The Bairns are back: Falkirk's League One title-winning campaign review - invincibility awaits

Well, actually, it feels like they’ve been back for a wee while now – thanks to a rejuvenated team on the park and a forward-thinking and open one off it – yet everyone knew that, this time around, anything but automatic promotion would have a catastrophe as full-time football was on the line.

And it has been some journey – missing out on promotion first time around by a single point after a controversial points-per-game league curtailment; losing six out of their eight final games the following year to completely bottle even a play-off spot; then managing to actually finish a place lower in sixth while going through two managers and an interim gaffer; finishing second to rivals Dunfermline Athletic but reaching a Scottish Cup semi-final as a third-tier club; and finally, cruising to a league title as the SPFL’s only unbeaten team as it stands.

Quite the journey, and we haven’t even touched on a certain Q&A. The less said the better.

But for all of the misery and pain that have come and gone, Falkirk fans can look back on this campaign as one of the best in the club’s history. Yes, it has been in the third tier, but John McGlynn’s men have been imperious.

After a dismal two-legged play-off capitulation to Airdrieonians, it felt like McGlynn’s coat was on a shoogly peg heading into the new campaign.

On the face of it, recruitment looked solid. Experienced players came in but the squad looked a little lacking in some areas. Midfielder Finn Yeats was going to start the season as a right-back owing to the Bairns’ budget just not stretching far enough.

But after a decent enough showing in the Viaplay Cup’s group stages, the current crop got off to a much-needed quick start. The first quarter of the league season saw the Bairns pick up 23 points. Results like the 5-1 win at Kelty Hearts showed that on their day, the team were capable of blowing fellow third-tier opposition away. Their 0-0 draw against Hamilton Accies at home was a frustrating way to end the quarter, but McGlynn’s men still sat top on goal difference.

The second quarter took us up to the new year, and it also saw the Bairns sit five points clear with a game in hand going into 2024. Falkirk quickly got back to winning ways in October with a late 2-1 win at Stirling Albion and they went on to enjoy a flawless December after a sub-par November yielding two draws from three league outings. One of the biggest moments of the season came on Saturday, December 16, when McGlynn’s men defeated Hamilton 3-1 in South Lanarkshire. That result put to bed the gaffer’s poor record against their nearest challengers after failing to get a win over Dunfermline Athletic the previous campaign. All in, 23 points again was a solid return.

The third quarter was an odd one. Sandwiched in between a Scottish Cup exit to League Two’s Bonnyrigg Rose and a comeback 2-2 draw at bottom club Edinburgh City on league duty was another fantastic period – that included some noteworthy results. The Bairns picked up 23 points again, with a 4-0 thrashing of Paul Hartley’s Cove Rangers, a night for fans to savour. They eventually surged to a 17-point lead at the summit after rounding off the quarter with a 1-0 away win at Cove in a rearranged fixture. By that point, Accies had fallen well away and the title was in touching distance.

McGlynn’s team went into the final quarter knowing that they could have league glory sealed within a matter of weeks if they kept on winning, and they did just that. Another late win at Stirling Albion kicked off the final run-in, with the boss making changes to the team each week to freshen his squad up. After a 4-1 home win against Edinburgh City, the date was finally set for the Bairns to escape the third tier.

BBC Alba had smartly snapped up Falkirk’s trip to Montrose on Saturday, March 30, and a massive travelling support made their way to Angus for a title party. McGlynn’s team were hoping to do it on their own – but the championship was confirmed before the game even got under way after Hamilton dropped points to leave an insurmountable gap at the top.

And on the night, Falkirk put in their best showing of the season so far, racking up a 7-1 victory to bed their League One demons once and for all. It was fitting that the win came against Montrose – one of several sides to have caused the Bairns a fair amount of trouble during their five-year stay in the third tier.

“It has been a long time coming. The five years shows you that it isn’t easy to get out of League One, but we’ve shown this season that it can be done with the same budget as those before me,” McGlynn said, looking back on the Bairns’ title-winning campaign so far.

“We’ve blown everyone away. It is a great credit to everyone involved. I can’t compliment the players highly enough.

“They’ve been amazing to work with. They make the job easy for me and Smudger (Paul Smith).

“I couldn’t be prouder of the club as a whole. Over the whole season, the fans, the back-room team, the directors, the fans, everyone has pulled together.

“It was a big challenge coming to Falkirk. Last season was great. We got to a Scottish Cup semi-final but we’ve got better and better this year.

“I’ve won League One three times now but this is the one that eclipses the rest.”