STAR PAIR TO LIGHT BAIRNS’ CHAMPAIGN
JOHN McGLYNN insists Falkirk will use Airdrie and Dunfermline as their inspiration to launch a fearless return to the Championship.
The Bairns boss is convinced both the Diamonds and Pars proved newly-promoted clubs can thrive in the second tier.
Now he’s looking for his League One title winners to re-establish themselves as a club befitting their history and stature.
After ending a five-year absence from the Championship with an emphatic Invi cibles campaign, McGlynn is adamant thoughts of any inferiority complex have already been banished.
He said: “We have a group of players who believe within themselves that we can deliver.
“On the first day back for pre-season last summer I told the players we had a squad of Championship quality and they needed to go out and prove that. They did and now it’s about carrying that on and proving it again.
“We have managed to sign nearly all of the squad for this campaign and added a couple so we are ready to give it a go in the Championship.
“I don’t have a crystal ball so we don’t know how it will go but there are examples of how the likes of Airdrie and Dunfermline have fared after being promoted from League One and that is a source of inspiration.
“They finished fourth and fifth respectively last season and we finished second in League One two seasons ago when they both went up. But I feel we have a far better side now. It gives us encouragement that we can do well.
“When I was at Raith Rovers we finished third in the league behind Hearts and Dundee in the Championship so I have been at clubs who won promotion and produced in a higher league but there are no guarantees.
“The spirit in our camp has been awesome and we will need to rely on that again next season.”
The 62- year- old was named PFA Scotland manager of the year at an awards night last month – despite competition from Kilmarnock’s Derek McInnes and Dundee’s Tony Docherty. It came after his side went unbeaten over 36 matches and he believes the plaudits have to go to his players.
He said: “When we took the challenge on we knew it was going to be a massive one as the club was heading in the wrong direction.
“There were only 14 players under contract and things were in a bad way. So it was difficult as we could only bring so many players in as there was so little of the budget left.
“So to give it a go in our first year and then do what he have this year is a huge achievement.
“Everyone knows Falkirk as a club should never be in League One. It’s taken us five years to get out of it and as a lot of managers have discovered, this is not the easiest league to get out of.
“A huge amount of the credit has to go to the players. They are the ones who crossed the line and who have produced.”