Falkirk were expected to be in the promotion play-offs again and so it proved as they finished 2nd in the Championship. However, they fell short again and were eliminated by Dundee United at the semi-final stage. The Bairns suffered a flat start to their season with defeats from Hibs and Queen of the South in addition to a draw with Morton. However, after that they won five of their next six games to establish themselves as play-off contenders. Falkirk never topped the table at any stage of the season and only claimed 2nd place with a strong run towards the end of the season. Craig Sibbald was top scorer with 10 goals from midfield, demonstrating Falkirk’s lack of a striker that could have won them the Championship.
Falkirk had a chance to make a big impression on the title race as Hibs faltered in February and March, but the Bairns struggled at the same time and lost crucial games to Morton and Hibs in consecutive weeks. These defeats effectively killed any title hopes. Home and away form was identical with only eight defeats in total in the regular season, but 12 draws were too many for a real title challenge. Falkirk’s young talent shone again with Craig Sibbald in particular now expected to make a move for big money. Tony Gallacher at 17 years also made a breakthrough into the 1st team and is one for the future. The bottom line for Falkirk is that they failed to make the Premiership once again. It was a good season, but not good enough. If Falkirk are content to be a strong Championship team, that’s fine. However, they have Premiership ambition and need to take the next step by spending money.
