Falkirk FC's Finn Yeats: We are inspired by Ipswich Town feat

Kieran McKenna’s Tractor Boys finished second in the English Championship last term to book their place in the Premier League, something which Scottish Championship challengers Falkirk are now attempting to do north of the border having won League One at a canter last season.

Yeats, 20, told the Falkirk Herald: "Even when we were in League One the gaffer said: ‘We’ll get promoted and then we’ll get promoted straight after that’. That was his saying.

"He loves the Ipswich Town double promotion story. He keeps saying that.

"Absolutely nothing has changed. We’re quite a level headed team, we’re a good bunch of boys and I think as long as we stick together and just grind out matches in this league we’ll be up in no time.

"I think the top league should be expanded to 16 teams. I’ve said that for years.

"My dad says it as well all the time that it should be extended.

"It would be more competitive and I think you get more young players breaking into first teams and getting an opportunity.

"I’m not sure I like smaller leagues where you are playing each team four times.

"It gets a wee bit boring towards the end of the season.”

Yeats said seeing Falkirk’s fantastic unbeaten run ended at 43 league games after losing 1-0 at Raith Rovers was “difficult to take” and in sharp contrast to the high of leading Celtic 1-0 and 2-1 at Celtic Park in the Premier Sports Cup quarter final the week previously, before ultimately going down 5-2.

He added: “After the Raith game we were all deflated because after the Celtic game we were so high, we were so good for 70 minutes.

"Scoring at Celtic Park was brilliant. I got called into the team kind of ‘last minute-ish’.

"The best thing about that day was the atmosphere. As soon as we got there we felt like we wanted to be there more often and it was enjoyable.

"Playing Celtic you normally get humped 9-0. But if we can just add bits and bobs I think we would be fine. It was not as intimidating as people say and it opened our minds to think we were good enough to be in the top league.

"We held them for 70 minutes but then they brought on boys that are worth £40-odd million so it makes it tough.

"Falkirk haven’t got the budget and we haven’t got the players just yet to compete with the big teams.

"I tried to take my opportunity and I think I did. It was just a great feeling.

"I don’t score many goals but that was obviously one of my best and one of my favourite moments so far at Falkirk.

"Then to lose a game straight after it was kind of like: ‘What did we do wrong?’

"Raith set up quite well but I think the loss was just down to us, maybe taking our foot off the gas thinking we were maybe better than we actually were.”

Yeats was speaking ahead of Falkirk’s home top of the table clash against Ayr United tomorrow, kick-off 3pm.

On that game, he said: “Ayr are a big physical side who always make it tough for you.

"I think they’ve got a few injuries. Dowds is a big miss for them.

"But I think as long as we stick to our task we’ll be fine.

"We played them in the Premier Sports Cup group stages (a 1-0 Ayr win at Somerset Park on July 16) and we did really well, we just couldn’t score.

"They’ve had two chances, scored one and hit the post with the other one.