Falkirk

Falkirk and Hearts have agreed a fee for Calvin Miller and the 28-year-old winger will join the Edinburgh club once he has completed a medical. (Edinburgh Evening News), external

Hearts are close to finalising the signing of 24-year-old forward Amadou Ba-Sy from Rouen as well as Falkirk winger Calvin Miller. (Hearts Standard), external

Falkirk are set to sign Latvian centre-back Denniss Melniks, with the 23-year-old leaving Auda as a free agent. (Daily Record), external

Read Tuesday's Scottish Gossip in full.

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John McGlynn says Falkirk have added a "wealth of experience" to their squad by signing Scott Tanser after the left-back's five-year spell at St Mirren came to an end.

The 31-year-old defender has penned a two-year deal with the Bairns, who marked their return to the top flight with a top-six finish last term.

Manager McGlynn says the former St Johnstone man's Scottish Premiership experience will be valuable to his side.

"He's an attacking left-back who loves to get forward," the Falkirk boss added.

"He has good quality in the final third to deliver good crosses for our attacking players in the box.

"He has a good delivery from set-pieces, as he displayed in our last game against St Mirren at the Falkirk Stadium, when the Saints scored from a corner.

"He is more than capable of moving into a left centre-back position if required, so he is a definite advantage to us."

Meanwhile, the departure of Calvin Miller is expected to follow the arrival of Tanser, with Hearts hopeful of concluding the signing of the winger in the next 48 hours.

Hearts hope to complete the signing of 28-year-old Falkirk winger Calvin Miller this week. (Scottish Sun), external

Read Monday's Scottish Gossip in full.

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Falkirk's appeal over a "disproportionate" sanction for fans' use of pyrotechnics has been rejected, with the club claiming they have received no "clear explanation" from the Scottish FA of what they could have done differently.

Following pyro use at February's Scottish Cup tie away to Stenhousemuir, the Bairns were given a suspended penalty of a 25% stadium closure for a future cup match if there is a repeat before the end of the 2027-28 season.

The Premiership club, who were also fined £500, say any partial stadium closure would cause them "significant financial damage" and appealed the severity of the punishment.

"Falkirk FC remains committed to working proactively with other clubs, security partners and the footballing authorities to prevent similar incidents in future," the club said.

"Despite our view remaining that the sanction was disproportionate and having received no clear explanation of what the club could have done differently to prevent the incident, it is clear the football authorities are taking a stringent line on incidents like this.

"We therefore ask again that all supporters refrain from using pyrotechnic devices at any games to avoid further sanctions that could harm the club, as well as the obvious risk to the safety of other supporters."

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Falkirk have signed right-back Jack McMillan - two years after he turned them down to Join Exeter City.

The 28-year-old now moves to John McGlynn's men on a two-year contract after being released by the English League One side.

"Jack is a player we have been talking to for the last month, so we are delighted that he has agreed to sign for us," said Falkirk assistant Paul Smith.

"We tried to sign him two years ago when he was leaving Partick Thistle, but he went down south to play for Exeter City where over the last two seasons he has played 95 games and probably played just about 90 minutes in every game.

"Jack is a right-back who can fill in all across the backline and played a lot of the time last season in the middle of the park, so he covers a lot of positions for us, which is great to have."

McMillan, who also counts Motherwell and Livingston among his former clubs, said: "Coming from a family of Falkirk fans I am absolutely delighted to join the club and will do everything I can to help the team to continue building on the success they have had over the last few seasons under the manager and Paul."

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Dundee United have fended off "significant interest" from other clubs to sign Falkirk midfielder Dylan Tait.

Tait, 24, will move to Tannadice on a three-year contract this summer when his Falkirk deal expires.

He spent three-and-a-half years with the Bairns, helping them rise from League 1 to the Premiership, where they finished sixth this season.

He departs having made 104 Falkirk appearances, scoring 13 goals.

"Dylan is a player we've admired for a long time and somebody we believe is perfectly suited to the way we want to play," said United manager Jim Goodwin.

"There was significant interest in Dylan from elsewhere, so we're naturally delighted he's chosen Dundee United for the next stage of his career.

"He's technically excellent, progressive in possession and very comfortable receiving the ball in all areas of the pitch. His passing range and intelligence allow him to influence games in different ways, whether that's controlling the tempo or opening teams up in the final third.

"What's impressed us most is the consistency he's shown over a number of seasons.

"At 24, there's still significant room for development and we believe Dundee United is the perfect environment for him to continue progressing."

Tait is "hungry to keep improving", adding: "As soon as I heard about the interest from the club, it was something I was really excited about.

"Dundee United is a massive club with a rich history and of course such a passionate fanbase, so it was an opportunity I really wanted to take."

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Dylan Tait will leave Falkirk this summer after the club were unable to secure the midfielder on a new deal following months of talks.

The 24-year-old joined in January 2023, initially on loan, and helped the Bairns rise from League 1 to the Premiership, where they finished sixth this season.

He departs having made 104 Falkirk appearances, scoring 13 goals.

"The club has been in discussion with Dylan and his agent for a number of months, however the midfielder has chosen to pursue opportunities elsewhere," Falkirk said.

"Dylan has created and shared in moments that will live long in the memory of everyone connected with the club, and he will always be remembered as part of a special Falkirk side.

"He leaves with the club's sincere thanks and best wishes."

A report claims, external Tait is poised to stay in the Premiership by joining Dundee United on a three-year deal.

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Falkirk face Ayr United, local rivals Alloa Athletic, Stranraer and Edinburgh City in next season's Premier Sports Cup group stage.

John McGlynn's side were the top seeds in Wednesday's draw after finishing sixth on their return to the Scottish Premiership and with the top five sides receiving byes to the second round because of their participation in European football.

The Bairns won their group last season, finishing ahead of Cove Rangers, Queen's Park, The Spartans and Brechin City before losing to eventual beaten finalists Celtic in the second round.

This time, they face an Ayr side who will start the campaign under Gary Naysmith, with the former Scotland full-back having switched to Somerset Park after leading part-time Stenhousemuir to promotion via the play-offs after finishing second in League 1.

He replaced Scott Brown, who left Ayr as they headed for a seventh-place finish in the Championship.

Andy Graham's Alloa, who topped their group last season ahead of top-flight Dundee and finished fourth in League 1, lost the play-off final 3-2 on aggregate despite beating Naysmith's Stenny side 1-0 away from home in the second leg.

Chris Aitken's Stranraer were fifth in League 2, while Michael McIndoe's Edinburgh's edged out Highland League champions Brora Rangers in the Pyramid Play-off final to retain their place in the Scottish Professional Football League after finishing bottom of the table thanks to a 15-point deduction.

Stranraer and Edinburgh were in the same section last season and their group campaign this time begins on 11/12 July and finishes on 25/26 July.

Falkirk have agreed terms with Glenavon to sign 18-year-old winger Paul McGovern. (News Letter), external

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Falkirk are in talks with Dylan Tait over a new deal while Brian Graham heads the list of departures and Craig Sibbald will join from Dundee United.

Midfielder Tait, 24, is out of contract after making 47 appearances this season for the Bairns, who finished sixth in their first top-flight campaign for 15 years.

Striker Graham leaves after a 12-month stint in which he scored five goals while Gary Oliver and Sean Mackie depart after four-year spells where Falkirk rose from League 1 to the Premiership. Jamie Sneddon has also been released.

Loan players Lewis Neilson, Henry Cartwright, Kyrell Wilson, Ethan Williams, Filip Lissah, Sam Hart, Ben Broggio and Louie Marsh return to their parent clubs.

Midfielder Sibbald, 31, rejoins his first club in pre-season having agreed a pre-contract in March.

Hearts remain hopeful of beating competition for the signature of 20-year-old Lincoln City centre-back MJ Kamson-Kamara after detailed talks, but they have not yet made a move for 28-year-old Falkirk winger Calvin Miller, who would command a decent six-figure fee. (Edinburgh Evening News), external

Read Thursday's Scottish Gossip in full.

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Heart of Midlothian are eyeing a move for Falkirk winger Calvin Miller - just months after a proposed return to Celtic fell through for the 28-year-old. (Daily Record), external

Read the rest of Wednesday's Scottish gossip.

Grant Heaney
Fan writer

The curtain came down on our first season back in the top flight for 15 years at the weekend, and what a campaign it has been.

Survival was the primary objective, but to finish inside the top six - and do so with a degree of style and relative comfort - exceeded all expectations.

It's been a truly remarkable three years for everyone connected with the club, but it now feels like the end of an era.

The group of players who delivered an invincible season in League 1 and immediately followed it up with promotion from the Championship now looks set to be dismantled for one reason or another this summer.

It brings mixed emotions, as the past three years have been a golden period in the club's history - one that will be remembered fondly for years to come.

On the flip side, it also presents an opportunity for the club to evolve and embark on a new journey as we look to establish ourselves in the top flight.

There will still be a core of players who have climbed through the divisions together, but a number of new faces will inevitably arrive at the Falkirk Stadium over the close season as the club enters its next chapter.

Watch the best of the action as Rangers won their first post-split fixture with a 5-2 victory at Falkirk. Available to UK users only.

Falkirk fans, we asked for your views on the 5-2 loss to Rangers on the final day of the Premiership season. Here's what you had to say.

John: We just succumbed some poor defending yet again. Refereeing both on and off field was poor. Onto next season.

David: Typical end of season game with nothing at stake. Defences were both suspect, loads of goal chances. It made it entertaining for fans, as it could have been about five or six each.

Our season has been better than anyone expected and I for one have no complaints. We move on to next season .

Falkirk have received "fair offers from two or three clubs" for striker Barney Stewart, with manager John McGlynn saying any fee for the 22-year-old will go towards a grass pitch and training facilities. (Falkirk Herald), external

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Folling his side's final Premierhisp game of the season, Falkirk manager John McGlynn reflected on their first season back in the top flight.

He said: "There's no doubt we will have raised expectation levels, we have done it all season, that's the nature of the beast.

"It will be difficult but that is the challenge but it's about getting recruitment right which we have done the last few years.

"It doesn't get any easier. We know the market where we can go and we'll try to get the best we can."

Youssef Chermiti's hat-trick helped Rangers sign off for the summer with a Scottish Premiership victory, as the visitors enjoyed a 5-2 final day win over Falkirk.

Read the full match report here.

Have your say on the game here.

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Falkirk manager John McGlynn reflected with pride on their contribution to the Premiership season as the Bairns prepare to close their campaign at home to Rangers.

Falkirk's sixth-place finish was confirmed in midweek but Saturday is set to be a celebration of the progress they have continued to make.

The Bairns have gone from League 1 to the top six in three years and will be looking to finish another memorable campaign on a high.

McGlynn told Falkirk TV: "We are obviously so delighted with where we are in the league table, what we've done, the way we have played, the entertainment we have produced.

"I think we have been a great addition to the Premiership overall.

"We have one game to go, a bit of a dead rubber. It will be nice to finish at home in front of the fans, get a nice break and hit the recruitment drive and come back ready to go next season."

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Skipper James Tavernier is departing at the end of the season and will not play again for Rangers after having an injection on an ankle problem.

Nicolas Raskin remains out with a hamstring issue. Falkirk's artificial pitch poses problems for Dujon Sterling while Ryan Naderi and Bailey Rice remain unavailable.

Lewis Neilson returns for Falkirk but Filip Lissah (ankle), Leon McCann (hamstring) and Scott Bain (ankle) are set to remain out along with Louie Marsh and Ethan Williams (both thigh).

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• Rangers have lost four consecutive league matches for only the second time in the club's history, after a run of five successive defeats from October to November 1983.

• Including the curtailed 2019-20 campaign, Rangers have only lost their final league game in one of the past 17 seasons (W9 D7), a 2-1 defeat at Kilmarnock in 2018-19.

• Falkirk have lost just one of their past five home league games against Rangers (W2 D2), although that was their most recent, a 6-3 defeat in April.

• Rangers have only lost one of their past 48 top-flight matches against Falkirk (W39 D8), a 1-0 defeat in December 2006 under Paul Le Guen.

• Falkirk have lost four of their past five league games (W1), including both of their latest two. They are yet to lose three in a row in the league this season, last doing so in the top flight in March 2010.