John McGlynn on possible budget boost, Hearts cup tie and 'exciting' Championship opener

Having won the League One title in style last season, securing an invincible 36-match campaign, the Bairns return to the second tier high on confidence having also won their Premier Sports Cup group.

Ahead of the match, McGlynn said: “We are where we want to be now. It will be a great occasion with the league flag beforehand and we expect 5,000-odd football fans.

“I can see it being a very good game. I don’t want to jinx it but Queen’s Park also play football.

“We both have flair players that can do anything at any moment.

“Dom Thomas, Zak Rudden, Jack Turner, all of these guys have so much ability.

“They can hurt us and we can hurt them.

“We’ve had to break stubborn defences down previously and played ten men behind the ball.

“We face a new challenge now with more open games and we need to be defensively sound.”

The boss also confirmed that he had no new injury worries ahead of the match – with the competition for places pleasing him.

“It helps a lot to get Coll (Donaldson) back,” he said. “Our first-choice centre-backs being both out would have been really difficult.

“Coll is a big influence on the team on and off the park.

“Saying that those who have stepped in did really well. Keelan Adams was superb.

“Leon McCann is a great option.

“Sean Mackie and him have fought it out for that left-back spot previously.

“Leon has made more appearances but Sean has come in and made the place his own.

“And it is now up to Leon to battle to get back into the team.

“That is what is you want as a manager, a competitive squad.”

Meanwhile, McGlynn was coy on his chances of being able to bring in more players before the end of the transfer window.

Having progressed to the last 16 of the Premier Sports Cup, the Bairns’ are set to rake in extra unbudgeted income.

And Jamie Swinney, the club’s chief executive officer told the Falkirk Daft podcast that the playing budget would be increased once the club hit their “breakeven” figure.

‘In a short answer, yes,’ he said. ‘The first thing we would do is fill the remaining hole that is currently there. It is not like a six-figure sum.

‘This would be unbudgeted income. The money would take us to our breakeven and we could square the budget off.

‘We put every available penny we can into John’s budget.’

McGlynn responded: “It depends how you interpret it. What I heard was that money would go into what I call a ‘black hole’ before it would come to me.

“There is a shortfall. The figure wasn’t mentioned but it wasn’t like 100k or 2k. The money would be going there first before coming to the manager.

“I have no had any confirmation either way.”

The last 16 tie will see Falkirk face Premiership outfit Hearts, and McGlynn reckons facing his old side will be a tie that will capture that “imagination of the fans”.

He said: “It is an exciting tie. Hearts will sell-out the away end.

“We will sell a lot of tickets too. It is a proper cup tie.

“We would have taken anyone at home – that is what you hope for.

“Hearts were the third-best team in Scotland by a country mile last season.

“To play a team of that calibre, with international players, is a big challenge for us.

“The tie will catch the imagination of the fans.

“It is on the backburner for now though.”