Fall of Falkirk: from cup finals to League 1 also-rans
Six weeks ago Falkirk were six points clear in League One, odds-on for the title. On Tuesday night, after a 2-0 defeat at Airdrie, they finished fifth in the final standings with hopes of automatic promotion passed up and their route via the play-offs gone.
It has been an incredible short term collapse inform, with one point from a possible 18 over their final six matches.
Go back 12 years and Falkirk were contesting the Scottish Cup final and, midway through that period, was another visit to H amp den for the 2015 final with a battling team sprinkled with homegrown players.
Now they face a third season in League one with another squad overhaul imminent.
Many are asking how it came to this? It’s too simplistic to lay the blame on one decision, act orindividual.it’stooeasyforonlookerstoquestionthedismissal of Peter Houston four years ago, or for angry fans to make managerial bogey-men of past bosses.
In those 12 years there have been seven changes in chairman, nine in the managers’ office and three drops in league status. Falkirk have slipped from Europa League entrants in 2009 to fifth in Scotland’s third tier – their lowest point since the 1970s.
“Three fantastic years then six bad weeks,” Peter Houston lamented at the time of his departure as manager in September 2017, frequently suggestedas a turning point by fans outwith Falkirk when viewing a spell where the team enjoyed play-offs and high-profile wins against Rangers, Hibs and Hearts.
But despite his popularity and success, there was a feeling of an era drawing to a close. It was expected houston, in set, would move on–hopefully on a high at the fourth time of asking. The concerning start to the season with three points from the first seven league games had fans on edge–particularly after the previous high sand a play-off near miss just a few months earlier.
With sporting director Alex Smith set to retire, one suggestion was for the fan favourite to move “upstairs” and hand team affairs to assistants james Mcdonaugh and Alan Maybury. That could have bridged the desire for change with continuity of a previously successful management. Instead, Falkirk brought in a whole new regime and advanced a strategic restructure designed to bring change - but it turned out not to be the one anticipated.
Subsequent managers have been unable to replicate Houston's success with Paul Hartley’s side struggling then Ray Mckinnon’s being relegated from the Championship and rookie duo lee miller and david Mccracken losing their jobs after letting that six-point lead slip this term.
Falkirk’s vaunted academy was their saving grace following relegation from the top flight in 2010 under Eddie May and Steven Pressley. Unable to gain promotion at the first attempt, Pressley was forced to play youngsters such as 16-year-old Craig Sibbald and 17-year-olds
Jay Fulton and Stephen Kingsley in a squad still expected to challenge, supplemented by free transfers like David Weatherston and Farid El Alagui.
The team lifted the Ramsdens Challenge Cup, reached the league cup semi-finals and were helped off-the-field by selling Murray Wallace to Huddersfield - adding another six figures to previous departures of Ryan Flynn and Scott Arfield.
It reaped rewards financially, and in reputation, with current Rangers sporting director Ross Wilson a driving force behind the scenes for talent development.
The club later entered an SFA pilot with neighbouring clubs to form Forth Valley Academy. Now it is no more, though the club is rebuilding the foundations to restore a present-day youth pathway.
Unwilling to fulfil the costly requirements of Project Brave's elite grading system, it was decided in December 2017 to abandon academy involvement altogether – despite fans offering funding to keep their proud history of youth development functioning.
Instead came a “Pathway to the Premiership” scouting network picking up the “best of the rest” released from England’s academies, delivering a patchwork of players for Hartley - sourced from Brighton, Watford and Sunderland as well as Tamworth and Hereford. The under-performing team was relegated from the Championship,despitemckinnon’s subsequent clear-out.
Ditchingtheacademycoststo supplementafirst-teampromotion push did not produce Premiership football. It resulted in aseriesofsquadrebuildsandno continuity.
Now, having finished fifth, managerless and facing a third year in League One, the fanbase – still significant in Scottish terms, especially at thirdtier level, regularly complain of a "disconnect” with the club.
Where once there were quirky competitions to watch games from pitchside cranes, sofas and hot-tubs, fans are now locked out of the ground, watching games online and expressing their frustration on social media. The popular Pie and Bovril forum experienced server issues at full-time in Airdrieontuesdayasmanymoved to vent their spleens.
They support a club which has sensibly erred on the side of financial caution since seeing offprovisionalliquidationinthe late 1990s, but equally one that was competing in Europe just 12 years ago. They backed a fanownership campaign in 2019 and saw another takeover fall flat. After rebuild after rebuild they have grown frustrated.
Much hope is now placed in the investment and experience of ex-stoke City director Phil Rawlins and wife Carrie – formerly involved with Orlando City in the MLS – to turn the tide with the next rebuild and salvage the club from its lowest ebb.