Falkirk

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Falkirk manager John McGlynn has revealed he made more money as a plumber than when he went into full-time coaching at Hearts and paid tribute to his spouse for her "great support".

McGlynn, 64, spent around 10 years at Hearts from the mid-1990s, working with the club's youth teams initially on a part-time basis.

He subsequently managed Raith Rovers, Hearts, Livingston and Raith again before joining Falkirk in 2022. McGlynn oversaw successive promotions from Scottish League 1 to the Premiership via the Championship.

And, on Sunday, the Bairns recorded their first win over Celtic in 19 years.

"My wife supported me all the way through," McGlynn told BBC Radio 5 Live.

"I was making more plumbing than when I went back into football at youth level on a full-time basis at Hearts. She's always backed me all the way along. Great support."

McGlynn sealed a top-six finish on Falkirk's top-flight return last season and has revamped his squad for the current campaign after losing a clutch of players that had been on loan.

After a slow start in the league, the Bairns are up to fourth in the Premiership, having won four league games in a row.

He was asked about Falkirk's unique selling point for attracting players, given the budgetary challenges.

"We've had a lot of plaudits for the style of play," he explained.

"We give them game time. A lot of these guys can go to League One and League Two in England and perhaps don't get the opportunity as much.

"We've got a great culture amongst everyone at the club."

We asked for your views after in-form Falkirk stunned Scottish Premiership leaders Celtic with a sensational 2-0 victory.

Here's what some of you had to say:

Pabs: Surely Scott Bain gets into the Scotland team now? An absolutely stunning performance from our goalkeeper. Falkirk were superb throughout, with defenders flinging themselves in front of shots and chasing down Celtic. The Bairns were the better team and deserved the win.

Nathan: An inspirational performance from everyone involved. I'm so proud of this team and so proud to be a Falkirk fan. Surely our players and, more importantly, John McGlynn deserve a statue now? Bain was absolutely incredible and should be the first name on the Scotland starting XI for the next international break. Anything else would be a farce.

Andy: We were top-class and, as usual, didn't show any fear against one of the top two. Roll on Hearts next Sunday! If Bain doesn't get called up for Scotland, there's something very wrong.

Stuart: This team gets better every week. Team spirit, fighting for every ball. Happy days being a Bairn!

Lewis C: The difference between the two sides? Heart. Falkirk players, coaches and fans have it, Celtic don't. A brilliantly run club, getting better all the time.

Paul: Bain put in an inspired performance. Surely he has staked a claim to start for Scotland?

Watch Falkirk beat Scottish Premiership leaders Celtic and make it four wins in a row (UK only).

Falkirk earned a stunning first victory over an abject Celtic in 19 years to move up to fourth place in the Scottish Premiership.

Read the full match report here

Have your say on the game via this link

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Falkirk manager John McGlynn: "It's taken a massive effort, it was some shift the players put in.

"We needed Scott Bain to have the game of his life, he made so many saves. It's a huge testament to everyone, the work rate, the effort, the desire.

"We got the early goal which you're always grateful for and that gave us something to hold onto, settled us down a little bit.

"I think the second goal was excellent, a great ball through and Scott Tanser, who's not been playing very much, comes into the team today, gets into a great position and score.

"To get the 2-0 advantage was huge and I think Scott Bain had two outstanding saves. He had to continuously produce in the second half so a huge thank you to him for the game he's had.

"A huge performance, all the characteristics you'd want from your team playing against Celtic."

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Falkirk have forward Ethan Laidlaw pushing for a comeback, but Aodhan Doherty, Joe Gardner and Keelan Adams remain out.

Celtic remain without Alistair Johnston, Yang Hyun-jun and Auston Trusty.

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Ryan Strain is confident Falkirk can continue their good form when they host champions Celtic on Sunday.

The Bairns have won their past three matches against Hibernian, Kilmarnock and Aberdeen to jump into the top six.

Right-back Strain said: "We're coming off three wins in a row, so we'll be going out there to try and get the win. We're at home, we've got to make it a fortress. I don't see why not."

Strain believes Falkirk's recent defensive solidity is crucial to the upturn in form.

"That's two clean sheets in a row now, which is massive," he said.

"Obviously, we were conceding late and we didn't want to keep that bad habit going, but I feel that we are really solid at the moment at the back.

"Hopefully we can just keep going."

• Falkirk have lost 17 of their past 19 meetings with Celtic in all competitions (D2), including their latest 10 in a row - they have never lost this fixture 11 times in a row.

• Camilo Duran leads the Scottish Premiership this season for both goals (7) and goal involvements (12) and could become the youngest Celtic player to score in five successive league games since Odsonne Edouard in February 2021 (23 years 29 days).

• Celtic have only lost one of their past 26 league games against Falkirk (W22 D3), a 1-0 defeat in March 2007.

• Falkirk have won two of their past three home league games (L1), as many as in their previous nine games (W2 L7) and could win successive such matches for the first time since January/February last season.

• Celtic have won eight successive away league games, one more than in their previous 15 games on the road in the league (W7 D3 L5).

Tyrone Smith
BBC Sport Scotland Senior Reporter

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Falkirk matchwinner Ben Krauhaus was delighted with three points at Aberdeen, even if the performance wasn't the best.

The 22-year-old, who joined on loan from Brentford in the summer, came off the bench in the second half to stab home the only goal at Pittodrie.

"When you're on the bench you're not too happy but it's the best case scenario coming on and scoring the winner," the midfielder said.

"I think that's something the club's never done in the top flight, three wins in a row, so that was the goal before the game.

"It wasn't the best of games but it's always tough coming here. The result is the main thing and we got that.

"I said to the fans in my last interview to just stick with us because training with the boys every day I see we've got a very good squad.

"Every game this season we've been in the game, we might not have got the result we wanted in some of the games but we haven't looked poor in any of them."

Watch Falkirk secure a third Premiership win in a row to deepen Aberdeen's gloom. Available to UK users only.

Falkirk made it three wins in six Scottish Premiership games to edge up into the top half of the league as a Ben Krauhaus strike gave them victory over Aberdeen at Pittodrie.

Read the full match report here.

Have your say on the game via this link.

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Falkirk manager John McGlynn: "Delighted to win. Coming to Aberdeen isn't easy at any time. It wasn't a classic, we've played better and Stephen [Robinson] might say the same.

"Nothing in the game at all, we rode our luck at times in the second half. But our boys showed a great attitude, they worked exceptionally hard. Ben Krauhaus has taken the goal well.

"We've won three in a row, which is not easy in the Premiership. Delighted with that. It wasn't pleasing on the eye, we need to pass the ball better, but you take it over the course of a season.

"We had to battle and we fought, and we've got to give our players credit for that.

"We've lost games that we should have taken points from. It's swings and roundabouts. Today we weren't great but from the attitude, commitment and desire - they were all there. But we can produce more quality.

"Our players have heard a lot about what the team did last season. The team last season never won three Premiership games in a row. This team has done that."

• Last season, the three Scottish Premiership games between Aberdeen and Falkirk featured just four goals (1 Aberdeen, 3 Falkirk); only Celtic v St Mirren had fewer in 2025-26 (3).

• As a sole manager, John McGlynn has lost none of his five league games against Aberdeen (W3 D2), two with Hearts (W1 D1) and three with Falkirk (W2 D1).

• After their 2-1 win over Hibernian, Falkirk could earn back-to-back away victories in the top flight for the first time since May 2009.

• Aberdeen have won just one of their past eight league meetings with Falkirk (D2 L5), a 1-0 victory in April 2010.

• Aberdeen have lost five of their past six midweek (Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday) home games in the Scottish Premiership (D1) since a 2-1 win over Rangers in October 2024.

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Aberdeen defender Mats Knoester (thigh) and midfielder Connor Ronan (knee) will see specialists while centre-back Lewis Mayo suffered a stress fracture in a foot and will be ruled out for a minimum of two months.

Centre-back Dan Happe and midfielders Findlay Marshall and Tony Yogane are struggling with illness and Kristers Tobers (knee) is still working his way back.

Falkirk's Ben Krauhaus has overcome a hamstring injury and will be available. Ethan Laidlaw is training following an ankle injury but the game comes too early.

Aodhan Doherty (foot), Joe Gardner (thigh) and Keelan Adams (ankle) remain out.

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John McGlynn revealed Falkirk's early-season points target ahead of the Premiership clash with Aberdeen at Pittodrie on Wednesday night.

The Bairns' 3-0 home victory over Kilmarnock on Saturday made it back-to back wins for the first time this season.

Falkirk, who finished sixth last season on 49 points after coming up to the top flight, are currently seventh with 12 points from 10 games.

McGlynn said: "The last two games have been really good, seeing the team gel together, the spirit growing within this new squad.

"They seem to be fighting even more so. I could never really fault their workrate in any game, we have been in every game, but I've seen them go that extra bit.

"Against Hibs we were under pressure but they stood strong and on Saturday we got a couple of goals to go in front but it could have been a game of two halves with the wind going in one direction.

"But we made sure we did even better in the second half against the wind and it was pleasing that we more or less killed the game in the second half.

"It was a pleasing win obviously when you have been down near the bottom, a bit nervy.

"It is still early days, very early. The game against Aberdeen on Wednesday is the last of the first round of 11 fixtures.

"If we win that game - and it is a hard place to go - we would go on to 15 points which is what we got after 11 games and every section of 11 games last season so we are on schedule for that.

"It would be huge for a new team. To bring in 17 players and hit the same heights as we did over the same period last season, that would be a success.

"That's the target though, we have to aim for that.

"This team has got to create their own success stories, history, whatever it may be."

Grant Heaney
Fan writer

Saturday's 3-0 win over Kilmarnock was our most complete performance of the season and a great way to secure back-to-back league victories for the first time this term.

Every starter played their part in a thoroughly deserved win, but one of the most pleasing aspects was the clean sheet.

It was only our second league shutout of the campaign and the first since the goalless draw at Motherwell in early August, so I'm sure John McGlynn was delighted with that.

On the subject of defending, Lewis Neilson deserves credit for the way he has performed this season.

I don't mind admitting I was a little perplexed by the decision to sign him permanently in the summer, and I know I wasn't the only one in our support who felt that way. However, I should have known better and had more faith in McGlynn's judgement, because Neilson is doing an impressive job of winning me over.

As we approach the quarter mark of the season, the 23-year-old has been one of our standout performers at the back and his consistency has been particularly encouraging.

He seems to be keeping his defending simple, cutting out needless errors and showing greater concentration. Those might sound like basic requirements for a defender, but doing them week in, week out makes a big difference and Neilson deserves praise for the improvement in his game.

Hopefully he can maintain those standards and help the back four build on Saturday's shutout with a few more clean sheets in the weeks and months ahead.

Sportscene's Steven Thompson and James McFadden discuss in-form Falkirk forward Jacob Murrell, who scored in Saturday's 3-0 win over Kilmarnock (UK only).

Two Kilmarnock players score own goals as Falkirk triumph in the Scottish Premiership (UK only).

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Falkirk boss John McGlynn has been delighted with striker Jacob Murrell's impact after he scored a fifth goal in six games during Saturday's 3-0 home win against Kilmarnock.

The 22-year-old joined from DC United in the summer and has settled in well, according to boss McGlynn.

"Jacob is very confident now," he said.

"Like everything else, you come from America and you've got to adjust. Loads of things are different, even driving on the other side of the road is something you've got to get used to.

"He's living in Glasgow, he's now settled down, he's comfortable and his form is really, really good.

"A couple of goals last week, another one today [Saturday]. He takes the header really well. It's a carbon copy of the goal he scored at Tannadice from a corner.

"From my point of view, long may that last."

Falkirk fans, we asked for your views after Saturday's 3-0 win over Kilmarnock.

Here's what some of you had to say:

Pabs: Storm Murrell strikes! Not an easy watch in that weather but Falkirk handled the conditions so well. Jacob Murrell played his heart out, his headed goal was technically superb. Sure, we were gifted two own goals but you need to be attacking to create those chances.

Jack: How ironic that the current Killie coach used our pitch as part of his excuses for losing against us. The reality is that they were out thought, out run, out paced, out fought, out played, out pressed by a team who wanted it, went after it and deservedly got it.

Mark: Well deserved victory from the Bairns, they coped with the conditions much better than Killie. Great to see the summer of transition finally start to show what this team can achieve with last week's result being backed up with another great performance and clean sheet. John McGlynn seems to pick up these rough diamonds and turn them into bright prospects time after time, Jacob Murrell is already embodying the ghost of Barney Stewart.

Neil: Great performance in atrocious weather. Think we've now found our best starting 11 now. I thought big Deniss Melniks was superb in midfield and McGlynn and the team have unearthed a gem in Murrell. We are a real threat at set pieces now and it was a great all round team performance.

Paul: Another truly Hollywood performance from Jacob Murrell. The hot streak continues.

Dougie: Terrific performance in terrible weather, everyone played their part in the win. Special mention to Jacob in scoring with a cracking header.