Coll Donaldson on Falkirk's Championship opener and putting derby record right

That was Falkirk’s first three fixtures last season in League One last term. Not exactly exhilarating.

The Bairns’ first three games this time around after the league cup section are a TV home opener against Queen’s Park, a derby trip to Dunfermline Athletic and last 16 tie against Hearts in the Premier Sports Cup. Definitely exhilarating.

And newly-appointed captain Coll Donaldson admits his return from injury has come at the perfect time having played in last Saturday’s 4-0 win over local rivals Stenhousemuir after a frustrating pre-season.

"It's been a tough summer mentally,” Donaldson said. “When you pick up an injury when you're 21 it doesn't faze you.

"But once you get a wee bit older you start to worry about it, it takes a bit longer to recover. I feel good now and I feel fit.

"I've been asked about how much I'm looking forward to playing in that first league game, but nobody has got a jersey yet.

"This is a team and a squad full of players that can play in multiple positions and do a very good job.

"It's nice for the gaffer to have players back. You don't want to have too many players missing in one position.

"When you're injured and going up to the gym instead of the training pitch, you don't feel part of it.

"I'm glad to be back and mixing it with the boys."

The Bairns host Queen’s Park tomorrow night in what is the opening fixture of the Championship season, with that being followed up by a derby trip to the Pars, and the centre-back is buzzing for the opening fixtures.

"It's a game when there'll be a lot of eyes on us,” he said ahead of the Spiders match. "Neutrals will be watching and people are trying to work out where we're at, are we as good as they think we are from the league cup and last year?

"We're really looking forward it. There's a lot of questions about us and if we can transform the momentum we had from last year.

"It's flag day and it's on the telly so it will be special. It won't be special though unless we get a good result.

"They've started well. They'll want to pick up three points and start the season well. It won't be easy."

On the trip to the Fife, Donaldson added that the Bairns have a “point to prove” having failed to beat James McPake’s team under John McGlynn’s stewardship.

He added: "In those games in the first year I was here, they were always the ones we would stumble in. I feel like we've got a point to prove in those games.

"It felt like if we'd won a few of those games against Dunfermline, the race was then on.

"But Dunfermline deserved to go up that year. Those are the games we didn't do ourselves justice and the fans still bring that up now.

"Even though we won the league invincible, those games still hurt. I'm a football fan and I know what derbies mean to fans.

"We're looking forward to it, but all our focus at the moment is on Queen's Park.”

Coll Donaldson was speaking at the William Hill SPFL Season 2024/25 launch. William Hill are the proud sponsors of all four SPFL league competitions.