Peter Houston says he'll quit Falkirk if they don't go up

Peter Houston's Falkirk have made a disappointing start to the Championship season. Picture: Michael Gillen

Peter Houston says he will quit as Falkirk manager if he does not succeed in winning promotion back to the Premiership this season.

After winning all four Betfred Cup group matches, the Bairns have lost four of their last five to crash out of the cup and be left joint-bottom of the Championship with just a point.

Houston cancelled his players’ day off last week and ordered double training sessions, but they crashed to a 4-1 defeat at home to Queen of the South.

“I understand there are loads of supporters not happy, I totally understand it,” Houston, 59, said.

“We’ll get there. We’ll keep working at it and trying our very, very best. That’s all we can do.

“It’s a marathon and not a sprint. I’m not happy with where we are and I can understand the punters not being happy.

“At the end of the season, if we don’t go up, I’ll walk away. I have no problem with that. I’ll have had my time, in a tough three or four years. But I’m determined, more than anything, to try to correct this.”

Houston yesterday signed former Partick Thistle and Kilmarnock defender Conrad Balatoni on a deal until the end of the year. Balatoni, 26, was released by Ayr United at the end of last season

Falkirk are also interested in Hearts defender  Jordan McGhee and Aberdeen full-back Daniel  Harvie.