Falkirk

Falkirk boss John McGlynn says he hopes to complete two more loan deals next week. Falkirk Herald, external

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Falkirk goalkeeper Scott Bain is pushing to return from an ankle injury while the Bairns are without Keelan Adams and Aidan Nesbitt following ankle surgery and the suspended Brad Spencer. Tom Lang is close to a return after 18 months out.

Liam Donnelly could return for St Mirren and on-loan Rangers midfielder Paul Nsio could make his debut while Declan John (hamstring) remains out. Ryan Mullen is making good progress following a thigh injury.

Keanu Baccus (Achilles) and Jonah Ayunga (knee) are long-term absentees.

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Falkirk defender Liam Henderson hopes the club's tight-knit dressing room will help manager John McGlynn deal with a summer of transition.

The Bairns have lost key players Calvin Miller, Dylan Tait and Barney Stewart this summer as well as several loanees.

Falkirk exited the League Cup at the group stage and McGlynn admitted he expects a more difficult campaign than last season's top-half Premiership finish.

Still, Henderson thinks the experienced players that remain will have a big say, starting with Saturday's league opener against St Mirren.

"These players we've lost are massive players inside the dressing room and on the pitch, so to replace them is very difficult in a short space of time," the 29-year-old said.

"Also, the budget that we've got doesn't compare to other teams in the league.

"We've been together throughout these three seasons so you create bonds, you create partnerships, friendships that you take on to the pitch, so you can't buy that straight away.

"That's formed by relationships and our culture in the dressing room, senior players, coaching staff, to build that kind of relationship in there, so that takes time.

"But on the pitch, the boys have got quality. Anyone can come and do well. The dressing room that we have, we're very open, we're very welcoming.

"For instance, Barney coming in from a uni team and moving on 18 months and making himself a fortune is because of the culture that we've created in this dressing room.

"Obviously he's scored goals, don't get me wrong, but to feel free to go and do that and enjoy football is a massive part of how we operate in the dressing room."

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• Last season, St Mirren's Scottish Premiership games had just 85 goals (30 for, 55 against), the fewest of any side. By contrast, Falkirk were one of only two sides in 2025-26 to both score (50) and concede (62) 50+ goals in the division, along with Kilmarnock (50 for, 68 against).

• St Mirren lost their opening league game of last season 1-0 at Celtic Park but have not lost on the opening day in back-to-back Premiership campaigns since 2013-14/2014-15.

• Falkirk lost each of their final three league games of last season, their longest losing run in 2025-26. The Bairns last lost four in a row in the top-flight in December 2008.

• St Mirren have won five of their last seven top-flight away games at Falkirk Stadium (losing just once) – including both last season.

• Falkirk have only won two of their last 12 top-flight meetings with St Mirren (losing half of them), a 2-1 victory in April 2010 and 2-0 triumph in January last season.

Brian McLauchlin
BBC Sport Scotland Senior Reporter

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Manager John McGlynn says the priority for Falkirk is to retain their Premiership status but he won't "accept much less" than their remarkable campaign last season.

The Bairns marked their top-flight return after a 15-year absence by finishing sixth.

"The bottom line is going to have to be staying in the league," said McGlynn.

"But we're ambitious and we would want to try and hit the same kind of target as we did last season.

"It could be a more difficult league, but this time last year we were still looking at Rangers spending a lot of money, we were still looking at Hearts with Tony Bloom's investment, spending money, you had Brendan Rodgers at Celtic, so you just never know how it's all going to turn out.

"So yeah, it'll be formidable, but we showed last year that we can compete and do well and we are not going to accept much less than that."

Falkirk kick off their league season at home to St Mirren on Saturday. The Paisley club appointed Craig McLeish as their permanent manager in the summer and McGlynn says they have altered their style of play since he took over from Stephen Robinson.

"Craig's put his stamp on it, you've seen that they've scored four goals in three of their League Cup ties, until Sunday, so obviously the goals are flowing," McGlynn added.

"For a lot of last season, we didn't score an awful lot of goals, so fair play, he managed to do that in the League Cup section, and last week, a bit more difficult against Dunfermline, who are a difficult team to play against.

"It's up to us to stamp our authority on the game at home, because we desperately want to get out of the blocks and get three points on the board."

Brian McLauchlin
BBC Sport Scotland Senior Reporter

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Falkirk John McGlynn has been speaking to the media as his side prepare for Saturday's visit by St Mirren to kick off the new Scottish Premiership season.

Here are the key points from his media conference:

• McGlynn says "ambition" keeps driving him on in his quest for success at Falkirk Stadium.

• He says the "bottom line" for their mission this season is to retain their Premiership status.

• McGlynn expects it to be a "formidable" campaign, but the hope is they can compete and challenge for a top-six finish for a second consecutive season.

• He expects it to be a more difficult task than last term, as this is normally the case for most clubs in their second year after promotion.

• McGlynn still hopes to add to his squad before the transfer window closes with the loan market one he can exploit.

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Falkirk boss John McGlynn insists there has been "no contact" from the Scottish FA over the national team manager vacancy but wouldn't be drawn on whether he'd be interested in taking the job.

Scotland are searching for a new boss after Steve Clarke left following this summer's World Cup where his side failed to progress out of the group stage.

After securing back-to-back promotions with the Bairns and a top-six finish on their first season back in the top flight, McGlynn was tipped as an excellent choice to succeed Clarke by former Scotland manager Craig Levein.

While the 64-year-old insists he's flattered to be linked to the position, he's fully committed to Falkirk.

"It's amazing for high-profile people in the game to be pushing my name for that job," McGlynn told Sky Sports.

"I am obviously totally committed here [Falkirk], I have had no contact whatsoever.

"So I'm very focused on the job, but it is very nice for the people that have put me forward and supporting me in that way.

"They know what I'm like and how well we've kind of done, so it's some kind of recognition and it's nice to hear it, but I'm getting on with the job in hand right now."

When asked if he would be interested in the job were the SFA to make contact, McGlynn added: "Obviously, the SFA would need to go through the proper procedures and speak to the club and see how it goes, if it comes to that.

"As I say, I'm just focused on what I'm doing right now."

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Falkirk have signed midfielder Joe Gardner from Nottingham Forest on a three-year contract for an undisclosed fee.

Irishman Gardner, 21, has made 29 senior appearances, with one coming at Forest and the rest on loan at Lincoln City and Mansfield, scoring once for both of those clubs.

Bairns manager John McGlynn told club media: "He's a player we've been after for some time since we first looked at him a couple of years ago but we were never really in a position to get him here.

"He had loan spells last season at Lincoln and Mansfield, which is a very good level. He's 21, he's an attacking midfield player and he's about 6ft 1in or 6ft 2in, so he's a tall boy. Technically, he's very good and he works extremely hard, which will fit in nicely with the way we play.

"We feel he's going to play a huge part for us and, at the same time, I think we can be good for Joe. I'm sure that if he does well here, he'll get recognised and potentially have the opportunity to go back down to England and play at a really good level. We're very excited about the signing."

Grant Heaney
Fan writer

Where will you finish in the league and why?

I was already feeling uneasy about the season ahead before a ball was kicked, particularly after losing several key performers over the summer. Replacing that quality was always going to be a difficult task and our Scottish League Cup group stage performances have only reinforced those concerns.

Without some genuine quality arriving through the door, it could be a long and challenging campaign battling for survival. Everything points towards this being a season of transition. I'd happily take a top-10 finish but I fear we could instead find ourselves in 11th and facing a nerve-shredding play-off.

Who is the best signing or has he not signed yet and who should it be?

Of the new signings that have arrived over the summer, Scott Tanser has been the one who has caught the eye the most so far.

We still look short of attacking options in the wide areas, which is a position that needs to be addressed, while bringing in another striker has to be one of the priorities before the window closes. I'm not entirely sure who those additions should be, but John McGlynn has already shown a real knack for identifying the right players, with his loan recruits from England making a significant impact last season. Hopefully, he can work his magic again and unearth another couple of gems who can provide the squad with the quality boost it needs heading into the new campaign.

What do you want from your manager this season?

The simple answer is that I don't want John McGlynn to leave the club. The job he has done has been nothing short of remarkable and it is no surprise that his achievements attracted attention from several Scottish Premiership clubs last season. His name continues to be mentioned as a potential candidate for the Scotland job, too.

No Bairns fan would begrudge McGlynn the opportunity to take charge of the national side, should that chance arrive, but replacing a manager who has delivered such a remarkable period of success would be an incredibly difficult task.

Who will be the breakout star in your squad?

Deniss Melniks is one of the new arrivals who has already shown plenty of promise, and he could quickly become a favourite among our supporters. The Latvian international has spent the majority of his career as a centre-back but can also slot into a defensive midfield role, giving us some valuable flexibility within the squad.

His range of passing and long-throw weapon have already stood out during his limited appearances so far. If he can settle into the Scottish game quickly, Melniks has all the attributes to become our breakout star this season.

What is your one major concern?

My biggest concern heading into the new season is whether we can avoid 'second season syndrome'. Last season was another memorable one but maintaining that momentum will be difficult after losing several influential players and undergoing a significant overhaul of the squad over the summer.

That challenge is made even tougher by an extremely demanding opening set of fixtures, which could put us under pressure before we have fully settled into the campaign. Historically, we have struggled to establish ourselves in the top flight and my fear is that we could find ourselves fighting to stay up.

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Aodhan Doherty has joined Falkirk on a season-long loan as the Northern Ireland Under-21 winger signed a new four-year contract with Blackburn Rovers.

The 20-year-old had played 14 times for Linfield in Northern Ireland's top flight before joining the Championship club last summer and made his first-team debut for Rovers against Hull city in the FA Cup in January, before featuring in three league games later the same month.

But he is now looking for more regular first-team football.

Falkirk manager John McGlynn says Doherty is not just a straight replacement on the left for Calvin Miller, who was sold to Hearts this summer, as he can play as a number 10 as well as out wide.

"He's a player we've been on the lookout for and have been scouting for some time," he told his club website.

"We've been trying to get him up here as soon as possible, so we're delighted to get him here now ahead of the league season starting next week."

Doherty will start on the bench against Stranraer in Falkirk's final Premier Sports Cup group-stage game on Saturday.

"It's another part of the rebuild of the squad and we're hoping to bring some more news on another one next week," McGlynn said.

"Buzzing" with his new Rovers contract and loan move, Doherty told Blackburn's website: "I'm just very grateful for the trust and belief that the club has shown in me and I'm ready to keep pushing on.

"Having that experience of being with the first team last season helped me a lot in terms of what I need to do and how I need to play to stay at that level.

"The main thing for me now is getting first-team exposure and playing plenty of games in the Premiership will really benefit me."

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A disappointed John McGlynn challenged his Falkirk side to show more hunger and bravery after a draw at lower-league Alloa all but ended their hopes of League Cup progression.

The 1-1 draw was followed by Alloa winning the bonus point in the subsequent penalty shootout.

Winning the group is now beyond the Premiership side, with even a victory in their final game against Stranraer on Saturday unlikely to be enough to secure a best runners-up spot.

The Falkirk boss admitted it is a time of "transition" at the club, but he remains hopeful that things will start looking up for his squad.

"It wasn't the result we were looking for. We needed to get three points to have any chance of qualifying," said McGlynn.

"Our be-all and end-all was to try to qualify. To do that, we needed the points. It wasn't really the performance we anticipated.

"It wasn't a great performance by any stretch of the imagination. All the stats will suggest we probably should have won, given what we had, but we weren't clinical in front of goal and we weren't convincing enough with the quality of balls into the box.

"We got some quality balls in, but then we've got to be a bit hungrier and a bit braver to go and put our heads on things.

"It's a massive disappointment. We are in transition. There's no magic wand. It's going to take a bit of time.

"It's the biggest turnover in players we've had, and we've got players coming in who are still trying to understand the way we play. It's not quite clicking yet as well as any of us would like, including the fans.

"It was a good turnout of fans. I thank them for coming and apologise for our performance. It's not what we're used to and not what we expect.

"This is going to take a little more time than any of us would like. We're disappointed and frustrated, but we're going to stick together and see it through."

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Falkirk manager John McGlynn fears midfielder Aidan Nesbitt may be out for 12 weeks.

Nesbitt, 29, came off after 12 minutes of Falkirk's opening Premier Sports Cup win at Edinburgh City. The Bairns then lost to Ayr United and are still to play Alloa Athletic and Stranraer.

"He's done the same ankle as he had done towards the end of last season," McGlynn told club media after Saturday's 1-0 friendly win at home to Genk. "He's going for a scan on Tuesday.

"If you're looking at worst case scenario, you're looking at an operation and you're looking at the same kind of timescale as we're talking about Keelan Adams, the general 12 weeks post-op. It's a huge blow for Aidan.

"Keelan's not available for the foreseeable. Keelan Adams isn't going to be back any time soon."

Adams' injury and one to summer signing Jack McMillan led to Falkirk signing Ryan Strain as a further right-back option.

Former Motherwell defender McMillan is yet to feature for the Bairns after an injury picked up during a pre-season camp in Portugal. Meanwhile, injured goalkeeper Scott Bain will have a protective boot removed soon.

"Jack McMillan's not far away now," McGlynn explained. "He isn't far away.

"He's going to go back into training on Monday, which would be really, really good to get him back. He did so well in Portugal. I was really disappointed to lose him just towards the end of that trip to the injury that he had because he was doing so well. He's a player that can play a number of positions.

"By the end of the week, Scott Bain should be able to come out of his moon boot. We'll just need to see how that goes."

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An early goal from Leon McCann was enough to give Falkirk a narrow win over a Genk side who were playing their second pre-season friendly within 24 hours.

The Belgians had beaten Motherwell 4-3 in Friday's friendly at Fir Park.

But they fell behind after six minutes at Falkirk Stadium following a fine cross from trialist David Ninkovic, the 26-year-old Serbian winger last with Perth Azzurri.

Striker Ross MacIver fluffed his volley in front of goal, but full-back McCann was on hand at the back post to fire home.

Noah Adedeji-Sternberg came close to an equaliser when the Belgium Under-21 winger was through on goal but fired against the face of the far post just after the hour mark.

Jelle Driessen then manufactured a great chance with a clever one-two on the edge of the penalty box, but the 17-year-old midfielder fired against the underside of the bar from close range with only the goalkeeper to beat.

The crossbar again came to Falkirk's rescue against a Belgian side who travelled with a large squad of senior and youth players as 18-year-old full-back Wout Kapers was denied from long range.

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Falkirk manager John McGlynn says Ryan Strain fits a specific need at right-back after the former Dundee United man joined the Bairns on a free transfer.

Strain, 29, is a familiar figure in the Scottish Premiership having played for St Mirren before joining United in 2024. His contract at Tannadice expired at the end of last season.

Falkirk will be without Keelan Adams for approximately nine more weeks after he had an operation earlier this summer, while summer signing Jack McMillan is also injured.

"I'm delighted to bring in a player of Ryan's quality and experience," McGlynn said.

"I've mentioned in recent interviews that Keelan Adams has had an operation and has approximately another nine weeks of recovery ahead of him, provided there are no setbacks. Jack McMillan is also injured at the moment, so I felt we needed to strengthen in that area.

"Ryan is a proven Premiership player who has performed consistently at this level for both St Mirren and Dundee United. He knows the league inside out, understands exactly what is required and comes in ready to make an immediate impact, so this isn't a gamble in any way whatsoever.

"He is a very accomplished right-back, both defensively and going forward. He has great energy, uses the ball well and gives us another real attacking threat down that side.

"Just as importantly, he brings composure, professionalism and a wealth of experience to the group.

"He is a quality addition to the squad, and I'm confident he'll make a big contribution for us."

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John McGlynn admits Falkirk are "looking for favours" in the League Cup group stage after Tuesday night's defeat at home to Ayr United.

Kevin Holt's first half goal was enough to steer the second tier side to victory against the Bairns who had a chance to level from the penalty spot with five minutes to play but Ross McIver's attempt was saved by Harry Stone.

The result leaves Falkirk second in Group G, three points behind Ayr United after two games.

"We've done well in the League Cup now we're kind of chasing," McGlynn told club media.

"All we can do is try and win our next two games, and I don't know if nine points will get you through. More often than not it doesn't.

"There might be a hiccup somewhere along the way that might help us, but you're now looking for favours because we obviously have to go and do the rest of the job ourselves.

"We've got to win the next two games in the group and hope that's enough. But I'm really disappointed. That was not what I was looking for.

"We changed things in the second half to have a go, but at the same time, we've not done enough.

"We got a penalty, a wee bit of quality, Ethan Ross managed to get in a good area and we got a penalty kick from it and it summed up that we missed a penalty. If you score the penalty with five minutes to go, you maybe get a winner, you may be win on penalties and we might have got a get out of jail card."

Ross County forward Brian Graham suggests his former Falkirk manager John McGlynn as Scotland manager. (Press and Journal - subscription required, external)

Wednesday's Scottish gossip

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Falkirk are "a good platform" for Ben Krauhaus, says manager John McGlynn after signing the midfielder on a season-long loan from Brentford.

The Englishman joins the Bairns after two loan spells at first club Bromley and has made more than 130 senior appearances, scoring 18 goals.

Krauhaus could debut in Tuesday's Premier Sports Cup match against Ayr United at the Falkirk Stadium. Falkirk opened Group G with a 5-0 win at Edinburgh City on Saturday.

"Ben Krauhaus is an attacking midfielder who was brought to our attention by Brentford," McGlynn told Falkirk media.

"Ben was playing for Bromley when Brentford signed him and last season he was a big part of the squad that won promotion to League One.

"He therefore comes to us with a lot of experience, having already played in some big games, and that can only help us.

"This is a good platform for Ben to take the next step in his career and I am sure he will do an excellent job for us in the season ahead."