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Daily Record
11 hours ago
- Sport
- Daily Record
Brad Spencer reveals the Falkirk title message from Brian Graham moments after Patrick Thistle heartbreak
The then-Thistle striker had dealt a hammerblow to the Bairns title hopes - before joining them in the Premiership for the new season Brad Spencer trudged off the pitch with his head spinning and Brian Graham's consoling arm draped round him – but kind words were the last thing on his mind in Maryhill. A stoppage-time sickener from Partick Thistle substitute Terry Ablade had sealed a 2-1 defeat – Falkirk 's third winless clash – putting the title party on ice and giving Livingston a shot at reeling them back in. The Bairns had looked nailed on for the crown at the outset of April but as the whistle blew at Firhill, Spencer could only stew. Then came Graham, Thistle's co-boss and the man who had opened the scoring, offering a few words of solace. Spencer's first instinct may have been to tell him where to go – little did he know that place was Falkirk in a summer double deal along with former Celtic keeper Scott Bain. John McGlynn's men held their nerve a week later for title glory and a long-awaited return to the top flight as Spencer, now 29, capped it all by being named PFA Scotland Championship Player of the Year. Looking back, that chat with Graham didn't sting for long – in fact, he's grateful for it now. The vice-skipper said: 'Brian came up to me after the game at Firhill. I was speaking to him before about the Player of the Year and stuff like that. 'He said something about it being a great year for myself and then 'just go on and win it', he's 'desperate for us to win it', we deserve to win it and 'you'll go get the job done next week'. In the end we did. 'I definitely had different words in my head than those that came out at the time to tell Brian just because I was annoyed at how the game went! 'He was being professional, it was lovely words and in the end there were people who were rooting for us to go out and do the job because we consistently were the best team in the league. It was nice from Brian. 'Looking back now, it was the best way we could've done it – at home in front of our fans and enjoying the night like that was magic. 'Taking it into the last game obviously wasn't good at times for people's nerves but we always had strong belief in the squadwe would get it done.' Now Spencer reckons the old guard – 37-year-old Graham, 36-year-old Scott Arfield and 33-year-old Bain – can form a solid spine for a young squad stepping into the big time. He added: 'I've known Brian for a while. Playing against him, you get to chat. 'Scott seems a lovely lad also, another good character the gaffer has picked. He's got a knack of picking good players to have around the dressing room. It would be daft not to lean on their experience. 'They've both been around the game for a long time, along with Scotty. It's an experienced group, compared to last year when we were a wee bit younger. 'We've got a wee bit of a mixture – we've got pace, we've got experience. It's exciting. 'We had success last year against a couple of Premiership teams and still played our way in those games. At times wehad to sit in, soak up a wee bit more pressure and rely on a wee bit of luck or Nicky (Hogarth) to make saves. 'So it's going to be different. We just need to add different strings to our bow and try to find the best way to win games. 'The gaffer has always stressed about keeping the continuity and feelgood factor around the place. If you start ripping everything apart, you're starting from the bare bones. 'Whereas we're two, three years into our journey. We know what to expect from the gaffer and Smudger (assistant Paul Smith) which suits a lot of us. 'It has worked. That's how we get the best out of people like myself, Dylan (Tait), the wingers and everybody else. 'There's no point in coming up and being spooked. It's just about trying to continue what we've done that's got us success.' No one can say Spencer's had it easy as he gets set for his Premiership debut seven years after exiting Kilmarnock without a top-team appearance. The midfielder, who spent his youth career in the States withPortland Timbers and Houston Dynamo, said: 'I've certainly taken longer to get to the Premiership than I'd have liked. 'But everybody's got a different path, there are late developers. I came back from America and I was wet behind the ears, didn't know enough about professional football and playing the men's game. 'It shows there are people out there who just need a chance and they can do well.'
The National
29-04-2025
- Sport
- The National
Celtic was my start – but Falkirk is where I'm thriving
Despite a three-game winless run that has seen John McGlynn's men allow Livingston to draw level on 70 points, Falkirk remain top of the Scottish Championship on goal difference and know a better result than Livi—who host Partick Thistle—will see them crowned champions and clinch top-flight promotion. For Miller, who has racked up a superb 11 goals and 11 assists this season, there's no suggestion that the pressure has derailed their focus going into this pivotal home clash against struggling Hamilton Academical. 'Not at all,' the 27-year-old said when asked if recent form had sparked concern. 'Maybe just doing a wee bit more defending because we have been conceding a lot in the last couple of minutes of games. So, maybe that aspect of it. But obviously the main focus is going on winning the next game.' That single-minded mindset has typified a Falkirk side revitalised under McGlynn's leadership—and Miller has been at the heart of it. The former Celtic academy product is one of two Bairns stars, along with midfielder Brad Spencer, nominated for the PFA Scotland Championship Player of the Year award. Pressed if it's been the best campaign of his career, Miller said: 'Aye, I think it's just continuing from my form last season and consistency. I'm enjoying my football and it's showed again when we've moved up again. I would say I'm playing my best football here at Falkirk. "It's about doing the same things consistently and I suppose it's just shown on the pitch." (Image: Roddy Scott - SNS Group) Read more: Miller's journey to becoming one of the Championship's standout performers has been anything but linear. After spells in England with Harrogate Town, Notts County, and Chesterfield, he returned north and found a spark at Morton. But it was his 2023 switch to Falkirk that he calls the turning point. 'It absolutely revived my career again,' he admitted. 'Because I'd obviously went down south and stuff and I never went down with my family, I was there myself and I wanted home a lot. 'Then I came back up and after playing in the Scottish leagues again I've felt revived. I was at Morton, I done well there and thought where am I going to go here? 'Then John [McGlynn] the gaffer at Falkirk said their football suited me to a T. I know I had to move down a league again to move back up but the whole aim was to play attractive football and get a big club like Falkirk to the Championship—and that's essentially what we done in my first season here.' Last season saw Miller earn Team of the Year honours in League One, and he's only kicked on since then. The motivation, he says, remains simple: prove himself and keep pushing forward to "reap the benefits" of what the entire squad has been doing to put themselves in such a positive position. McGlynn's message for the finale at the Falkirk Stadium? It's been the same all season: win. 'Win our next game,' Miller said. 'We've been so consistent throughout the whole season, we look to win every game. We wouldn't be going into a game looking for draws or anything like that. I don't think we ever have the full entire time this season. It's always been about trying to win every game and that's what we've been doing.' With a handful of Scottish Premiership appearances from his Celtic days, Miller knows what lies ahead if Falkirk finish the job on Friday—and he's desperate for a return to that stage. (Image: SNS Group)
The Herald Scotland
29-04-2025
- Sport
- The Herald Scotland
Celtic was my start – but Falkirk is where I'm thriving
For Miller, who has racked up a superb 11 goals and 11 assists this season, there's no suggestion that the pressure has derailed their focus going into this pivotal home clash against struggling Hamilton Academical. 'Not at all,' the 27-year-old said when asked if recent form had sparked concern. 'Maybe just doing a wee bit more defending because we have been conceding a lot in the last couple of minutes of games. So, maybe that aspect of it. But obviously the main focus is going on winning the next game.' That single-minded mindset has typified a Falkirk side revitalised under McGlynn's leadership—and Miller has been at the heart of it. The former Celtic academy product is one of two Bairns stars, along with midfielder Brad Spencer, nominated for the PFA Scotland Championship Player of the Year award. Pressed if it's been the best campaign of his career, Miller said: 'Aye, I think it's just continuing from my form last season and consistency. I'm enjoying my football and it's showed again when we've moved up again. I would say I'm playing my best football here at Falkirk. "It's about doing the same things consistently and I suppose it's just shown on the pitch." (Image: Roddy Scott - SNS Group) Read more: Miller's journey to becoming one of the Championship's standout performers has been anything but linear. After spells in England with Harrogate Town, Notts County, and Chesterfield, he returned north and found a spark at Morton. But it was his 2023 switch to Falkirk that he calls the turning point. 'It absolutely revived my career again,' he admitted. 'Because I'd obviously went down south and stuff and I never went down with my family, I was there myself and I wanted home a lot. 'Then I came back up and after playing in the Scottish leagues again I've felt revived. I was at Morton, I done well there and thought where am I going to go here? 'Then John [McGlynn] the gaffer at Falkirk said their football suited me to a T. I know I had to move down a league again to move back up but the whole aim was to play attractive football and get a big club like Falkirk to the Championship—and that's essentially what we done in my first season here.' Last season saw Miller earn Team of the Year honours in League One, and he's only kicked on since then. The motivation, he says, remains simple: prove himself and keep pushing forward to "reap the benefits" of what the entire squad has been doing to put themselves in such a positive position. McGlynn's message for the finale at the Falkirk Stadium? It's been the same all season: win. 'Win our next game,' Miller said. 'We've been so consistent throughout the whole season, we look to win every game. We wouldn't be going into a game looking for draws or anything like that. I don't think we ever have the full entire time this season. It's always been about trying to win every game and that's what we've been doing.' With a handful of Scottish Premiership appearances from his Celtic days, Miller knows what lies ahead if Falkirk finish the job on Friday—and he's desperate for a return to that stage. (Image: SNS Group)
