class. 

I love watching the guy but it’s a bit like seeing a new born foal try to stand. He’s fantastic then gets himself in an fankle. Training surely in time will sort that. Honey man looks like he’s good but I thought he should have buried his chance last night. 

[bairn88]

What a team goal that would’ve been at the end, Honeyman gets a good shot away and unlucky it didn’t go through keepers legs. 

 

[Shodwall cat]

23 minutes ago, Roboccop said:

I love watching the guy but it’s a bit like seeing a new born foal try to stand. He’s fantastic then gets himself in an fankle. Training surely in time will sort that. Honey man looks like he’s good but I thought he should have buried his chance last night. 

Looked from the highlights like the boy was pulling him back a bit and he doesn't get the shot off as clean as he'd like.

[SouthStander1876]

45 minutes ago, Death warmed up said:

This is still a terrible time overall to be a bairn but I get what you are saying. It's certainly good for us in L1 terms and a whole heap better than the last few seasons.

Was meaning in terms of things looking up from where we were over the last few seasons. It is still awful being in L1

[Guest]

2 minutes ago, SouthStander1876 said:

Was meaning in terms of things looking up from where we were over the last few seasons. It is still awful being in L1

Was talking about this with a mate the other day but if we have an amazing season this year then it will still be remembered more than some of the SPL seasons. 

We don’t want to be in this league but it’s great to be winning more games and competing for a title rather than scraping SPL survival most seasons. Should be doing this in the Championship though but needs must just now and hopefully we can continue in the same vein we’ve started. 

[Bairn in Exile]

Just now, Van_damage said:

Was talking about this with a mate the other day but if we have an amazing season this year then it will still be remembered more than some of the SPL seasons. 

We don’t want to be in this league but it’s great to be winning more games and competing for a title rather than scraping SPL survival most seasons. Should be doing this in the Championship though but needs must just now and hopefully we can continue in the same vein we’ve started. 

No way! Give me scrapping for SPL survival any day! More prize money, better players, the stadium regularly sold out, the occasional taking points off the arse cheeks - so much better than even winning League 1 by 20 - 30 points, surely? And we could crowdwank ourselves into oblivion! 

[BountyBairn]

24 minutes ago, Bairn in Exile said:

No way! Give me scrapping for SPL survival any day! More prize money, better players, the stadium regularly sold out, the occasional taking points off the arse cheeks - so much better than even winning League 1 by 20 - 30 points, surely? And we could crowdwank ourselves into oblivion! 

Scenes at survival Saturday (or Sunday cannae be arsed checking) over a trip to meadowbank? Aye! No brainer 

[Donathan]

5 minutes ago, BountyBairn said:

Scenes at survival Saturday (or Sunday cannae be arsed checking) over a trip to meadowbank? Aye! No brainer 

The Inverness game was the Saturday. Usually the bottom six play their last fixture on Saturday lunchtime and the top six the following day. We were relegated at Kilmarnock the following year also on Saturday lunchtime.

 

SPL relegation dogfight over league 1 any day although I'd actually rate 2004-05 in the championship (well first division at the time) as the most enjoyable season in 35 years of watching Falkirk. We absolutely walked the league by 15 points and unlike two seasons prior, you didn't have the impending sadness of Brockville closing, our manager walking out mid-season or the inevitable feeling that strings would be pulled to deny us our rightful promotion.

[StuartA]

It’s not as if we have a choice, but I do agree that if we won the league this season, it’d be particularly memorable, marking as it would a real turnaround from near extinction not that long ago and at least 5 years of hell. I intend to celebrate it like a cup win and would reject any “well we shouldn’t have been there in the first place” pish. 

[Guest]

5 hours ago, Bairn in Exile said:

No way! Give me scrapping for SPL survival any day! More prize money, better players, the stadium regularly sold out, the occasional taking points off the arse cheeks - so much better than even winning League 1 by 20 - 30 points, surely? And we could crowdwank ourselves into oblivion! 

I know what you mean but the initial gimmick of it wore off after a few seasons for me. Had some great games but our most successful 2 seasons finishing 7th were a bit meh, particularly the last 5 games when we didn’t have much to play for. 

League One is maybe a poorer example but most of my favourite seasons have been winning the first division or competing at the top of it.  

Kilmarnock seen their second highest average attendance in the past 16 years last year so did help reinvigorate their support a bit after winning the title. 

Biggest problem is that clubs try to make it as hard as possible to get relegated, it makes it even harder to gain promotion. In my opinion it should be 2 automatic relegation spots to ensure at least 2 come up. Might mean you’re more likely to get relegated but makes the relegation battle and Championship promotion race more interesting. Also gives teams a better chance to get back up the ladder. 

Anyway let’s try get out of this division first! Contradicts what I’ve been saying but definitely would be happy for a relegation dogfight in the Championship next year as opposed to trying to win a League One title at the sixth time of asking!  

Edited September 6, 2023 by Van_damage

[Gaz]

5 hours ago, Donathan said:

The Inverness game was the Saturday. Usually the bottom six play their last fixture on Saturday lunchtime and the top six the following day. We were relegated at Kilmarnock the following year also on Saturday lunchtime.

 

SPL relegation dogfight over league 1 any day although I'd actually rate 2004-05 in the championship (well first division at the time) as the most enjoyable season in 35 years of watching Falkirk. We absolutely walked the league by 15 points and unlike two seasons prior, you didn't have the impending sadness of Brockville closing, our manager walking out mid-season or the inevitable feeling that strings would be pulled to deny us our rightful promotion.

I've said this before but a lot of our SPL seasons weren't particularly enjoyable.

Even in our 04/05 season, we were brilliant up until January and then for some reason signed Alan Kernaghan and went to a back five of James, Hughes and Kernagan playing utter hoofball.

05/06 we were dreadful at home and didn't win a home game until April.

06/07 we finished 7th playing some great football. 07/08 we were the same.

08/09 we were absolutely terrible and only stayed up because of Higdon's arse. Hughes jettisoned his philosophy of signing young, hungry players and instead gave a last payday to his old, past-it mates (McNamara and McCann to name two). The cup final run papered over some cracks and Hughes knew he'd fucked up and that's why he fucked off.

09/10 we were absolutely dreadful. It was obvious after about three games that Eddie May was not cut out to be a manager.

[ebobsboy]

That 08/09 season was the death knell. Why the f**k yogi ever thought getting rid of the likes of Jack Ross, Liam Craig etc and replace them with  McNamara, McCann, Lovell etc was a good idea I'll never know, the performances dropped off a cliff despite him spouting pish every week about how great the experienced guys were. When everyone knew we were in bother. 

[Shodwall cat]

22 minutes ago, Gaz said:

I've said this before but a lot of our SPL seasons weren't particularly enjoyable.

Even in our 04/05 season, we were brilliant up until January and then for some reason signed Alan Kernaghan and went to a back five of James, Hughes and Kernagan playing utter hoofball.

05/06 we were dreadful at home and didn't win a home game until April.

06/07 we finished 7th playing some great football. 07/08 we were the same.

08/09 we were absolutely terrible and only stayed up because of Higdon's arse. Hughes jettisoned his philosophy of signing young, hungry players and instead gave a last payday to his old, past-it mates (McNamara and McCann to name two). The cup final run papered over some cracks and Hughes knew he'd fucked up and that's why he fucked off.

09/10 we were absolutely dreadful. It was obvious after about three games that Eddie May was not cut out to be a manager.

Most seasons were wrecked due to yogi not having a plan B for when latapy struggled during the winter months. Our record between the turn of the year and the split under him was absolutely horrendous and cost us top 6 twice when it should've been easily in the bag.  His January signings weren't great either. Replacing stokes with finnigan and Steven thomson with McBride was never going to work out well and so it planned out.

[Shodwall cat]

Just now, ebobsboy said:

That 08/09 season was the death knell. Why the f**k yogi ever thought getting rid of the likes of Jack Ross, Liam Craig etc and replace them with  McNamara, McCann, Lovell etc was a good idea I'll never know, the performances dropped off a cliff despite him spouting pish every week about how great the experienced guys were. When everyone knew we were in bother. 

He got carried away with his own success and instead of just doing what hed been doing but better he went down an entirely different route. Some better winter recruitment would've got us over the line those two seasons .

[ebobsboy]

Carried away with his own success and decent wages for his pals. I personally think he panicked when Latapy went and thought the team won't cope without him we need experience and instead of maybe signing one or two decent players he decided to replace virtually half a team with duffers.

[PedroMoutinho]

I’d take a “not particularly enjoyable” season in the premier league any day over the shite we’ve endured recently. I can’t understand the criticism a manager who repeatedly kept us in the premier league playing largely attractive football gets.

The finances in the premier league make it possible to attract better players which leads to better football and better crowds. We were able to support a football budget of £2.7 million in 2008 (equivalent to over £4.1 million today).