Falkirk’s journey from League 1 to Premiership in two seasons

Finally, Falkirk’s 15 years of suffering are over. The Scottish Premiership is where the Bairns once hoped to be:

After a few hiccups in recent weeks, they did it in a dramatic final-day decider, goodness.

John McGlynn’s team are now the championship champions after beating Hamilton Academical 3-1.

The man who steered the team’s descent into League 1 six years ago has now won two titles and promoted them both in a row.

The champagne has also been on ice while the “Champions 25” t-shirts have been ironed for a few weeks, but Falkirk would not have existed without one more twist in a tale that had appeared storied weeks ago.

How have the Bairns recovered from the big break, which has been extensive and occasionally exhausting?

Nine years after their promotion from the top flight, they were relegated to League 1 in terms of goal difference.

Falkirk Daft podcast host John McInally said to BBC Scotland: “I was just so dumbfounded that Falkirk found themselves in that position and then slammed into League 1 with a whimper.

It was just a sad, sad day for the club, they said. The real low point was that.

“League 1 went on a downward spiral until we acquired McGlynn.” He entered and completely rebuilt the side.

The former Hearts boss, as usual, said it was “a big job” and that he and his trusted assistant Paul Smith were “excited at the prospect of trying to get it back where we think it should belong.”

Their initial attempt failed.

They were defeated 7-2 by Airdrieonians over the two-legged play-off semi-final despite finishing only behind runaway league champions Dunfermline Athletic and their local rivals.

League 1 was going to endure a furious fifth season. However, excitement quickly turned to enthralling.

In addition to Nicky Hogarth, Calvin Miller, Ross MacIver, and Brad Spencer, McGlynn also managed to get his hands on some free agents in the summer.

With five games left, the Bairns won the title with the help of smart acquisitions from the previous season, including Gary Oliver, Coll Donaldson, Liam Henderson, and Stephen McGinn.

They won it in style by defeating Montrose 7-1, but they had not yet made their way to the sun loungers. An unstoppable league campaign was in order, but the championship was coming up next.

The Bairns appeared to have lost a heartbreaking match in League 1 against Alloa Athletic in the 84th minute. Then Spencer removed a penalty in order to record the team’s name in history.

One of my favorite moments as a Falkirk supporter was to eventually leave League 1 and pursue it as an invincibles, McInally said.

The Bairns could be forgiven for making the most of their Championship opener on a Friday night in August, after five years of rage and ridicule.

They made sure to include everything, including disco lights and fireworks, but they did not end there.

They seamlessly made the transition back to the second tier after kicking off the campaign with a five-game winning run that included their first win at Dunfermline’s East End Park in five years.

With little fuss on the pitch but plenty of excitement off it, the team remained at the top of the tree the entire time. Landmarks in the season: international breaks, first round of games, and festive fixture.

15 years after his departure, homegrown hero Scott Arfield, the former Rangers, Burnley, and Canada midfielder, made a stunning comeback on February 3rd, elevating that excitement even more.

McInally described the academy product’s resignation as “complete and utter Roy of the Rovers stuff.”

“There were murmurs before I received a few messages from Scott’s friends saying “this is happening.”

I thought, “Shut up, no way. Then, it occurred, and there was a lot of buzz.

Arfield scored a hat-trick against Partick Thistle while wearing the number 37 on his back, which had been and will continue to be since the tragic passing of former team-mate Craig Gowans.

The Bairns now have an 11-point advantage in their final six games after going eight games without a win.

Send the printed t-shirts and the fancy champagne. Back-to-back titles started to seem like when, not as if.

A win over Ayr United in the final game of the season would almost certainly seal the title, but these goods must have made it down to Somerset Park.

However, Ethan Walker’s equalizer in the 93rd minute put the champagne on hold. However, there is no need to be alarmed. There would be a second chance.

Rovers stunned the league leaders with three goals from the 88th minute, and it came and went in a similar manner. attempting to get to the panic station.

It almost unbearably occurred again on Friday at Firhill against 10-man Thistle. The panic button was well and truly battered when Terry Ablade’s incredible winner in the 97th minute.

A final-day decider appeared impossible a few weeks ago. The Championship trophy was still in Linlithgow and was now on its way to Livingston, if necessary.

That was the intended destination, for a while, in the SatNav. Livingston led the pack for the first time this season.

However, they were soon moved when an Ethan Ross free-kick made it all but impossible for the Bairns to claim a comfortable win.

Although McGlynn’s men did it without warning, they will say it was worthwhile for scenes like those that occur full-time.