Brave play of Bairns a fitting tribute to Gowans memory

Published on Sunday 31 May 2009 23:20

WITHOUT knowledge of the backstory, the temptation might be to describe Falkirk's defeat to Rangers in the Homecoming Scottish Cup final on Saturday as a disaster, an injustice. Or even a tragedy. But manager John Hughes would be the first to up-braid anyone being overly dramatic, to use such words in connection with what was only a game. A cup final, perhaps. But still just a game.

After all, there were still two winners on Saturday. Rangers lifted the trophy, granted, but there was little glory in it for them. Falkirk had yearned to bring the Scottish Cup back to the town for the first time in over half a century, but were able to deliver the prospect of European competition and continued Premier League football. There is also the promise of more to come if even some of the seven starters on Saturday whose contracts have now expired can be persuaded to sign new deals. And should Hughes also commit his future to the club.

The manager found it difficult to focus on his own ambitions having gone out of his way to celebrate the life of youth team player Craig Gowans, who was electrocuted in an accident at the club's former training ground in 2005. An awareness of his family's plight made it difficult for Falkirk fans to feel too crushed by a defeat which, in any case, had been loaded with positives. Gowans' name was stitched into the Falkirk shirts. It was also imprinted on minds.

Some people, many of them Falkirk fans, had confessed to a certain uneasiness at the way in which Gowans' name had been brought up again and again in the run-up to the match. 'Let him rest in peace' had been the gist of their complaint. The player's shirt is already pinned to the wall of the tunnel at the Falkirk stadium, where it proves a powerful and enduring tribute. But Saturday's salute to a fallen Bairn avoided becoming an orgy of grief.

Few could deny the poignancy of the moment as John, Craig's father, led out the Falkirk team at the start. He was a dignified addition to the normal cup final pre-amble and did not look out of place next to the likes of Hughes and Walter Smith. According to Scott Arfield, who along with Tam Scobbie grew up with Gowans, his father even said a few words to the players during the interval.

The away dressing-room – Rangers were the designated 'home' team – must have been an emotional place to be after an opening half which revealed just how plausible was the notion Falkirk could lift the Scottish Cup for a first time since 1957. Hughes' side had not only taken the game to Rangers, they had barely allowed the champions a kick of the ball. Barry Ferguson is a diminished performer these days, but even when pitched in against the hardly-burly Arfield looked to have shrunken in a physical sense as well. It was once difficult to imagine Ferguson ever being considered insignificant, but here he was just that. Only one player had less influence and unfortunately for Rangers he was next to Ferguson in midfield – Lee McCulloch.

Falkirk easily won the battle in the middle of the park, but did not win the war. Steve Lovell, the lone striker for over 70 minutes, had been in this film before. He was a member of the Dundee team defeated 1-0 by Rangers in the Scottish Cup final six years ago. Just as on that afternoon, Rangers here fell over the line and were helped by opponents who, though comfortable on the ball, could not put it in the net.

"Sometimes you need to be more direct," reflected defender Gerard Aafjes afterwards. "We played too much-keep-the-ball." His own contract had little more than 24 hours to expire. Keeping the cup final team and its manager together is the first problem facing new Falkirk chairman Martin Ritchie.

But the fans' dispute with Hughes has surely been resolved following a brave performance in the final and the escape from relegation. During one post-match interview on Saturday Jackie McNamara underlined Hughes' determination to have Falkirk play football in the correct manner when he recalled his manager's anger that they had been drawn into a battle in the first half against Inverness Caledonian Thistle, on the last day of the season. Even if it meant Falkirk going down he wanted them to go out playing football.

The SPL would be a poorer place without Falkirk. Perhaps their fans will simply have to accept compliments in lieu of trophies. It is not the worst fate.