The Unknown Sodger
"Sodger" was the nickname of one of Falkirk FC's longest serving, consistent, yet hardest to pin down players of the pre-league era. "Sodger" was James McDonald, but that is about all I know. I have no...
View ArticleBarnsmuir - Falkirk District Clubs
I never wish this blog to be only about Falkirk FC, or even just the senior clubs in the town, the problem is that even though the game was played across the whole of the district, there was very...
View ArticleGrahamston FC - Clubs from Falkirk District
The first ever attempt at a second team in Falkirk [I stand firm to the fact that Falkirk & Bainsford were distinct and that ESFC were from Bainsford] came in the nature of Grahamston FC. As any...
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Amateurs
Amateurs are a rare and fascinating concept in the age of professional football, I could not tell you the last amateur who played for Falkirk FC, but once upon a time they were common in the game. For...
View ArticleFalkirk Harp - Clubs from Falkirk District
Long before Glasgow Celtic came into being, Falkirk had a club which adhered to the Irish Flag, they were rubbish. That is not a criticism, just a reflection of their results, yes they limited...
View ArticleEarly Football in Grangemouth
Grangemouth is the relative new town in Falkirk District, only coming to life with the opening of the eastern end of the Forth & Clyde Canal in the 1770s. But it was well situated therefore quickly...
View ArticleFalkirk District Football 1880/81
Back in the day, before your internets, and before your mass media, the only way to find about anything was to be there or to be able buy one of the few publications about it. These days we can google...
View ArticleFalkirk FC Managers - George Richardson
George Richardson was never, actually, Falkirk Manager: the position did not exist when he was about. He was however Falkirk FC's second Club Secretary [the first John Fleming was only in the position...
View ArticleAndra Inch
Okay I am not having to write about a player who never played for Falkirk,who played for our arch-enemies East Stirlingshire,In fact I believe he held the record for ESFC appearances for A Long time.I...
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Falkirk v Kelvinbank 1877
Back in the day it was common for Combined Elevens to play matches, mostly for benefit games, but often as a bridge between Club and national football. Falkirk District XIs were commonplace throughout...
View ArticleInternational XIs
In these days of jet setting and pre-season friendlies wherever it is nice [to me anyway] to think back to a time when the Scottish FA would send off a squad to play a whole bunch of games in a fertile...
View ArticleLaurieston FC - Clubs in Falkirk District
Laurieston FC were one of the longest lasting of the small senior clubs in Falkirk District, which, in my opinion, counts greatly in their favour: although always struggling in the face of clubs with a...
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Arsenal v East Stirlingshire 22nd Feb 1896
Among my many faults, not only do I follow Falkirk Football Club, but am also a bit of a Gooner! So I can say without doubt that I am sooo jealous of this match! The world has so chnged in the last...
View ArticleEast Stirlingshire Ancients 1893
Not even fifteen years after their birth East Stirlingshire were old enough to be fielding an ancients side, and a bloody good one at that. In 1893 they put out a side which thumped their...
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ESFC-FFC Brothers
When two clubs have such a synchretic history and relationship [yet are not hindered by the baggage which weighs down the clubs to the East and [especially] the West of Scotland], they end up sharing...
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Unsung Heroes - Andrew Mitchell
Andrew Mitchell is another of those players who will always come just under the radar, because he was not a great Centre-Foward, he was instead a bloody good Inside-Left, and could score a goal or two,...
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Falkirk at Merchiston Park, 1904
I remember going to an East Stirlingshire v Clydebank match at Brockville Park in the early 1980s due to there being a problem with Shire central, it is interesting to watch League matches at neutral...
View ArticleWestquarter v Falkirk 1933
I think I said in a previous blog post on Bob Shankly that he made his debut for Falkirk FC in August of 1933, well I was only half-right. Bill actually made his debut for the club a month earlier,...
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Falkirk FC Top Goalscorer 1902 - George Campbell
Falkirk FC's first ever top Goalscorer, and League Goalscorer we are lucky as in he was a proper Bairn. George [Geordie] Campbell was born and brought up in the Town.Starting his career as a Juvenile...
View ArticleStirlingshire Coronation Tournament 1902
In 1902 the Stirlingshire FA organised a seperate Competition on the same lines as the Stirlingshire Cup, It seems to have been in part to celebrate the Coronation, however the proceeds were given to...
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