Falkirk FC: Looking back the Bairns' previous title wins - and when they just missed out - ahead of trophy day

The years immediately before the First World War were a Golden Era for the club and they were runners-up in the old First Division in 1908, just missing out to Celtic by four points. They were the first team to score over 100 goals in a season and to go so close in their fifth season in the Scottish League was remarkable.

They bettered that in 1910 when they only missed the title by two points, again to Celtic. It was the closest Falkirk ever came to being champions of Scotland.

Falkirk sides did go on to win league titles, but never in the top division.

In 1952, manager Bob Shankly’s team were runners-up and promotion was achieved with a great blend of youth and experience. There were plenty of high scoring matches and Angus Plumb scored 25 goals. Four 6-0 wins were recorded, and the defence was the tightest in the division. Falkirk had beaten the eventual title winners Clyde both home and away and really should have taken the title.

The next “should have season” came in 1961 when three Stirlingshire teams fought it out for promotion. Falkirk rattled in 100 goals, Dougie Moran netting 30 league goals, but Falkirk lost out by a point to Stirling Albion. The crucial dropped points came at Brockville when Stenhousemuir won 2-1.

The third heart-breaking season came when the leagues were about to be restructured and Falkirk and Dunfermline fought out a great battle for the title in 1989. It went down to the wire and a 2-2 draw at Station Park was not enough to prevent Dunfermline becoming champions. Falkirk’s 4-0 demolition of The Pars will live long in the memories of all who were there, but it was a sad ending to the season when news of Dunfermline’s 1-1 draw against Meadowbank came through.

No “ifs, buts or maybes” surrounded when Falkirk were crowned champions and sometimes the team emerged stronger after certain relegations. That was certainly the case in 1936 when manager Tully Craig reshaped the team after their first ever relegation and they took Division Two by storm. Only three games were lost all season. Falkirk won the title by seven points from St Mirren. Who knows what that team might have achieved had it not been for the outbreak of WWII.

There was a Championship winning season during the war and Falkirk won the North-East League in 1939-40 by five points from Hearts. This wasn’t really recognised due to the special circumstances of the war years.

The next title came in 1970 after another rebuilding exercise following a disappointing relegation when Willie Cunningham’s side took the title after a titanic struggle with Cowdenbeath. This team was one of the most entertaining seen at Brockville for some time. Again, the goals rattled in, and the Ferguson-Roxburgh-Young combination proved too much of a handful for defences. The defence was ably marshalled by veteran George Miller and crowds flocked back to Brockville.

The next title win in 1975 was a bitter-sweet affair as there was no real promotion due to impending league reconstruction. Queen of the South and Montrose pushed Falkirk all the way. It went down to the wire and a nervous 0-0 draw at Love Street proved enough to secure the title. It was not for the faint-hearted and a 3-0 win for St Mirren, managed by Alex Ferguson, would have taken the title to Dumfries.

Then in the third tier, Falkirk’s next title came after a local battle with The Shire in 1980. It was a close-run thing and a narrow 2-1 home win over Montrose ensured the league flag would come to Brockville. Two late goals from McRoberts secured the points. The Firs Park side had won two of the three encounters between the sides and had given their neighbours a real challenge. It was their failure to beat Brechin at Glebe Park on the last day that proved their downfall, but both sides were promoted.

One of the most memorable title wins came in 1991, when talisman Simon Stainrod stood on a table in the centre of the park holding the championship trophy aloft. Jim Jefferies’ side had failed to convince the home fans until a memorable run started with a 2-2 draw at a foggy Dens Park. It was the best Falkirk side since the Cunningham era and the battles with Airdrie were great to watch. That title win was unforgettable, and the civic reception was well-deserved. The style of football was easy on the eye.

The club was unable to sustain a place in the top table, but another chance came after the title win of 1994. The crunch game came at Kilbowie where Falkirk had to get at least a draw to kill off Dunfermline’s challenge. It was hard to watch at times and the knowledge that The Pars were running up a cricket score did little to calm the mood.

The next title win in 2003 saw Falkirk fall foul of the SPL ground regulations and enter the history books as the first champions not to gain automatic promotion. They won the league by nine points and were easily the best team in it. Brockville didn’t have 10,000 seats, and various options for ground-sharing were rejected by the SPL league management. Anger and disappointment were just some of the emotions felt by Falkirk fans and the vast majority of the media were on Falkirk’s side. Motherwell were spared relegation.

Finally, in 2005, Falkirk won the title which gave them access to the top division. The new Falkirk Stadium was all-seater and met all the revised requirements for SPL admission. The title was won by an impressive 15 points and after so many disappointments the club was finally back. It had been a long, hard struggle and it seemed the footballing fates had conspired against Falkirk on several occasions.

Following Falkirk has always been described as a rollercoaster ride with several great highs, but also depressingly sad lows. Recent seasons have seen Falkirk sink to new lows and supporter discontent had reached unprecedented levels. The anger at Airdrie last season when Falkirk were taken apart in a first half horror show triggered a determination to start a fightback from the abyss. The first step has been achieved and the title win of 2024 has been one of the most convincing ever seen. It is a title from the third tier, but it is an impressive new beginning.

The lessons from Falkirk’s past history are clear. This achievement needs to be built on and effective player recruitment is essential. Falkirk are playing good football and there have been some impressive performances. To achieve further titles won’t be easy but Falkirk always had more potential than many other clubs who are currently playing much further up the league pyramid.