Falkirk

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Falkirk boss John McGlynn is hopeful of completing his first signing of the January window in time for Saturday's Premiership trip to St Mirren.

"We should have an announcement tomorrow," McGlynn said at a press conference on Thursday.

The manager was reluctant to share details of his impending new recruit, although he dismissed suggestions Hearts pair James Wilson and Alan Forrest might be joining.

"No," he said. "That's having a stab in the dark."

Beyond the imminent arrival, McGlynn expects to "do two or three things" before the window closes, while he also intends to extend existing players' contracts.

"We're negotiating with quite a few," he said.

"We've got a number of loan players and nine times out of 10 all the loan players go back at the end of the season, so we're trying to extend contracts on players who have got maybe six months, even 18 months on their contract because we will have to replace a lot of the loan players."

Centre-back Ryan Edwards, who joined in November to provide cover during a defensive injury crisis, will not have his deal extended beyond 19 January.

"Nothing to do with Ryan but we've obviously got these guys coming back," McGlynn said, with Coll Donaldson returning to the squad last week and Lewis Neilson back in training.

Veteran midfielder Scott Arfield left Falkirk last week after being restricted to just four league starts this season.

"It's as straightforward as it looks," McGlynn said of the 37-year-old's unexpected departure.

"Scott's getting on in years, obviously getting towards the end of his playing career, and he needs to be playing.

"He wasn't getting the game-time that would satisfy him. He was brilliant all the way through. He came in and had a chat with us two or three weeks before and he gave us his intentions. I wish him well."

We asked for your views on what business Falkirk need to do in the January transfer window.

Here's what some of you said:

Lucia: Scott Arfield back.

Gordon: A number nine that suits our 4-5-1 system is essential.

Tommy: We're settling down at the back, good in midfield, how good could we be with a big-name striker? For me Lyndon Dykes. Try get him on loan until the end of the season, he's not happy at Birmingham.

David: Personally I think we need someone like Josh Andrews from Birmingham City, or Joe Hugill from Manchester United to improve our hold-up play, or Sinclair Armstrong of Bristol City to give us pace for counter-attacking.

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• Since beating Dundee United 3-0 in November, Falkirk have scored just two goals in seven league games, attempting 86 shots (2.3% conversion rate) and amassing an expected goals tally of 6.84 in this time.

• St Mirren have only lost one of their past 10 top-flight matches against Falkirk (W5 D4), a 2-1 defeat in April 2010.

• This is Falkirk's first top-flight away game at St Mirren since a 1-1 stalemate in December 2009; their past three visits at this level have all been drawn.

• St Mirren have kept a clean sheet in their past three home league games, last doing so four times in a row in the top flight from March to May 2008 under Gus MacPherson, a run that included a 1-0 win over Falkirk.

• Falkirk's Dylan Tait has won more fouls (51) than any other player in the Scottish Premiership this season, while he is also one of only six players to have won possession over 100 times in the competition this term (102).

Falkirk are enjoying a magnificent season back in Scotland's top flight under John McGlynn.

With the Bairns sixth in the table, which positions would you like to see strengthened to maintain a top-six challenge?

There have not been any incomings or outgoings in January so far, but tell us who you would like to see come and go.

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Former Falkirk and Rangers midfielder Scott Arfield, 37, is in talks to join Livingston. (Glasgow Times), external

Read Wednesday's Scottish gossip

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Falkirk have announced that 19-year-old loanee Trey Samuel-Ogunsuyi has returned to his parent club Sunderland.

The Belgian forward made nine appearances without scoring during his spell with John McGlynn's side, seven of those coming from the bench.

He leaves halfway through his season-long loan with promoted Falkirk sixth in the Scottish Premiership, having taken 27 points from their 20 games.

Grant Heaney
Fan writer

Returning to the club at the end of last year's January transfer window, Scott Arfield's signing was a moment many Falkirk fans had long dreamed of - one of our most celebrated academy graduates coming home.

It was a signing that would prove instrumental. The team had been navigating a tricky patch in the title race, and with Callumn Morrison having just departed under a cloud, the club needed a boost on and off the pitch.

Arfield's arrival immediately lifted the squad, bringing experience, composure and a keen eye for goal.

His second debut for the club will go down in Falkirk folklore - Arfield scored in the opening minute and went on to complete a hat-trick in a 5-2 win over Partick Thistle.

By the end of the campaign, Arfield's tally had reached an impressive nine goals, and he undoubtedly played a major role in securing the Championship title - his contribution was crucial to getting the team over the line.

His leadership on and off the pitch steadied a team chasing back-to-back promotions and every goal was a moment of pure joy for the fans, a testament to the midfielder's dedication to the club over two spells.

While it's sad to say goodbye, the Bairns faithful will always remember how Arfield returned mid-season and helped turn hope into reality.

His name will be spoken with admiration for years to come - a modern-day legend who we all salute.

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Filip Lissah (Falkirk): A huge goal. Not only was it the first career goal for man on-loan from Swansea, it earned Falkirk all three points against Aberdeen in what turned out to be Jimmy Thelin's last match in charge.

Watch highlights as Falkirk climb into the Scottish Premiership top six by increasing fan pressure on Aberdeen boss Jimmy Thelin.

Available in UK only

We asked for your views following Falkirk's second 1-0 win over Aberdeen this season. Here are some of the Bairns fans' thoughts...

Nathan: Fantastic Performance from everyone on the park, we've bounced back excellently from the Dundee game last week. Barney coming back has given a fresh outlook up front and I thought he conducted himself well. If there is any negative it's that we still aren't taking our chances well enough as we definitely could've had at least two by half time but hey three points is three points. On to St Mirren.

Cillian: Despite the performance we had today, the stand-out detail is that we had 21 shots throughout the match and only seven were on target. As much as we can control a game we still can't find the net when we have the time and purpose behind the ball. What we lack in particular is the ability to turn control in the final third into good chances to score, it's what most teams in this league are particularly good at where we lack. No doubt the performance of the players was spectacular, in particular Leon McCann and Filip Lissah, however we need to get ourselves a quality target man. Although Barney Stewart is back, MacIver isn't yet fully fit until at least mid-February.

Donna: A great performance from the entire Falkirk team. Sharp, focused and a threat from everywhere as they passed the ball with the fluidity of a top-notch team and consistently pounded the Aberdeen goal. Hats off to Aberdeen, though, they defended well, but created few opportunities that were easily dealt with by the Falkirk defence. When Falkirk come together, they are on fire and it was one of those days. Well done lads. It was a joy to watch.

Kev: John McGlynn and the Falkirk Bairns showing the rest of the league what strength in unity looks like. Hearts, Motherwell, St Mirren - to an extent - and Falkirk are the four teams playing the best, unified, structured football the league has seen for some time. Long may it continue and hopefully more goals to come into the new year and beyond!

Falkirk charged back into the Scottish Premiership top six with a narrow win over Aberdeen that doomed the visitors to a fifth game without a win.

Read the full match report here.

Have your say here.

Falkirk charged back into the Scottish Premiership top six with a narrow win over Aberdeen that doomed the visitors to a fifth game without a win.

Read the full match report here.

Have your say here.

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Falkirk manager John McGlynn: "We could have added to the scoreline, we had opportunities to do that. But the win was fully merited, the stats back that up as well.

"We've taken 12 points in this round of games, with two left. We set a target of getting to 15, which we got in the first round, so we're within touching distance of that.

"We did a lot right. Give Aberdeen some compliments on their defending, they blocked a lot. We're doing the right things, getting into the right places. If we weren't doing that, I'd be concerned. On another day, we score two or three there."

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Falkirk manager John McGlynn is happy with the strength of his squad as he prepares to begin 2026 with a home meeting with Aberdeen.

Midfielder Aidan Nesbitt made his first appearance since August when he came off the bench in last weekend's 1-0 defeat by Dundee, while centre-half Coll Donaldson is ready for his return after more than eight months out with an abdominal injury.

Falkirk also have striker Barney Stewart back in their ranks after the 21-year-old netted eight goals in 12 matches on loan to Dunfermline Athletic.

"We're getting one or two of the guys back," McGlynn told Falkirk TV. "Coll's now basically ready for selection as well, more or less.

"He could do with getting minutes in a game, which is difficult at this time of the season - we are trying.

"It was good to get Aidan on the pitch, absolutely. He's been out for a considerable time.

"The squad that we've got is a good squad and it's getting bigger by the players coming back from injury and us having to get players in to compensate for the injuries that we've had.

"We've got Barney Stewart coming back - I'm delighted to get him back."

As for the possibility of January signings, McGlynn added: "There's scope, but the squad's going to be massive, so I need to be careful about how we go about January."

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Falkirk have striker Barney Stewart in their squad after a prolific loan spell with Dunfermline while Coll Donaldson is pushing for a comeback.

Gary Oliver (hamstring), Ross MacIver (ankle), Lewis Neilson (ankle) and Tom Lang (foot) are all due to return in January.

Aberdeen defenders Gavin Molloy and Kristers Tobers are still out with knee injuries.

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• Falkirk have won four and lost just one of their past six league meetings with Aberdeen (D1), winning their first clash this season 1-0 in August.

• This will be Aberdeen's first league visit to Falkirk since February 2010, losing 3-1 under Mark McGhee despite taking a 1-0 lead in the fifth minute.

• Falkirk haven't lost their first January match in any of their last four years as a top-flight side (W2 D2), most recently drawing 1-1 with Celtic in 2010. Their last such defeat was in 2006 (1-2 v Dundee United).

• Aberdeen lost their opening league game of 2025 2-1 to Ross County; they haven't lost their league opener in back-to-back calendar years since doing so in 1999 (v St Johnstone) and 2000 (v Rangers).

• Only Alexandros Kyziridis (28) and Reo Hatate (27) have created more chances from open play than Aberdeen's Stuart Armstrong (25) in the Scottish Premiership this season.

Grant Heaney
Fan writer

Around 2,000 Bairns left Dens Park on Saturday feeling deflated after our final fixture of 2025. But let's not forget - we've witnessed a year every Falkirk fan will cherish forever.

The 2024-25 season will live long in the memory of every Bairn, as we secured the Scottish Championship title in dramatic fashion and earned promotion back to the top flight after 15 years. The scenes at the Falkirk Stadium after the full-time whistle against Hamilton Academical in May showed exactly what this club means to the town.

Most of the squad have since tasted top-flight football for the first time and have already shown they can compete with the country's elite. In fact, we've rarely looked out of place - a testament to all the staff and players - and our strong points tally at the halfway stage puts us in a strong position to secure survival.

But while 2025 has given us plenty to celebrate, we mustn't rest on our laurels - 2026 will bring its own challenges, and everyone connected with the club will need the same fight, focus and spirit if we are to make it another year to savour.

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Falkirk have recalled Barney Stewart after the striker enjoyed a successful loan spell with Dunfermline Athletic.

The 21-year-old scored seven goals in 11 games for the Scottish Championship side.

The striker, who has netted twice in 17 matches for Falkirk, will be available for selection for Saturday's game against Aberdeen.

"We would like to put on record our thanks to the coaching staff of Dunfermline for their cooperation in furthering Barney's development," the Premiership club said.

Watch highlights as Dundee edge out Falkirk with a Yan Dhanda penalty for a vital Scottish Premiership win. (Available to UK users only)

We asked for your views on Falkirk's 1-0 defeat against Dundee.

Here's what some of you said:

Nathan: It's not the best game of football I've been to and one that I think we just need to bin. There wasn't really much between the teams and there was a real lack of quality all over the park with a penalty deciding the match. Happy that we'll have Barney Stewart back after his successful loan with Dunfermline across the river, hopefully he can get up and running for us and provide some more firepower.

David: Very little quality on show here from both teams. On paper John McGlynn fielded an attacking line-up to make good use of the wide areas and the excellent surface at Dens Park, however it fair to say we were not at our best. Next up we welcome Aberdeen to the Falkirk stadium for a mid-table clash. The fans will also be encouraged by the return of our prodigal son from his sojourn in deepest Fife.

Ian: Poor, had a lot of the ball, but that wins you nothing, didn't create a great deal either.

Yan Dhanda's first-half penalty secured a pivotal first win in five Scottish Premiership matches for Dundee as Steven Pressley's side moved seven points clear of bottom-team Livingston with victory against a flat Falkirk.

Read the match report.

Have your say on the game here.