As it turns out, John McGlynn isn’t the only manager in the Falkirk area dragging his team through the divisions and dishing out some bloody noses along the way.
Just as McGlynn has defied all expectations during nearly four spectacular years in charge, so is one of his managerial counterparts making a big impact a few miles down the road.
Gary Naysmith’s remarkable work with Stenhousemuir these last three seasons has shades of McGlynn about it, right down to the shocks their teams pulled off in the Scottish Cup fourth round.
A few hours before Falkirk were knocking out Premiership leaders Hearts at Tynecastle, League One leaders Stenny were eliminating Championship side Greenock Morton.
With just four places separating the teams on the SPFL ladder, it wasn’t a huge upset, but the scoreline was arguably the most eye-catching of the weekend.
Two goals by Matty Aitken and one each for Nicky Jamieson and Gregor Buchanan produced a 4-0 victory at Ochilview Park.
Gary Naysmith’s achievements at Stenhousemuir include guiding them to the League Two title
Falkirk boss John McGlynn celebrates their Scottish Cup victory against Hearts at Tynecastle
Naysmith later said it flattered his team, and even complained about their first-half performance, but that is him all over: modest, grounded and determined never to get carried away.
The truth is that they were deserving winners against a team from the division above and have come a long way under the demanding, eminently sensible Naysmith.
The former Hearts and Everton defender learned his trade as a manager during spells with East Fife, Queen of the South and Edinburgh City.
Appointed by Stenhousemuir in January 2023, he made such an impact in his first full season that they won the first league title of their 140-year history.
Having earned promotion from League Two, they finished their next season fourth in League One and are now top of that division, three points ahead of the rest.
While second-placed Inverness have two games in hand, part-time Stenhousemuir are smelling a big opportunity to reach the giddy heights of the Championship.
They haven’t lost a home game in any competition since early August. They are in the last eight of the Challenge Cup and now the last 16 of the Scottish Cup.
While they are known for their set-pieces and their winning mentality, Naysmith says they don’t get enough praise for the quality of their football.
The same could be said of his management. Despite his experience and recent success, he is rarely touted when vacancies arise elsewhere.
Naysmith is only 47, but he has been around the lower divisions for over a decade and is perhaps not seen as fashionable or sexy enough for clubs further up the food chain.
A similar problem afflicts McGlynn, who is somehow overlooked for the bigger jobs despite being probably the best manager in the country.
Some of our image-conscious clubs would rather waste money on an Old Firm veteran. Or search abroad for the answer to a question that doesn’t exist.
As this weekend has demonstrated, there are cheaper, safer, more experienced managers who know Scottish football inside out and are proving it right under our noses.
