Gregor Buchanan: Stenhousemuir skipper wants to put ex-club Falkirk to the sword in Scottish Cup
Ex-Falkirk captain Gregor Buchanan eyes Scottish Cup shock against Bairns for Stenhousemuir.
Former Falkirk captain Gregor Buchanan doesn’t have a bad word to say about the Bairns – but he is hoping to put them to the sword tonight for the Warriors.
The Stenhousemuir skipper, 35, lived out his boyhood dream by leading Falkirk for the 2019-20 campaign after joining from Greenock Morton but that season ended in agony with Raith Rovers being handed the league title and promotion on a points-per-game formula due to the Covid-19 pandemic curtailing that campaign early.
And the centre-back might have felt that his career had stalled when he departed the Bairns that summer, having already taken a step down to play in the third tier. But Buchanan reckons that everything has fallen into place since then, having found a home up the road at Ochilview. He lifted the Warriors’ first-ever league title and has been a rock at the back since joining Stenny from Dumbarton back in May 2023.
Falkirk fan Buchanan wants to beat Bairns
Ahead of Sunday’s Scottish Gas Scottish Cup fifth round clash with Falkirk, he said: “I don’t have a bad word to say about my time there. Was I frustrated with how it went? 100 per cent. But it was the worst moment in the club’s history. Things weren’t right across the place and people who were there at that time who aren’t now probably shouldn’t have ever been in those positions to start with. I always think things happen for a reason and I wouldn’t change it because I am now in a great place and my career has turned out just fine. These things happen. I’m delighted that the club are back in the top flight.”
On the match against John McGlynn’s in-form side, Buchanan added: "It’s a brilliant tie. We’re two teams doing well. But we know that it is going to be tough for us. We’ll have our game plan in place to try and get a result. We have a great squad and we have the ability to give Falkirk a scare.
“We will go toe-to-toe with them and make sure that they know that they are in a proper cup tie. A Sunday night game is different. Falkirk are always on the TV these days so it’s normal for them! It isn’t an ideal time but I think it will actually capture a big audience. It’s a chance for the younger guys at the club to show what they can. We have our unbeaten home run to try and keep going too. That’s an extra carrot for us.”
The veteran defender is still going strong in the third tier but he knows that his career on the pitch can’t last forever. Buchanan revealed that he is hoping to stay in football after he hangs up the boots - and that he is thriving in his role as Burnley’s lead scout for Scotland.
The centre-back got the job through chance when he recommended former Camelon Juniors star Joe Bevan to the Premier League outfit after playing against the young forward. He made a move to Burnley not long after his time at the Mariners, moving from Lowland League Albion Rovers to the Clarets.
"I've been working for Burnley now for two-and-half years as their Scotland scout,” he said. “That goes from under-9s up to under-23s. I am the senior scout in Scotland for their academy. I go to games, usually at 17s/18s/19s, in and around here to get top players down there.
"I managed to get Joe Bevan down to Burnley. He got a contract and has now headed back up here to join Dundee. Ellis Clark who was at Aberdeen too, he's actually made a senior appearance for Burnley. We managed to bring in Cameron Scott too this month who was at Rangers. It's been great so far and a real opener for me. The job kind of fell on me. I had played against Joe Bevan when I was at Dumbarton and I phoned up someone I knew who was at Burnley to say there was a kid who they should be looking at. Over a couple of months, I managed to get a job with them after Joe went down and had a good trial that saw him sign for them.
"That side of it fell on me. Football is all I've ever now, and the playing side doesn't last forever, so I have been trying work my way in and I have been doing my B Licence. The Talent ID stuff has been a real eye opener and I have really enjoyed it. Down in England, there are loads of jobs that go with it. After the playing career, I want to have a job in football in some department and the aspiration is to keep trying to open up as many avenues as possible."