2008–09 Falkirk F.C. season

Falkirk competed in the Scottish Premier League, the Scottish League Cup and the Scottish Cup in 2008–09. Although they slipped from a final league position of seventh to tenth, they performed well in both cups, reaching the semi-finals of the League Cup and finishing as runners-up in the Scottish Cup, losing 1–0 to Rangers.

Falkirk Football Club
2008–09 season
ChairmanCampbell Christie
ManagerJohn Hughes
Scottish Premier League10th
Scottish CupRunners-up
Scottish League CupSemi-finals
Top goalscorerLeague: Steve Lovell (8)
All: Michael Higdon, Steve Lovell (9)

Squad

First team Squad

As of 2 February 2009 Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Pos. Nation Player
1 GK  ESP Dani Mallo
2 DF  SCO Lee Bullen
3 DF  NIR Dean Holden
4 MF  IRL Patrick Cregg
5 DF  SCO Jackie McNamara
6 MF  SCO Kevin McBride
7 MF  SCO Neil McCann
8 MF  ESP Arnau
10 DF  SCO Steven Pressley
11 FW  ENG Michael Higdon
12 MF  IRL Stephen Bradley
14 DF  NED Gerard Aafjes
15 FW  ENG Steve Lovell
16 MF  SCO Scott Arfield
17 GK  AUT Bobby Olejnik
No. Pos. Nation Player
18 DF  SCO Brian Allison
20 DF  SCO Darren Barr (Captain)
21 FW  ENG Carl Finnigan
22 DF  SCO Chris Mitchell
23 FW  SCO Kevin Moffat
24 FW  SCO Mark Stewart
29 MF  SCO Sean Lynch
30 GK  SCO Jamie Barclay
31 DF  NIR Dermot McCaffrey
33 DF  SCO Tam Scobbie
34 MF  SCO Dayne Robertson
35 DF  SCO Mark Staunton
47 MF  RSA Burton O'Brien
56 DF  SWE Erik Schultz-Eklund

In
Player From Fee Contract length
Lee Bullen Sheffield Wednesday Free Two years
Dermot McCaffrey Hibernian Free Three years
Jackie McNamara Aberdeen Free Two years
Erik Schultz-Eklund Gretna Free Two years
Neil McCann Hearts Free Two years
Burton O'Brien Sheffield Wednesday Free Two years
John Stewart Queen of the South Loan Return Two years
Arnau Sunderland Loan Season Long
Steve Lovell Unattached Free Two years
Steven Pressley Unattached Free End of Season
Dani Mallo Unattached Free End of Season

Out
Player To Fee

Results and fixtures
Date Venue Opponents Score[1] Competition Falkirk scorer(s) Match Report
22 July 2008 Falkirk Stadium Ross County 2–2 F Higdon, Finnigan Falkirk Official Site
23 July 2008 Shielfield Park Berwick Rangers 1–2 F Stewart Falkirk Official Site
26 July 2008 Falkirk Stadium QPR 2–0 F Own goal, Stewart Falkirk Official Site
28 July 2008 Falkirk Stadium Alloa Athletic 0–0 F Falkirk Official Site
30 July 2008 Cambuur Stadion SC Cambuur 0–1 F Falkirk Official Site
1 August 2008 De Langeleegte BV Veendam 2–0 F Finnigan, Stewart Falkirk Official Site
2 August 2008 Abe Lenstra Stadion SC Heerenveen 0–4 F Falkirk Official Site
9 August 2008 Falkirk Stadium Rangers 0–1 SPL Falkirk Official Site
16 August 2008 Easter Road Hibs 2–3 SPL Higdon (2) Falkirk Official Site
23 August 2008 Celtic Park Celtic 0–3 SPL Falkirk Official Site
26 August 2008 Stark's Park Raith Rovers 3–1 SLC Higdon, J Stewart, M Stewart Falkirk Official Site
30 August 2008 Falkirk Stadium Inverness CT 1–2 SPL M Stewart Falkirk Official Site
13 September 2008 Falkirk Stadium Heart of Midlothian 2–1 SPL McCann, Arfield Falkirk Official Site
20 September 2008 Love Street St Mirren 1–1 SPL Barrett Falkirk Official Site
23 September 2008 Falkirk Stadium Queen of the South 2–1 SLC McCann, Lovell Falkirk Official Site
27 September 2008 Falkirk Stadium Hamilton 4–1 SPL Lovell, O'Brien, Arfield (2) Falkirk Official Site
5 October 2008 Fir Park Motherwell 2–3 SPL Lovell, Barrett Falkirk Official Site
18 October 2008 Falkirk Stadium Aberdeen 0–1 SPL Falkirk Official Site
25 October 2008 Rugby Park Kilmarnock 2–1 SPL Lovell, Arfield Falkirk Official Site
28 October 2008 Falkirk Stadium Inverness CT 1–0 SLC McCann Falkirk Official Site
1 November 2008 Falkirk Stadium Dundee United 0–0 SPL Falkirk Official Site
8 November 2008 New Douglas Park Hamilton 1–1 SPL Higdon Falkirk Official Site
12 November 2008 Caledonian Stadium Inverness CT 1–1 SPL Higdon Falkirk Official Site
15 November 2008 Falkirk Stadium Motherwell 1–0 SPL Higdon Falkirk Official Site
22 November 2008 Tynecastle Stadium Heart of Midlothian 1–2 SPL Lovell Falkirk Official Site
29 November 2008 Falkirk Stadium Hibs 1–1 SPL Barr Falkirk Official Site
6 December 2008 Falkirk Stadium St Mirren 1–2 SPL Lovell Falkirk Official Site
13 December 2008 Pittodrie Stadium Aberdeen 1–2 SPL Lovell Falkirk Official Site
21 December 2008 Falkirk Stadium Celtic 0–3 SPL Falkirk Official Site
27 December 2008 Tannadice Park Dundee United 0–1 SPL Falkirk Official Site
3 January 2009 Falkirk Stadium Kilmarnock 1–1 SPL Lovell Falkirk Official Site
10 January 2009 Falkirk Stadium Queen of the South 4–2 SC Arfield (2) (1st pen.), Barrett (2) Falkirk Official Site
17 January 2009 Ibrox Stadium Rangers 1–3 SPL Lovell Falkirk Official Site
24 January 2009 Fir Park Motherwell 1–1 SPL Holden Falkirk Official Site
27 January 2009 Hampden Park Rangers 0–3 SLC Falkirk Official Site
31 January 2009 Falkirk Stadium Aberdeen 1–0 SPL Higdon Falkirk Official Site
7 February 2009 Tynecastle Stadium Heart of Midlothian 1–0 SC Lovell Falkirk Official Site
14 February 2009 New St Mirren Park St Mirren 2–2 SPL Finnigan, Arfield Falkirk Official Site
21 February 2009 Falkirk Stadium Hamilton 1–2 SPL Own goal Falkirk Official Site
28 February 2009 Easter Road Hibs 0–0 SPL Falkirk Official Site
3 March 2009 Falkirk Stadium Dundee United 0–1 SPL Falkirk Official Site
7 March 2009 Caledonian Stadium Inverness CT 1–0 SC Finnigan (pen.) Falkirk Official Site
21 March 2009 Falkirk Stadium Inverness CT 4–0 SPL Finnigan (2), Stewart, Arfield (pen.) Falkirk Official Site
5 April 2009 Falkirk Stadium Rangers 0–1 SPL Falkirk Official Site
8 April 2009 Celtic Park Celtic 0–4 SPL Falkirk Official Site
11 April 2009 Rugby Park Kilmarnock 0–3 SPL Falkirk Official Site
18 April 2009 Falkirk Stadium Heart of Midlothian 0–0 SPL Falkirk Official Site
26 April 2009 Hampden Park Dunfermline Athletic 2–0 SC Scobbie, Arfield (pen.) Falkirk Official Site
2 May 2009 Falkirk Stadium Motherwell 2–1 SPL Finnigan, Scobbie Falkirk Official Site
9 May 2009 Rugby Park Kilmarnock 1–1 SPL Barr Falkirk Official Site
13 May 2009 New Douglas Park Hamilton Academical 1–0 SPL Arfield Falkirk Official Site
16 May 2009 Falkirk Stadium St Mirren 0–2 SPL Falkirk Official Site
23 May 2009 Caledonian Stadium Inverness CT 1–0 SPL Higdon Falkirk Official Site
30 May 2009 Hampden Park Rangers 0–1 SC Falkirk Official Site

League table
Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification or relegation[lower-alpha 1]
8 Kilmarnock 38 12 8 18 38 48 −10 44
9 Hamilton Academical 38 12 5 21 30 53 −23 41
10 Falkirk 38 9 11 18 37 52 −15 38 Qualification for the Europa League second qualifying round[lower-alpha 2]
11 St Mirren 38 9 10 19 33 52 −19 37
12 Inverness Caledonian Thistle 38 10 7 21 37 58 −21 37 Relegation to the First Division
Source: Scottish Professional Football League
Rules for classification: 1) Points; 2) Goal difference; 3) Goals scored
Notes:
  1. Teams played each other three times (33 matches), before the league split into two groups (the top six and the bottom six) for the last five matches.
  2. Since Rangers, the winners of the Scottish Cup, already qualified for the Champions League via their league position, Falkirk, the losing finalist, earned a spot in the Europa League.

References
  1. Falkirk's score is shown first.
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